Real violence in wrestling interview with Ivan koloff and his nephew Nikita Koloff

Watch this real knock out clothesline , sucker punch
by wrestler Nikita Koloff
that was so vicious that it almost forced World Wide Wrestling commentator David Crockett into retirement.!

[@dannymahaffey2753]

No, David Crockett did not retire shortly after this incident. He was an NWA onscreen play by play until 1988. He also started his career as a wrestler and knew how to take a bump. This angle was the beginning of a run that led up to Ric Flair vs Nakita Koloff at the first Great American Bash.

[@isaiahwilliams121]

I wish someone have the end of this episode when Flair ran in on Nikita. the crowd went crazy

[@jimmytaylor1570]

It was a great set up! He was in on it. One of the best I've seen. 👌

[@MarcillaSmith]

The real David Crockett was replaced by a clone created through clandestine Soviet technology. That's why later interviews featuring this clone "David Crockett" have a better, "markier" energy than this one.

[@tvtitlechampion3238]

@@MarcillaSmith now, that's a conspiracy theory I can get behind

[@jasonhicks9809]

I didn't know Crocket wrestled... Wow

[@schuey999]

Nikita, wrestling fans around the world are indebted to you for this. Thank you!

[@veeseee128]

3:08 barbarian shakes his head up and down in approval as to say WELL DONE!!

[@tvtitlechampion3238]

Kinda like in hockey, how the benches beat their sticks against the boards after a good scrap

[@kenhernandez8128]

A top memorable moment in pro wrestling history. Great old days.

[@kimberlymitchell1776]

Hell fuck yeah 1988

[@zhoubaidinh403]

Special operation maneuver

[@philaman1972]

I remember watching this angle here in Philadelphia back in 1985 on channel 17 @ 2pm Saturday (World Wide Wrestling). NWA was must see TV!!

[@gary6754]

same here im from philly too 2 pm saturday was the highlight of my week at that age people can say what they want about David Crockett but i miss hearing his voice on saturday afternoons

[@philaman1972]

Southern wrestling and culture was a completely different product than what I was accustomed to in a WWF world. Needless to say, the NWA was much better... more wrestling and more excitement!

[@dontabaltimore1974]

The Crockett NWA was a great promotion

[@glennrobbins2372]

I lived just outside of Philly back then. Saturdays were pro wrestling days. In the morning was AWA and WWF, the afternoon had the NWA, in the evening it was WCCW and UWF. It was great to see people who would become big stars later like Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Ted Dibiase, just to name a few. I don't even watch it anymore, it's just not the same.

[@davidj5910]

Same here. Afterwards would watch it on the Spanish channel( 35 ).

[@ladyj2552]

DAMN!!! I miss these days!! Who remembers when the main events got cut off at the end of almost every show?? "We'll see u next week folks!!". HA!!

[@jamesblames2]

+Lady J use to drive me insane....you would spend two hours watching mulkey brothers get their tails kicked ...and the main event would start right at the same time as the credits...I would shout at the tv 'somebody pin someone!!!'

[@chrisscott4174]

That used to piss me off so bad but those were the good days of wrestling

[@nvalle23]

We're calling Ted Turner to add more time...as the Road Warriors are riding to the ring in a golf cart at the Great American Bash. They get 2 minutes of the match in and...We gotta go folks!

[@ronsilvia8127]

This was a magical era of wrestling

[@kenhernandez8128]

Golden age of pro wrestling.

[@keyopronin4134]

Damn, your Statement is Gospel.

[@donarthiazi2443]

Absolutely. God I miss the territories!!

[@kimberlymitchell1776]

Hell fuck yeah 1988

[@Richdanahuff]

This was a great angle and promo watching the Barbarian laugh in the ring was hilarious

[@TheStuport]

STILL a pleasure in 2023 to see David The Cheerleader Crockett get waylaid! Never Gets Old!

[@briancenti5423]

the great nikita and NWA..GOD how i miss this after what we have today...

[@theodeslewis5261]

brian centi...you are so right...it got a lil better when Goldberg came back...but back to the same old shit...

