Beyond The Mat - Nikolai Volkoff - Would You All Please Rise - Full Episode

Nikolai Volkoff was a professional wrestler who debuted in the 1960s and performed up until his passing in 2018. Born Josip Peruzovic in Yugoslavia on oct 14 1947, he emigrated to canada after a weightlifting tournament in Vienna in the late 60s.
Standing 6’4 and weighing over 300lbs he caught the attention of calgary promoter stu hart and made his debut in stampede wrestling in 1967.
Throughout his career his wrestled under various names such as Bepo Mongol, Boris Brezinkoff, executioner #3 and most famously Nikolai Volkoff.
He performed in almost every major promotion during his career while being billed as a russian from the soviet union and singing the soviet national anthem before every match, usually being drowned out by boos and on several occasions being attacked by his opponent before even finishing singing.
One of the staples of the world wrestling federations national expansion during the 1980s with his tag team partner the Iron Sheik. And was co-holder of the tagteam titles on multiple occasions. #WrestlingDocumentary #WWE #WWF #WCW #NWA #weightlifting #tagteamtitles #wrestlemania #wwehof

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Don't Forget To Hit The Like Button and SUBSCRIBE!

[@nielgregory108]

NEVER!!

[@Sevenigma777]

My mom was a wrestler and also had a small promotion in NJ. Nikolai wrestled for her many times usually against Axe from Demolition. They were both such awesome dudes and they were so nice to me as a young kid.

[@davidcoleman9317]

Josip was a class act. I got to know him very well and I was even aloud to be a pallbearer at his funeral. Always nice and I really enjoyed him telling me stories about The Iron Sheik. Always brought a smile to my face. He was also a great Magician. He was the best. RIP my dear brother

[@c71score]

I'm really enjoying the focus on individual wrestler documentaries.

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks

[@TheEWFX29]

@@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries I second that.

[@hydrooxy84]

I agree

[@mab1959]

Josep was a lovely, intelligent, KIND man. He was a family friend.

[@michaelstclairejr1746]

No shit, one of my favs

[@michaelstclairejr1746]

Big chest, arms,and legs damm dude

[@mab1959]

@@michaelstclairejr1746 His charisma and smile lit up a room! He was such a great guy.

[@michaelstclairejr1746]

My mother in law is Kurosawa hope I spelled that right I took a langue to speak to her kurosawan

[@vistuscaine]

He was one of the good ones.

[@ethniciteesllc7511]

Rest In Peace, Nikolai! One of wrestling’s greatest characters!

[@gregbailey8253]

I hated them when I was a kid, but his team with Iron Sheik and Freddie Blassie as their manager was one of the best heel teams of the 80's.

[@maosama3695]

He lived a very satisfying life. and not only he gained success in everything he did but he paid it forward and thought kids and passed his legacy to them. I can really tell he was a very disciplined man. Not only he stayed loyal to his wife but he made sure every penny he earns goes to his family. Amazing such a man is a rare breed nowadays. Isnt it weird that most people who played the villains arr usually the sweetest and kindest people.

[@kamarichristie4346]

Rip nikolai

[@arturoalmazan5262]

great big man. he should have won an intercontinental title. before we had Nikita koloff we had Nikolai Volkoff; sad he passed away RIP

[@jamclutch1818]

He was always one of my favorite baddies! RIP big guy!

[@Sangria]

Nikolai Volkoff would be making $$$ today with this gimmick

[@chrislouden6702]

He was a class act in real life. When he died countless people turned out in his home town to say goodbye and say how wonderful he was to everyone!

[@leeedwards9068]

A TRUE GENTLEMAN…I dare say that he was always well respected by his peers in the business, even though he didn’t live their lifestyle. God Bless you, Josip..

[@hatefuldisplay]

I had the pleasure of meeting him at a small event in Maryland prior to his passing. Super cool guy. He did end up talking more to my wife about vegetarian diets than me about wrestling, but it was still amazing to get to chat up someone I grew up watching on television.

[@chrislouden7329]

He was a class act! Thanks for the memories!RIP

[@evanglenn414]

God Bless every memory of him, and all that he had done. God Bless Him.

[@neneshubby]

“Vrusha numver vun, Eerahn, numver vun, Merica!” Hack! Ptooey” Classic.

