Dave LaGreca sent out the following:
Wrestling legend and “The Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff was a recent guest on the latest edition of Busted Open Radio hosted by Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca.
Busted Open Radio airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-4p.m. Eastern on Sirius 94, XM 208 and online on Sportszone 860.
On Vince McMahon: “Well, truth be known. And it’s always interesting in the world of wrestling what is said. I’ve had one conversation-brief conversation-two encounters with Vince McMahon. One encounter was actually in Las Vegas. In a gym. He happened to be in the same gym. We had a brief dialogue there, and then the second one was at Road Warrior Hawk’s funeral where we had a brief conversation. I never discussed, or Vince never approached me, or the office never approached me to come to New York. Barry Darsow who had been our third-wheel once I turned on Don Kernodle. Barry tried to convince me, talk me into going to New York and become part of Demolition with him. And I said to Barry, I said “Barry, man, I’ve worked too hard on this camp for Nikita Koloff, developing this, to just go up there and just blend in with the crowd. But more important than even that, I know looking back, I probably could’ve made ten times the amount of money: one, if I’d went with him or just went to New York. I know I could’ve approached when Crockett started with the guaranteed contracts. It would’ve been very easy to leverage New York and say Look, I’m going to talk to them. Two things I realized: one, yeah, I would’ve been in the main event with Hulk Hogan, there’s no question in my mind. But then secondly, what would my career have been after that? Probably not what it became. But most important to me, loyalty is a major component of who I am. I’m a very loyal individual. Still loyal fan of the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Twins where I grew up, years removed from living in Minnesota. I’m a very loyal person. And so more than the money, the true story is I had a real sense of loyalty to Crockett Promotions, Jim Crockett in particular, for giving me my break. Because I didn’t make the big millions and millions of bucks, but I made more money that I ever would’ve back home or maybe even in pro-football. And so that was the number one reason. And I’m sure most of the folks know, Steve-Sting-Steve Borden and myself are about the only two that have actually never worked for WWE and Vince McMahon. ”
On WrestleReunion: “Anytime I get an opportunity; I like to say as some of my comrades have in the past of course I truly believe that wrestling fans are the most loyal and the best fans in the entire world. (I know it sounds kind of cliché-ish, but I really believe that.) You know, to be removed from wrestling as many years as I’ve been, and yet fans still willing to come out and seek autographs, and be able to shake their hands and take pictures is certainly a humbling thing and incredible blessing for me, so. To be a part of the Wrestle Reunion down in Miami -I’m looking forward to it. Not only to meet the fans but even some of my peers in the wrestling industry over the years. So, a great opportunity to reunite with them as well, so it’s a reunion all the way around!”
On Four Horsemen: “Well-deserving, of course. Fast-forward a little bit when I made the switch, when I saw the lights went from bad-guy to good-guy.we became the “Superpowers, baby, yeeaaahhh! C’mon, baby, yeaaahhh! You understaaaannnnd what I’m saayyiiinnn’, yeah!” [in Dusty Rhodes impression] But when Dusty tagged up as The Superpowers, boy! what a natural: The Superpowers and The Road Warriors against The Four Horsemen-oh my gosh!-we sold out arenas for eighteen months!”
On Magnum T.A. “Magnum was a nemesis of mine at the time. Of course, probably the most talked-about events-there’s many-the Best of Seven Series against Magnum TA. Unique matches, I don’t know if they’d ever been done before and I don’t know if it’s actually ever been done since, a Best of 7 for a belt. With said, so we were nemeses at the time, and I was actually in Japan when he had the accident (on tour in Japan). When I came back, when Dusty and Jim (who was in Philadelphia) told me of the accident, I thought it was a rib. I thought Yea whatever. It took quite a bit of coaxing, really convincing, that it was a shoot and not a joke, not a rib, and once they did I was somewhat devastated by it of course. This guy I’m working with for months in the ring, and all off a sudden break his neck, paralyzed from the neck down was quite a moment. And then to say, We have an idea! (And the idea of course being Dusty in a match in a cage with a couple of the Four Horsemen with a “mystery partner”, and then the whole “mystery” of that.) Many have told me it was one of the best-kept secrets ever in the history of wrestling, even among the boys in the business! Nobody knew until that night who was gonna be Dusty’s partner, so, uh, quite a story, to say the least!”