[@KKSteele33]

Great facial expressions from Nikita here. He was badass and hilarious.

[@HandsomeB1derful]

in retrospect, this was the angle that got Flair over huge as a babyface (he was already getting props as a heel but this was cold war era USA vs. Russia style) which made the 'Horsemen break Dusty's leg' angle all that more dramatic. Kayfabe was still in full effect, fans climbing the steel cage to "rescue" Dusty. I feel fortunate to have grown up during this era.

[@NZ92673]

At about this time Ric Flair was a tweener, although more of a heel than a face, with him being a face while wrestling the Koloffs and Buddy Landell. He was a heel, wrestling Magnum TA, Dusty Rhodes, Ronnie Garvin and others. It wasn't until Flair and the Horsemen broke Dusty's leg in the steel cage that Flair would be a full fledged heel, even in the Mid Atlantic area where up until that time he had been a face, while wrestling as heel in promotions like Georgia, Florida and anywhere else.

[@HandsomeB1derful]

trying to locate a clip of the Dusty leg-breaking, you know where that one is? fans were flipping the F out, Arn and Tully barely made it to the dressing room! thx

[@jamesdavis5154]

- dough The Horseman ju.ping Dusty in the parking lot was epic and the heat behind that angle was huge. You can hear Dusty tell Arn make it good after he chokes him with the bat.

[@intrigued16]

Dude, Jim got knock the fuck out! Lol that was not a work, that was an accident! Like a crash test dummy hitting a brick wall holy crap. I think somebody in this comments said it was a work in a hell of a sell. Hell no, that was no sell. He landed flat back and flat on the back of his head. He looks like a family Guy character after they've been murdered or ran over. Man.

[@ronniemoon57]

That was not Jim, it was David.

[@magicbus63]

RIP Ivan Koloff A Real Legend!

[@kimberlymitchell1776]

Hell fuck yeah

[@paulmiddleton4215]

wasn't Ivan a native of New Jersey?

[@GregoryWeagle]

@@paulmiddleton4215 He was originally Canadian and settled in North Carolina before he died in 2017.

[@endrsgm]

this was a work. david came back in a neck brace and this took heel flair and made him a face so he could work the rocky 4 angle with nikita. this was one of the best angles of all time.

[@stevenzack1497]

In those great times of the 80's if you had to take a stiff bump to make the work look real you did it. Crockett and the Koloffs nailed it.

[@alienlife7754]

Dude. You really think Crockett planned that? Sure wrestling is a work but that caught him totally off guard. The only reason Nikita didn’t lose his job is because at this time the WWF was crushing the competition. Nikita was a big star in the NWA. And they couldn’t afford to lose any of their people. No one says “OK, so the plan is, you break my jaw and force me i to retirement.” Not everything is a work.

[@ensabahnur7657]

@@alienlife7754 100% TRUTH!

[@Billygrundmeyer]

@@alienlife7754 LOL. Nikita, David Crockett have both talked about it being a work in interviews. Even Tony Schivone (who did not know it was going to happen) says the control room was telling them to hurry up and do it over the ear pieces. It may have been stiffer than expected, but it was planned. Why lie about it now?

[@donarthiazi2443]

@@alienlife7754 You don't know much about pro wrestling do you kid??

[@stylex19]

In recorded interviews, David Crockett talks about the angle and that he knew it was coming. The only thing he didn't know was exactly when.

[@anthonymatthews5854]

David Crockett is being 100% real here, and told Nikita to hit him as hard as he could. Yes, this was all a part of an "angle", but the emotion is very real here. He wanted it to be as real as possible, even more so than normal according to Jim Cornette. Crockett was a wrestler until that plane crash. Crockett was well known for being a "homer" for the "faces", so this was a rare opportunity for him to actually praise Flair since Ric spent much more time being a heel.

[@larrysweeney12large]

One of the greatest moments ever, I always hated David Crockett.