[@lendogglc]

I couldn’t stand Nikolai Volkoff when I was a kid. I say this in the most endearing terms. He was able to draw so much heat. For all those who are unaware or were not old enough to understand or remember, the Cold War was still a very real thing in the late 1970’s on throughout the 1980’s. The Cold War was between the United States of America and the USSR. The hate and fear Americans had towards the Soviets was huge. At any moment, the two nations could be involved in a nuclear war. Add to the fact US President Ronald Reagan was very patriotic and helped to instill a very pro-US image across the county. Indirectly, this helped Volkoff build heat. In the ring, Volkoff was pretty solid. He was absolutely a great worker. I don’t recall anything about his style that stood out, but I remember him being a good wrestler. And of course, he was always able to draw a ton of heat. His tag team with the Iron Sheik was legendary. Together, the pair was able to generate so much heat from the live audiences, it was incredible. Then when they were matched up against pro-American baby face wrestlers, the crowds just went absolutely nuts. It was a great time in wrestling, especially in the WWF. I miss the golden years of the WWF. The baby faces were absolute monsters in size and personality. You had Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Junkyard Dog, ‘Superfly’ Jimmy Snuka to name a few. The heels were just as big in stature and personality as well. You had the likes of ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff, Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and Macho Man Randy Savage. What a great era. It doesn’t seem like there will ever be another like it. Thank you, Nikolai Volkoff, for being a great entertainer. You were one of the many reasons wrestling was so great.

[@mrf19741]

I still remember booing him through the TV when he sang the Russian National Anthem with my Grandmother every weekend when we would we watch wrestling. From what I've read and heard, he was a kind, loving, and devoted family man. He would save money for his family by buying groceries on the road and cooking them on a hot plate instead of going to a restaurant. He knew how to sew, so whenever his clothes were damaged, he took out a needle & thread and repaired them himself instead of buying new ones. RIP.

[@TPain79lawguy]

It's really nice to see that heels and villains I saw as a young man were actually great class acts. Was surprised and happy to learn Greg Valentine is (in my opinion - at least now) a class act, and so now also "Nicolai Volkoff". Really glad he (Josep) had a great legacy. Show business and fame can destroy a lot of people, and I'm always happy to see when "stars" don't lose their way.

[@randysantana9174]

A class act and a gentle giant!

[@walls2ink]

As a child of the 80s and a huge WWF fan as a kid I say without doubt your videos always bring up good memories keep it up my friend 👍 and be safe

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks, I appreciate the support! You as well

[@thebigandgreat1]

Great doc on Nikolai! Always appreciate your work and thank you for entertaining us.

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks, I appreciate that and grateful for the support!

[@TheJoaniejoancansew]

Man this is great! Keep showing the old school

[@Hoonozit]

Thanks for these videos. As soon as they pop up I click like, then it's on with the show.

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks for the support!

[@matthewlane518]

I love to hear him sing! I think he was the best on the wrestling album! No one seems to agree thou☹️

[@mikebconsulting]

Yes!!! His version of Cara Mia was the best. I owned it on record. Can’t find it anywhere. I’m glad someone else out there appreciated his vocals.

[@ShadowAngel-lt8nw]

You must be deaf.

[@jmj7599]

he was a true great

[@ferox965]

I read that Volkoff was one of the nicest people backstage.

[@starkiller9897]

When he wrestled with the Iron Sheik they where hilarious to watch. I loved seeing all the boos from the crowd!! 😂😂😂

[@jureds2003]

Can you imagine the heat this gimmick would generate today

[@KEVIN-tx6bt]

An incredible story! A first class bloke too!

[@dembobby171]

Joe was a dear friend and a wonderful human being. I had the honor and pleasure of writing his authorized comic book biography "Nikolai" for Squared Circle Comics, which letter appeared as Turnbuckle Titans 1-3, with Antarctic Press.

[@danbanach460]

No, his mother was from Poland. How do I know ... well, he lived 5 minutes away and running into him wasn't unusual. He told me where his mother was from and I introduced him to some of my co-workers from Poland. As usual, he was all smiles while talking to them.

[@jwhan8615]

I saw him wrestle in person a few times during his time in Mid-South. He was a BIG guy and crazy strong. I am pretty sure he sang the Russian National Anthem at least once when I saw him in house shows. He did it, because he was angry JYD came to the ring playing Another One Bites the Dust.

