Nikolai Volkoff

Josip Nikolai Peruzović (also called  Nikolai Volkoff, born 14 October 1947 – 29 July 2018) better known by his ring name Nikolai Volkoff. He was a Yugoslavian professional wrestler who was best known for wrestling with World Wrestling Federation. Although the character he played was portrayed as Russian, he actually came from Croatia and has a mixed background that was not entirely Russian. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Jim Ross.

Volkoff died on July 29, 2018 at the age of 70 just days after being released from a hospital in Glen Arm, Maryland where he had been treated for dehydration.

Championships
Volkoff held many championships during his professional wrestling career:

Championship Wrestling from Florida
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (one time) - with Ivan Koloff
Georgia Championship Wrestling
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (one time)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (one time) - with Chris Markoff
Mid-South Wrestling
Mid-South North American Championship (one time)
Northeast Championship Wrestling (Tom Janette)
NCW Heavyweight Championship (one time)
NWA Detroit
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (one time) - with Boris Volkoff
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
He was ranked as #136 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
He was ranked as #96 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with the Iron Sheik in 2003.
Universal Wrestling Association
UWA Heavyweight Championship (one time)
World Wide Wrestling Alliance
WWWA Heavyweight Championship (one time)

World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
WWF Tag Team Championship (one time) - with Iron Sheik
WWWF International Tag Team Championship (three times) - with Geto Mongol (two) and Johnny De Fazio (one)
Slammy Award for Most Ignominious (1986)
Slammy Award for Best Personal Hygiene (1987) (with Boris Zhukov and Slick)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
World Wrestling Association
WWA World Tag Team Championship (two times) - with Angelo Poffo (one) and Boris Volkoff (one)
World Wrestling Association (Larry Sharpe)
WWA Heavyweight Championship (one time)

References

Other websites
Nikolai Volkoff's WWE Hall of Fame profile

Category:1947 births
Category:Croatian sportspeople
Category:Former WWE wrestlers
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Professional wrestlers
Category:WWE Hall of Fame
Category:Yugoslavian sportspeople