[@chuckf8696]

EVERYBODY hated David Crockett! God, he was absolutely horrible as an announcer. I don't care if he owned some of the company; they had no business putting that dolt on the air. That was a great clothesline.....uh, I mean Russian Sickle!

[@cymandeh]

@@chuckf8696 I've always thought that David brought the average fan reaction to the broadcast booth. And the fact that he would side with the good guys and scuffle with the bad guys brought realism to the nwa. something you don't see anymore. just my opinion tho

[@ronaldshank7589]

He was interrupting Ivan Koloff continually, during this interview. He wouldn't shut up...until a sharp sickle of a Clothesline from Nikita Koloff took him out! David Crockett brought this on himself-simply by continuing to , as Stone Cold Steve Austin would say, flap his gums!

[@ronaldshank7589]

@@chuckf8696 Man... that was a super-sharp Russian Sickle, too...and only one man could deliver it with this much destructive power-The Russian Nightmare-Nikita Koloff!!!

[@peterp2153]

Love Tony’s almost sarcastic sounding “OHH NOOO!!!!”

[@paulevereklian]

a great part is seeing paul jones and the barbarian getting a kick out of it after the attack. That's just good old school heel right there

[@coolmoe3289]

If Somebody Would Have Told Me Back In 1986 That These 2 Guys Were Not Russian an Just Acting.. I Would Blind Side Them With The Russian Sickle Just Like This.... 🤣😂

[@camp168]

I thought Crockett would never shut up....thank you Nakita!!!

[@Greg-oi1wr]

Nikita got em pretty good, Flair came out at the end of the show freaking out and slapped Nikita in the face before his match and they wrestled around the ring, starting their feud. Crocket didn't walk away from the mic at that point. Great clip and memories thanks

[@KcLegendary]

Classic. I still remembered this. Unforgettable.

[@ALGETHYPE]

2:57 David Crockett braced himself. It was a work. Hell of a sales job by Nikita and David

[@melbias5046]

yeah the brace around his neck, but i did not see crockett brace himself. at 2 57 he was on his way down. but that was one heck of a work.

[@alangamble9479]

This was when Wrestling was goodgood...i miss the good ole Wtestling days...

[@intrigued16]

No David Crockett got knocked the f*** out. It may have supposed to be to work that was an accident, like a crash test dummy running into a wall at 50mph. There was absolutely no bracing himself. Unless you mean he braced himself with his face. I mean come on he looks like a family Guy character after they've been murdered, ran over or knocked out. "Crockett braced himself".LMAO ya sure he did👍

[@boondockpaint]

Nikita was the first Goldberg

[@boondockpaint]

+skirts365 I'm surprised how you girls know about Nikita.must be mad 😎 cool

[@boondockpaint]

+skirts365 my bad dawg

[@TheAquariansoul71]

I always said Goldberg was more Nikita Koloff than he was Stone Cold

[@marvingallion9668]

Nothing about Goldberg not true

[@TheRetroDen80s]

kiplenhowser why? Because he was bald?

[@wrestlingNOTsportsentrtanmnt]

No crappy "sports entertainment" here just good old fashioned hard hitting professional wrestling! Loved the old NWA!

[@RabidGerry]

It's the build up on Nikita Koloff's face through the entire thing, he's getting more and more furious! Then BAM!!! Explodes with rage. Nikita is a legend!

[@LT1HILLINGHOE]

Crockett didn't receive any injuries. It was a work. I remember watching this back in the early 80s I think. Nikita Koloff was the early Goldberg when it came to power, ability, speed and style.

[@RayNDeere]

+LT1HILLINGHOE This was to set up the Great American Bash 1985 match between Flair and Nikita. Flair did an interview talking about he and Crockett were in the 1975 airplane crash together. David ended up reffing the Flair-Nikita Match

[@dontabaltimore1974]

While it was a work according to David Crockett in a shoot interview he admitted that Nikita put more force into the blow than required because him and Nikita didn't care for each other during this period.