[@grantwileyesq.5962]

He was one of my favorite old LJN rubber wrestling figures. I always had him beat Hulk Hogan after George Steele laid a bite to Hogan's forehead..

[@polopopolo2197]

“C’mere you big bastard” 😂 you do such a great job with these videos. I like the individual biographies very much. The one on the Grahams was fantastic

[@AngelReyes-qr6ny]

I started watching Nikolai when I was 5 years old,!!! Teaming with The Iron Sheik,!!! 👍 Manage by Freddie Blassie, Thank you for uploading this ,!!!👍👍👍

[@blankspace8758]

Finally a story without racism and drug use 👏 🙌🏾

[@GenomePresents]

Great video and supremely good editing. Josip seemed like a genuinely decent man. I watched an interview with him from 2017 or so, and he said that he had never walked into a bar in his life, and that he was proud of that fact. It's takes commitment to one's morals to not fall into bad habits, especially considering the party atmosphere of a lot of the wrestling business back then. I was a fan of the heels when I was a kid, and Josip was one of the great ones! SOOOOO much heat.

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks , I appreciate that

[@luchalujano2729]

I'm here because I have a stack of autographed Volkoff pictures he sent me when I was a kid and I have just found them after decades.

[@shawnfitzgerald6830]

I worked with Nikolai a few times in the 1990's He was feuding with Dave 'Krusher' Klebanski in the NAW (North American Wrestling) promotion owned my Mike Donitelli. I was a ref and remember Nikolai being a tremendous gentleman with the most pleasant singing voice.

[@johnbrown9410]

Love this channel. Just subbed

[@Zane_Zaminsky]

Saw Nikolai many times in person in the 1970’s. He had one of the most impressive physiques that I’ve ever seen.

[@wildestcowboy2668]

Did you get to toss his salad?

[@tomsewell-fx9gs]

@@wildestcowboy2668 You mean help him cook ? i guess so ....why ?

[@SammyVideoPlex]

I I'M a fan of his for so many year's I first seen him wrestle for Big time wrestling in Detroit. He wrestle the USA champion the Original Sheik. On local Big time wrestling shows he would have a apple in his hand. And then crush the apple he was a good big man. I heard he was a family man year's ago. Glad he is in WWE HALL OF FAME. Rip

[@waynecollins1009]

New subscriber here great content geezer👍

[@thebanham]

Good video

[@edefuu3082]

Nice work,got my sub .👍

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jaybrown4526]

Nickle and Dime Volkov??? I had never heard that one before!! Haha!!

[@gavinmceneff5612]

Two legends of Split, Joseph a pro wrestler, his brother a player and coach of Hajduk

[@NYGiantsfan1029]

I feel like I was at the NJ show in 2001 cause I remember seeing Bundy wrestle in NJ around that time. I was in the crowd the night of WWE idol.

[@ejudd2776]

Great videos please upload more

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thank you, I will

[@troylowe814]

Class act

[@MyBrainHurts2]

"His mother was Russian" ... he told me she was from Poland. Really, this is one we had in common and when I told him that two of them women I was working with, and were there at that time were from Poland, his eyes lit up. He asked to meet them both and the three of them chatted for a little while in Polish.

[@ntxbanditos9921]

one of my fav heels

[@johnnyblaze8030]

What a Legend!!

[@ben8447]

great video

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thanks!

[@studbourbon798]

Seemed like a great fella with cool life . RIP .

[@TheNickDinsmore]

Great bio on a great person.

[@OriginalWrestlingDocumentaries]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@KirkLee1983]

Volkoff lived 10 mins from me as a kid. My Brothers friend dated his Daughter.

[@JuanGarcia-fw4bn]

Turned out Nikolai was really a good guy,he became a naturalized American citizen,he loved America more than many natives,a great guy,what an American should be.

[@Thiswasmeanttobeeasy]

Watching the movie Hunt for Red October they sang the Soviet national anthem and I waited for the 'Russia number one, Iran number one USA huck ta', but it wasn't there.

