Vladimir Kozlov Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius ( April 27 , 1972 ) is a Ukrainian - American professional wrestler , also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov . Since competing for WWE , he won the WWE Tag Team Championships with Santino Marella on one occasion . He is trained in freestyle wrestling , rugby , football , sambo , kickboxing , judo , and mixed martial arts . Prudius has also worked as a stage and screen actor , notably having a small role in Spike Lee ' s " 25th Hour " . Prudius also had a role in " Grindhouse " , appearing in the " " Werewolf Women of the SS " " trailer ; he was credited under his real name and his WWE persona for the appearance . He is a former Ohio Valley Wrestling Heavyweight Champion . Before wrestling . Prudius has won numerous achievements , becoming the 2005 USA Open Heavyweight Sambo Champion and a United States Kick - Boxing Association ( USKBA ) International Heavyweight Grappling Champion . He has also played American football for the Ukrainian National Team as well as Santa Barbara City College . Career . Pre - wrestling . Prudius has won numerous achievements , becoming the 2005 USA Open Heavyweight Sambo Champion and a United States Kick - Boxing Association ( USKBA ) International Heavyweight Grappling Champion . He has also played American football for the Ukrainian National Team as well as Santa Barbara City College . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2005 ) . Prudius accompanied Jerry Jarrett to the ring at Slammiversary in 2005 . World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE ( 2006 – 2011 ) . On January 17 , 2006 , World Wrestling Entertainment announced that Prudius had signed a developmental deal and was sent to Deep South Wrestling . [ 4 ] On April 7 , 2006 he debuted under his real name " Oleg Prudius " and had his first match in DSW against Tommy Suede . On May 5 , 2006 , Prudius had his first untelevised WWE match during a house show in San Jose , California , defeating Rob Conway . The next night , at another house show in Sacramento , California , Matt Striker cut a promo on Prudius , calling him a " filthy immigrant , " causing Prudius to attack him . Prudius then picked up the microphone and said he that he is " proud to be in America . " On the December 18 , 2006 episode of Raw , Prudius made an appearance as a WWE prospect named Vladimir Kozlov , which became his ring name . For the next several weeks , Kozlov was interviewed on WWE programming , proclaiming his love for " Double Double E " ( WWE ) , but drawing some heel heat for declaring his superiority over whatever wrestlers were competing at the time , saying " I could beat both of them . " He then was taken off television for over a year while working in the developmental system and participating in a number of dark matches all of which he won . Ohio Valley Wrestling ( 2007 - 2008 ) . On July 28 , 2007 in Louisville , Kentucky , he won the OVW Heavyweight Championship by defeating Paul Burchill , but gave the Championship the same night to Michael W . Kruel due to an agreement they made before . SmackDown ( 2008 - 2009 ) . On the April 4 , 2008 episode of SmackDown , Kozlov made his official WWE debut as a heel , with the unique quirk of having no entrance music and no TitanTron video – his " entrance " consisted of complete darkness except for a solitary spotlight following him to the ring . He defeated Matt Bentley in his first match , and over the following weeks , Kozlov would win a series of squash matches , first against local talent , and then established names including Colin Delaney , Funaki , Nunzio , Shannon Moore , Jimmy Wang Yang , Jamie Noble , and Domino . On the July 11 , 2008 airing of SmackDown , Kozlov debuted an entrance theme and TitanTron video as he defeated Stevie Richards . In the following weeks , as Kozlov continued to easily win matches , he began demanding " better competition " . On the September 12 , 2008 edition of SmackDown , he started to seek that competition , attacking Jeff Hardy . Over the following weeks , Kozlov would continue attacking both Hardy and the WWE Champion Triple H , eventually starting a loose feud between the three of them over the WWE title . Kozlov earned a match against Triple H for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series by defeating The Undertaker by disqualification on the November 6 episode of SmackDown . Edge was added to the match while it was in progress , and pinned Triple H to win the match . Jeff Hardy was originally supposed to compete , but was ( kayfabe ) found unconscious in a Boston stairwell . At Armageddon , Kozlov gained his first pay - per - view win by defeating then - ECW Champion Matt Hardy in a non - title match . Kozlov competed in the 2009 Royal Rumble match , entering number 6 , but was eliminated by Triple H after eliminating The Great Khali , Carlito , and Montel Vontavious Porter . He then qualified to be part of the No Way Out Elimination Chamber match , where he was pinned for the first time after receiving a Last Ride from Undertaker , though he still remained unpinned in one - on - one competition . Kozlov ' s undefeated streak in televised singles competition ended on the March 2 , 2009 episode of Raw , in which he was defeated by Shawn Michaels ; this match was for the opportunity to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV . ECW ( 2009 - 2010 ) . On April 13 , 2009 , Kozlov was drafted to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 WWE Draft , as ECW ' s only pick of the night . Shortly after the draft , his character was tweaked to further highlight the training he received within the Russian military . He won his first match on the brand when he easily defeated a local competitor . On the June 30 episode of " ECW on Syfy " , he teamed with William Regal to defeat Christian and Tommy Dreamer . His first defeat in single ' s competition on ECW