[@andyraphael]

naw bro he's out like an unpaid light bill

[@darrinjennings8663]

Nikita Koloff vs Goldberg would be a great dream match

[@aquilerablack4197]

I said the same thing. I think the Goldberg character came from the Nikita character

[@vivahernando1]

Ivan was making valid points lol

[@ronaldshank7589]

David Crockett was continually interrupting Ivan Koloff. He brought that on himself-PERIOD!!!

[@tonypastor705]

@@ronaldshank7589 It was a work dude😊

[@ronaldshank7589]

@@tonypastor705 True...but that doesn't make it any less painful!

[@tonypastor705]

@@ronaldshank7589 Yeah, Nikita didn’t really hold back!

[@ronaldshank7589]

@@tonypastor705 Oh, no. He wasn't about to! Just curious-After Magnum T. A. had his career ended by that near-fatal accident, Nikita was so heartbroken, that he actually turned his back on "Uncle Ivan", and sided with "The American Dream", Dusty Rhodes. How did that make you feel? I thought that it was really cool! "The Russian Nightmare", Nikita Koloff, as a "Good Guy"-That changed things up, quite a bit, in the NWA!

[@TheOneLastDragon]

Nikita is a world class man. This was part of the act. Nikita is a Christian Leader and travels the world spreading the gospel. Great inspiration.

[@jimbrown5091]

David Crockett learns a valuable lesson about mouthing off at heels 🤣🤣🤣

[@starwars518]

Nikita nailed that interview. But finally a David Crockett interview I can watch with a smile

[@U.T.P.]

I love how the barbarian nods his head in approval.....i think we all did the same thing.😂

[@marquan1976]

Paul Jones: He shouldn’t have been talking sh*t.

[@niteowl969]

davey ....davey Crockett ...recipient of this sickle here

[@shaunclifton5281]

niteowl969 LMAO ! Good one, Nite Owl

[@sionKatana]

Classic heel move that got the whole audience's attention right

[@diywrestlingbelts1014]

Wish wrestling was still this good man I miss the old days

[@RayNDeere]

Notice Paul Jones trying hard not to smile

[@dayshawn1115]

Nawh, that shit was real. They cut from the interview really fast. They only do that when it's real.

[@richardbain8746]

Wow what a clothesline!

[@jimmieperry3418]

The way that Ivan Kollof removes David Crockett's finger at 1:42 is hilarious man.

[@josonic28]

These were the good old days of "Real Wrestling ".... in NWA,WCW and most any other Wrestling organization besides WWF/WWE....on the Markee,it says "We wrestle"!👊👌👍

[@bigcat3482]

well, I can say this, Crockett may not have been much but for me being really young then, it brings back great memories just hearing his voice. I loved Mid - Atlantic. Its all corny as hell now but damn it was great then!!!

[@cartergarrett5905]

Amen!

[@defiantone8556]

Crockett fall down go boom!!! lol

[@KeithFroehlich07]

The Barbarian and Number One are smiling LOL

[@kevinspicer4995]

I think Crockett suffered more damage from the plane crash than he thinks.

[@ronaldshank7589]

Yeah...got to the place, where he didn't know when to shut up...sooooooo, Nikita Koloff gave him one of the most devastating Russian Sickles that I've ever seen in my life!!!

[@martinalarcon3108]

There was a time when the wrestling from down south was the best of best , I would stay up very late cause it was the only way to watch I was 13 and my nephew was seven but he got introduced to wrestling and we still both love lt

[@natureboy1313]

would love to see some pro athlete in another sport clothesline a coach or interviewer!!

[@BIGFACTSENT]

Davy Crockett deserved that shit he kept yapping this must was scripted though. David never yapped like that before.

[@Scrabblerouser]

Of note is that the tagline at the end of the video states that this incident led to David Crockett's retirement. This is clearly not true, as the incident happened in 1985, and Crockett continued announcing until at least 1988, when Jim Ross took over on NWA WorldWide. Yes, this incident was a work, but Nikita was VERY good (and very convincing) as a monster heel.

[@usmaddog7]

It say's that it 'almost' forced him into retirement.....