[@jackrobinson8945]

Watched big Jo wrestle at the Sales Pavilion in Edmonton , Alberta in the 60's

[@elliotthunter6226]

Fuck these documentariea are good! Keep em coming

[@mringram]

Nice

[@curlybizkit5384]

Just found your channel,great bios!!!Please keep it up with not so big names like the obvious ones (the rock,hogan,Austin,HBK etc) Doing ones on people like Alex Wright,Junk Yard Dog,Essa Rios etc would be appreciated 👍🏻. P.S I’ve not watched wrestling for years,what the hell was wwe idol??🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@oldcountryboy]

I always loved the bad guys

[@kamarichristie4346]

I liked his feud

[@Hoovie9596]

Excellent video as usual ….please do many more !

[@Hoonozit]

I used to read about The Mongols in the 1970s wrestling mags. I thought they were kind of mysterious.

[@kaysguy]

Saw him in the late 60s in a chain match as Beppo Mongol against Sammartino.

[@rochesterjohnny7555]

cool I'm glad you mentioned his vegetarian diet he credited that with greatly improving his health

[@jaybrown4526]

"Eeerahn... Numbvah One! Russeeah... Numbvah one! USA... Hawk Tew!!" Haha!!

[@bigdaddyroy5382]

I saw Nikolai in 1997-1998ish at a wrestling event at my high school being only 15-16 at the time, I didn't appreciate him being a heel

[@rebelwithoutaclue9387]

Holy crap! I totally forgot about Corporal Kershner! I loved him! Not that any American would know this but a Bolshevik is actually a fascist Russian not communist!

[@mathiasvogel3458]

Yugoslavia was not behind the Iron Curtain. He could travel to Canada every time. Especially in the 60s.

[@edgarhendricks366]

He was actually.6foot7inches tall and weighed over 300pounds.he did bench press 550pounds.and squated 700pounds.

[@lavarbukowski578]

Love the Manny Fernandez story.

[@thunderchargingbear]

No mention of his time with Ivan Koloff?? 🤔 intersting

[@dabunnyman9133]

Nice to see a wrestler have a happy life, way too much tragedy in the business. I remember him as Bepo Mongol, that was a real monster tag team and I wish there was footage of them online.

[@rsuriyop]

There is. Please check again. He’s fighting Sammartino in an old 8mm clip from the early 70’s.

[@dabunnyman9133]

@@rsuriyop Found it, thanks. Good match and a Bruno loss on film is kinda rare.

[@northofnashira2575]

Any chance a JYD episode is in the works?

[@Rustoization]

Good stuff. Btw Iron Sheik said "Iran number 1...Russia number 1.... U.S.A....AAKHH TOHFF". Aakh Tohff is Farsi for "I spit on it"

[@adamlane6453]

"That's where it spits." --Ed Asner

[@dalewormheart4910]

Wooooooo!

[@Jareyes42]

It's funny as a spectator they let you in with a 2x4 in the arena. 😂

[@markwrenn5965]

I can't believe he didn't like the Mongol haircut.

[@chrislouden6702]

In real life both Nikolai and the Iron Shiek were good friends

[@jlover911]

this man loved the USA!!!!

[@user-jl3ny9zj2z]

JOSIP (not Josep) !.

[@elliotthunter6226]

Its may 2022. Vince needs to bring back a new Russian Heel

[@chadwickwhite6107]

Nikolai Volkoff is a TRUE LEGEND. His BEST manager was Ted Dibiase.

[@floridagator1765]

So he was part Russian. Dude could move and destroyed tv stiffs in the 70s in the WWWF

[@chrisblester37]

He was wwe champion twice once with the iron sheik and once as a Mongol in the 1970

[@jlover911]

tag champion

[@hulksmash8159]

Fun fact: he never actually sang the Russian national anthem.

[@jlover911]

whatd he sing???

[@user-hc9qv9yb9m]

I saw him at the high school along with other exsuper stars

[@nielgregory108]

Is your life complete because of it?

[@countrydawn418]

I think he was known as a strong guy in real life.

[@syahminorizan8064]

RIP Corporal Kirchner

[@johnrife7134]

Shiek did ALL the cocaine.

[@kevingrace945]

I did a KZbin vlog and visited his grave in Maryland

[@ontherez7860]

I loved nikoli volhkov and the iron sheik and king Kong Bundy and big john stud. I loved the heels wrestling in the 80s were the greatest. Now its all douchebags who are boring

[@matthewlane518]

He lost to The Superfly, well at least he didn't get beaten to death, not that Jimmy would have had to worry, I guess he was above the law, USA number 1 Russia number 1, murders huck poo