Nikolai Volkoff

Early life Peruzović grew up in the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which was then part of Yugoslavia, to ethnic Croat parents Ivan and Dragica Peruzović (nee Tomašević). His maternal grandfather Ante Tomašević, originally from Sinj, was world champion in the Greco-Roman wrestling style at the turn of the 20th century. According to Freddie Blassie's autobiography, Peruzović's family also had Russian and Italian ancestry.

Peruzović would claim in later life that "Volkoff" was a surname from his mother's lineage. He would also claim that "Nikolai" was his middle name, which was false, his actual middle name was Hrvoje.

Various promotions (1991–1994) After leaving WWF, Volkoff began competing in the independent circuit. On May 3, 1991, he defeated his former Bolshevik partner Boris Zhukov for Trans World Wrestling Federation in Newington, Connecticut. On August 8, 1992, he went to Puerto Rico to wrestled for World Wrestling Council WWC 19th Anniversario 1992 losing to the Patriot. On April 4, 1993, he wrestled his former partner the Iron Sheik to a double count out at Wrestling in the USA event in Livingston, New Jersey.

Eastern Championship Wrestling (1992–1993) In 1992 he went to Eastern Championship Wrestling in Philadelphia where he feuded with Vladimir Markoff. On October 2, he lost to ECW Champion Don Muraco. He then returned to ECW on October 16, 1993, as he lost to Jimmy Snuka.

Third return to the WWF (1993; 1994–1995) One night appearance (1993)

He returned as a babyface to pin Barry Horowitz at a WWF Superstars/All-American Wrestling taping on July 6, 1993, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

The Million Dollar Corporation; departure (1994–1995)

On February 1, 1994, Volkoff began a full-time return to the WWF, making a ringside appearance at a Superstars taping in White Plains, New York during a match between Diesel and Mike Moraldo. For the next two months, Volkoff was shown in the crowd, until eventually he became a sympathetic heel by playing the whipping-boy of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. Following this last run in the WWF, Volkoff entered semi-retirement.

Semi-retirement (1995–2018) Volkoff made a brief cameo on an episode of Shotgun Saturday Night in 1997 where Todd Pettengill discovered him homeless sleeping in a box on the streets of New York City. He also appeared at WrestleMania X-Seven at the Astrodome in Houston in the gimmick battle royal which was won by the Iron Sheik. On November 30, 2001, he lost to King Kong Bundy at AAWA event in Jersey City, New Jersey. On February 3, 2005, Volkoff was announced as one of the WWE Hall of Fame inductees for the class of 2005. He was inducted on April 2, 2005, by Jim Ross at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. In 2006, Volkoff took part in the World Wrestling Legends pay-per-view 6:05 The Reunion. Managed by the Iron Sheik, he wrestled a match against Duggan. Before the match, he once again sang the national anthem of the Soviet Union and riled up the crowd. Volkoff made his first appearance on WWE television in over two years on the August 13, 2007 episode of Raw as a contestant on WWE Idol, a parody of American Idol. Volkoff appeared alongside the Iron Sheik and Howard Finkel, although Volkoff was the only one who sang. Volkoff sang the Soviet Union national anthem, receiving boos from the crowd (despite being a babyface) and was insulted by judge William Regal, although judges Mick Foley and Maria both praised the performance. In response, Sheik, who was also insulted, went on a tirade until both he and Volkoff were escorted out of the building by security.

The March 10, 2008, edition of WWE Raw, featured rematches from previous WrestleManias. The Iron Sheik appeared along with Nikolai Volkoff to face off against the U.S. Express in a rematch from the first WrestleMania. The match never started as Jillian Hall came out to interrupt Volkoff's singing so she could sing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.", which the U.S. Express used as their ring entrance music in 1984–85. On the November 15, 2010, edition of Raw, as part of the "old school" theme, Volkoff appeared with the Iron Sheik, singing the Soviet national anthem before being interrupted by Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, the latter of whom then sung a duet with Volkoff of the Soviet national anthem. Afterwards, Volkoff worked for various independent promotions throughout North America. He remained popular on the autograph convention circuit. In June 2013 he threw out the first pitch at a Bowie Baysox baseball game and sang "God Bless America" after the pitch. In October 2013, he sang the Soviet national anthem at a show in New Jersey, after being introduced by Howard Finkel.