[@DemetriusOnTheMove]

those were the days oh my God I miss those

[@richpoor2855]

Dam, great clip! Sorry it ended. Was ready to watch the Barbarian tear it up!

[@BradNC11175]

Clearly Nikita tripped there... it was an accident... he didn't really mean to do that!

[@steppydaddy972]

😂😂😂

[@_2_first_names]

shit, i remember watching this when i was a kid lol!!....this & the fireball to the face jim cornette gave ronnie garvin are the first few works i ever saw that i believed!

[@toddjones9833]

The great kabuki

[@ronaldshank7589]

Man... Ronnie Garvin carried that burn on his face for weeks... maybe even months!

[@yardlet6]

Every time Crockett gets decked an angel gets his wings. Used to be a wrestler believe or not.

[@paulevereklian]

haha did you notice paul jones and barbarian getting a laugh out of it

[@sgt.f.t.o.4967]

1:08 - I just noitced I've 'been' here - lmfao

[@FingerBreakerWu]

0:15 At first, I thought he was going to say, "All you have to do is go to NWA.com" ...but then I remembered it was the mid-80s, lol!

[@cjack21276]

This whole angle led to Ric Flair vs. Nikita Koloff at Charlotte Memorial Stadium during the 1985 Great American Bash. David Crockett was the referee for the match, which Flair won. Crockett didn't step away from the microphone until early 1988.

[@jrupp8853]

I'm not sure, but didn't Nikita also attack David Crocket on TBS Saturday Night as well around the same time?

[@VolumedMusicMan]

Tony Schavonne seemed like he didn't give a hoot. So much for kayfabe.

[@veeseee128]

Some people say this wasn't in the script. He really pissed Nikita off. Scott simpson AKA Nikita Kolloff really thought he was a Russian named Nikita kolloff. He even said in an interview one time he was in character 247 during his heel days.

[@sammys70]

what up my neighbor! I heard he did legally change his name to Nikita Kolloff,and learned to speak some Russian.

[@hilohaole4003]

WHAT UP? And he did really good in mlm like pre paid legal

[@nvalle23]

Magnum vs Nikita best of 7 series throughout the course of a month or so. Absolute genius!

[@toddjones9833]

Would you quit interrupting me 😂

[@staleydu1]

I remember watching this. Ah, the good ole days.

[@rebkong]

I'm guessing this wasn't the same guy as in the Alamo.

[@yardlet6]

The Crocketts are direct descendants of Davey Crockett.

[@ronniemoon57]

No, David Crocket DID NOT retire at all.

[@studlygrish]

This was so cool! It's what set up Starcade!

[@datdudecollins]

Damn. That was a hell of a bump. On concrete?!

[@tomd9555]

You know it's bad that they cut away so quick. If it was just a work, they'd show him rolling around in pain. Look at his legs, he was out cold

[@evanmakopoulos8527]

gotta love it.. close your eyes he sounds just like cookie monster

[@leogetz3570]

Barbarian up there in the ring celebrating that Crockett got knocked the hell out... ITS STILL REAL TO ME DAMMIT!!!!

[@DoktorSick]

oh snap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the good ol days !!!

[@dockway4575]

Crockett took a gr8 bump. I wonder who taught him that lol

[@jimmytaylor1570]

Joan's was a NWA wrestler too, for years got hurt, and had to turn heel. Went to Florida for a while.

[@charleswhit150]

David had a bee on his ear and Nikita was trying to get it off him. David should be thanking Nikita

[@feb196940]

the real bad ass nikita

[@bergeronwb]

Luckily, David Crockett has no memory of this interview. It was one of the worst ever done on NWA/WCW.

[@stylex19]

You should have written for the magazines because the story in your opening and closing would be compelling to those not in the know.

[@haroldplemons2566]

This was a work.It took place in Spartanburg,S.C. at the Memorial Auditorium.I there for the tv taping,we were watching as the interview area was setup behind us.Thia was done to enhance Nikita and setup the coming matches with Magnum TA.At the same arena the next tv taping some of you may remember Magnum coming out and hanging Nikita with a belt.It was the story being told out a week at time.My fave Magnum moment was when Ole & Arn ambushed him in the locker room.Everybody had to go under the bus to prop ta up,loved to see him brought down a notch.

