The Russian Team

The Russian Team was a professional wrestling team in the 1980s that attempted to prove their Soviet dominance over their opponents.

The Russian Team
Stable
MembersDon Kernodle[1]
Ivan Koloff[1]
Nikita Koloff[1]
Krusher Khruschev[1]
Vladimir Petrov[1]
Russian Assassin[1]
Russian Assassin #2[1]
Billed fromSoviet Union
Debut1984[1]
Disbanded1988[1]
Years active1984-1988

History

The Russian Team was formed in December 1984 in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions.[1] It consisted of NWA World Tag Team Champions Don Kernodle and Ivan Koloff plus Ivan's nephew Nikita Koloff whom they were training.[2] After they lost the title, Kernodle was fired and replaced with Krusher Khruschev.[1]

The Koloffs and Kernodle had been named the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champions and after his firing, Kernodle was replaced with Kruschev mid reign.[3] The new line-up won the NWA World Tag Team Titles twice (the second time without Kruschev as a championship team member).[2] They feuded with Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A. and the Rock 'N Roll Express.[1] Nikita, mentored by Ivan, challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship but was defeated by Flair in the main event of the 1985 Great American Bash. After his firing, former team member Kernodle teamed with his brother Rocky to feud with the Koloffs and helped the Express to win the Tag Team Title from them at Starrcade '85: The Gathering.[1]

They also had many hard-fought matches against The Road Warriors, who could match up in strength and size.[1]

During their feud with Magnum T.A., Nikita won the United States Title in a best of seven series.[4] Then in October 1986, Magnum was injured in a car wreck and his career was over. Nikita left the Russian Team and joined Rhodes forcing Ivan and Krusher to feud with them.[1]

Krusher left in December 1986 and Ivan replaced him with Vladimir Petrov to get Nikita.[1] Ivan and Petrov continued to call themselves the Russian Team until they added Dick Murdoch a few months later.[1]

In 1988, Ivan Koloff and his manager Paul Jones recruited two masked Russian Assassins to feud with Nikita.[1] However, the Assassins and Jones turned on Koloff after he lost a Russian Chain match to Ricky Morton at Clash of the Champions III: Fall Brawl.[5] Now a babyface, Ivan reunited with Nikita to feud with the Assassins.[1]

Championships and accomplishments
Don Kernodle
Ivan Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Krusher Khruschev
  • PWI ranked the Koloffs # 64 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

References
  1. Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 3:Jim Crockett and the NWA World Title 1983-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 149480347X.
  2. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA World Tag Team Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  3. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA Six-Man Tag Team Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA United States Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. "Clash of Champions Results (III)". September 7, 1988. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  6. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA National Heavyweight Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA United States Tag Team Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
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