came on the July 9 , 2009 edition of " ECW " , where he lost a number one contender ' s match to Christian for Tommy Dreamer ' s ECW Championship at Night of Champions . On July 21 , Kozlov began an angle with Ezekiel Jackson in which , week after week , after one of them had easily defeated a local competitor , the other would come out and hit their finishing move on the fallen opponent in a game of one - upmanship . On the August 18 episode of " ECW " , Jackson was set to team with ECW Champion Christian against the team of Kozlov and number - one contender William Regal . Jackson turned on Christian , forming an alliance with Regal and Kozlov . Kozlov and Jackson aided Regal in his feud with Christian over the ECW Championship , but Regal was unable to capture the title . On the December 15 episode of " ECW " , Kozlov came out with Regal to face Jackson in an ECW Homecoming battle royal qualifying match . During the match , Regal turned on Kozlov by pulling his feet while at ringside , which ultimately cost him the match . After the match , Kozlov attempted to attack Regal , but Jackson jumped him from behind and both proceeded to attack Kozlov . This split Kozlov from the Ruthless Roundtable , making him a fan favorite . Raw and Heel turn ( 2010 ) . When the ECW brand came to an end , Kozlov , along with all other ECW talent , became a free agent . He would then debut on " Raw " on March 8 , 2010 in a handicap gauntlet match ( John Cena vs . Mr . McMahon , Vladimir Kozlov , Drew McIntyre , Jack Swagger & Mark Henry ) and became a heel again . Kozlov would face Kofi Kingston on the March 22 , 2010 edition of Raw for the tenth and final spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI , a match in which Kozlov was defeated . Kozlov was in the dark 26 Man Battle Royal match at WrestleMania XXVI , which was won by Yoshi Tatsu . On the April 12 edition of Raw , in a backstage segment with Carlito , Kozlov would tell him he will destroy the next week ' s guest hosts ( The cast of " MacGruber " ) if he did not get what he wanted . The following week , Kozlov would have a match against MacGruber , but the match would then be changed to a handicap match , when The Great Khali ( who would be announced as MacGruber ' s half - brother , " Khaluber " ) assisted MacGruber and beat Kozlov by count - out . On the May 3 edition of Raw , he would team again with his former ECW partner William Regal to face the tag team champions The Hart Dynasty , Kozlov and Regal were defeated when Regal tapped out to David Hart Smith ' s Sharpshooter . On the May 10 edition of Raw , he appeared backstage with Santino Marella , William Regal , and Flavor Flav in a backstage segment , where Santino asked to join him in a tag team . However , Kozlov refused to join , stating that " he ( Santino ) always loses " . The May 20th edition of Superstars , after Santino made another offer to form a tag team with him , Kozlov beat him in a squash match . Face turn and Departure ( 2010 - 2011 ) . On the May 31st edition of RAW , Kozlov turned face again when he chokeslammed William Regal behind the referee ' s back during a mixed tag team match , allowing Santino Marella & Eve Torres to pick up the win . On the June 7th edition of Raw , he and Santino Marella were forced to compete in a dance - off , which Kozlov won . On June 14 edition of Raw , Kozlov served as a special referee for the match between William Regal and Santino Marella which Marella won after Kozlov intentionally gave him a fast count . On the June 28th edition of Raw , he fought Marella one on one with the stipulation being if Kozlov loses he would become Marella ' s tag team partner . He won , however , with Regal interfering after the match . Kozlov stopped Regal with a big boot to the chest and then carried Marella backstage . The following week , he teamed with Santino against William Regal and The Great Khali . Kozlov and Santino went on to win the match , while after the conclusion of the match , The Great Khali hit Regal with the brain chop . Kozlov and Santino would continue to form a tag team against Regal and Zack Ryder on Raw , Regal and Primo on Superstars , and the Usos on Raw . Both matches were won by Kozlov and Santino continuing their undefeated streak . At Night of Champions 2010 Kozlov and Santino Marella competed in a tag team turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship but were unsuccessful as the titles were won by " Dashing " Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre . On the November 15th edition of " Raw " , Kozlov and Marella fought in a tag team match against The Usos to determine the # 1 contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship . They won the match and faced the reigning tag team champions , Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel at the Survivor Series 2010 event in which they lost . They went on to win the Tag Team Championship in a Four - Way elimination tag team match on Monday Night Raw on December 6 , 2010 against The Usos , The Nexus and the tag team of Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu . This marked Kozlov ' s first ever championship win in WWE . The duo lost the titles at Elimination Chamber to Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater . He was supposed to compete in an 8 - man tag team match in WrestleMania XXVII to team with Santino Marella , Big Show and Kane to face The Corre but he was attacked by his opponents at Wrestlemania Axxess . He was replaced by Kofi Kingston . Kozlov returned to action on the April 25th edition of " Raw " in the interbrand Battle Royal in a losing effort . Kozlov ' s last appearance was on the August 5 episode of " Smackdown " , losing to Mark Henry in a squash match . The same day , it was announced that Kozlov had been released from his WWE contract . Championships and accomplishments . Martial arts United States Kick - Boxing Association Professional wrestling