Volkoff lent his name to a forward for a fiction novel called Only the Beginning which is set in the 1980s and is about a girl's life during high school. While the book is not wrestling related, the author Jason Strecker was a personal friend of Volkoff's and in the foreword Volkoff responds to his friendship with the author along with the book's message of being of strong character and doing positive actions for others. The book also has a foreword by Jimmy Valiant. On the January 6, 2014, "Old School" episode of RAW, Volkoff encountered Big E. Langston on his way to a match and sung him the Soviet national anthem, to which Langston smiled. Immediately after, Langston walked past fellow Million Dollar Corporation members, Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster. On the RAW Fallout segment following the September 8, 2014 Raw, Volkoff appeared backstage with Rusev and Lana and sang the Soviet national anthem. On February 28, 2015, Volkoff appeared for the Superstars of Wrestling promotion in Bayville, New Jersey, where he teamed with ECW legend the Sandman to take on independent standouts Kentucky Bred – in a 3 on 2 handicap tag match. Before the match, Volkoff and Sandman sang the Soviet national anthem and proceeded to drink beer together. The duo squashed Kentucky Bred and then poured beer all over them.

On March 21, 2015, Volkoff participated at a SICW event taking place on East Carondelet. Volkoff managed and mentored the team of younger wrestlers Ricky Cruz and Red River Jack, while also managing veteran wrestler "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. to take on the team of Chris Hargas, Bull Bronson, and Attila Khan. Volkoff and Orton appeared in their outfit and gimmick from their WWF days. The team of Volkoff, Orton, Cruz, and Jack came up victorious. On March 5, 2016, Volkoff showed up at Night of Legends at Billtown Wrestling in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, sang the American national anthem and teamed with Cash Money, who turned on him to give the win to Koko B. Ware and Jim Neidhart. On June 25, 2016, he wrestled his last match in Canada where he defeated the Messiah for Great North Wrestling in Pembroke, Ontario. On June 9, 2017, Volkoff wrestled for H2O Wrestling: 1 Year Anniversary in Willamstown, New Jersey as he defeated D. J. Hyde. On May 5, 2018, at the age of 70, Volkoff wrestled his final match, teaming with Jim Duggan to defeat the team of Mecha Mercenary and Nicky Benz for Battleground Championship Wrestling in Feasterville, Pennsylvania.

Personal life

Peruzović met his wife Lynn in 1970, and became an American citizen that year. In Freddie Blassie's autobiography Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks, he describes Peruzović as a "good family man" who helped Blassie reconnect with a daughter from whom he had been estranged for many years.

Politics Peruzović ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 Maryland Republican primary for state delegate in District 7 (representing parts of Baltimore and Harford County).

Death Peruzović died at home on July 29, 2018, at the age of 70, days after being released from a Maryland hospital where he had been treated for dehydration and other medical issues.

Other media Volkoff is a playable character in the following video games: Legends of Wrestling (2001), Legends of Wrestling II (2002), WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (2003) though his name is misspelled as Nicholai Volkoff , Showdown: Legends of Wrestling (2004), and WWE Legends of WrestleMania (2009). On October 29, 2007, a Homestar Runner Halloween special was released, in which Strong Mad was dressed as Nikolai Volkoff. In 2010, Volkoff appeared along with wrestler Jimmy Cicero on Karlos Borloff's internet TV show Monster Madhouse. In 2016, Volkoff released a biographical comic book miniseries through Squared Circle Comics, titled "Nikolai" (2016–2018).The series was later re-released under the title "Turnbuckle Titans" from Antarctic Press (2019). In 2018, Volkoff appeared in the horror film WrestleMassacre as the father of the film's central character, played by pro wrestler Richie the Cuban Assassin Acevedo. The film was released on DVD and on demand on June 16, 2020.

Championships and accomplishments

Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ivan Koloff Georgia Championship Wrestling** NWA Brass Knuckles Championship ( 1 time ) NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time ) NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brute Bernard NWA U.S. Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brute Bernard National Wrestling Federation NWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Geeto Mongol Maryland Championship Wrestling MCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2009) Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Markoff Mid-South Wrestling Mid-South North American Championship (1 time) New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2013 North American Wrestling NAW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) NWA Detroit NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) – with Boris Volkoff Pro Wrestling Illustrated Ranked No. 134 of the 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1994 Ranked No. 136 of the top 500 singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003 Ranked No. 96 of the 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with the Iron Sheik in 2003 WWWF International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Geto Mongol WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005) Slammy Award (2 times) Most Ignominious (1986) Best Personal Hygiene (1987) World Wrestling Association (Larry Sharpe) WWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Worst Tag Team (1988) with Boris Zhukov