[@yesthisisvic]

Harold Plemons Actually, you're completely wrong. Nikita/Magnum was in '86. This was early 1985. Magnum was feuding with Wahoo in early '85, not the Russians. What was cut from this clip was Flair coming to Crockett's aid after Nikita's attack and the following week where Flair came out and challenged Nikita to avenge Nikita's attack on Crockett. The feud with Nikita was to enhance Flair as a face champ to later set the stage for Flair's heel turn for the Flair/Rhodes match @ Starrcade '85. Flair/Nikita wouldn't come together again after this program until Nikita's face turn and insertion into Magnum's role in mid-'86 after Magnum's accident and retirement.

[@realazduffman]

How did I miss wrestling being on channel 53 as a kid? Was WWF on 22 but did not remember this.

[@veeseee128]

um yeah, scott took his role a little/ too seriously.

[@JerichoMile4]

Ivan Koloff was WWWF champion in 1971 defeating Bruno Sammartino‼️💪

[@thejimm2009]

One of my favorite moments. David took that bump and sold it. But what really made this believable was that Tony knew nothing about it.

[@mitchweissman5445]

CROCKETT HAD NO MIC SKILLS WHATSOEVER.........😒

[@1976P]

"oh my goodness somebody check out david crockett" Great undersell. At least Barbarian and Number One Paul Jones are laughing it up.

[@erichoward1731]

I remember that That Russian sickle came out of nowhere me and my father was watching this episode and out the blue Nikita just clotheslined David Crockett lol

[@wrestlingloverslikeme4932]

First time seeing that I really don't think you should have put a disclaimer on the video just my opinion but that's how wrestling was back then alot better than some of the crap they put on "John Cena"

[@anthonythegreat72]

Damn, that shit looked real. No mats.

[@donrajah1738]

there's a bit of hesitation before Crockett goes down, as if Nikita is holding just a little to soften the landing. Crockett remembers everything when he returns to broadcasting.

[@jimmyolsen5897]

He has no memory of this interview haha haha hahahahaha

[@GrandFunker]

That was badass. Crockett was asking for it. He was awful in this segment. He tried covering it up with some phony rage, and that made it worse. I'm surprised Ivan didn't deck him, with all the poking.

[@KerryStandifur]

I met "Ivan" a few years ago at Wal*Mart where he was signing autographs and he talked about the state of the business now, which he hates what it has become. He was very nice & I was amazed at what he really sounded like without that bad accent.

[@bredwhite6786]

the Russian sickle from the Russian nightmare

[@philliphwillis2854]

I do remember this NWA Wrestling Moment in Mid Atlantic Wrestling in 1985 year. When Nikita Sickle David Crockett.

[@philliphwillis2854]

I was only 19 old year back then.

[@simondawe6967]

Hey, David Crockett. "Look at that!"

[@matthewthomas9194]

A Canadian a guy from Minnesota and a guy from Carolina

[@ensabahnur7657]

I remember watching it as it happened!

[@defiantone8556]

David Crockett has fallen & cant get up. lol

[@chalklounge]

Boy, Cookie Monster is in a lousy mood today.

[@mauricedrew3150]

Truly the Russians were in top 5 of all time wrestler villains!

[@veeseee128]

surprised he wasn't fired for this, but the crockets loved it.

[@sammys70]

I heard David Crockett say in a shoot interview that he and Nikita at that time weren't on the best of terms,and the clothesline that he took was pretty stiff.

[@Dorelaxen]

Nikita was a pretty big doucher in his heyday, too, though. The rumor was for years that Vader was actually paid to try and put him out for good, and he managed it. We know how wrestling rumor are, though. Grain of salt.

[@tleakboro]

Was this in the script? I do remember seeing it when I was young. However, now that I’m older, I still wounded was it in the script or not?