Drago Akulov

Drago Akulov

"The Mariner"

Hall Of Fame

From: Russia

Debut: UW1 (1960)

Last Appearance: UW20 (1979)

Appearances: 20

Stage 2 Attempts: 13

Stage 3 Attempts: 8

Stage 4 Attempts: 1

First Place Finishes: 2

Drago entered into UW1 alongside his cousin, Boris Ivanov, and was one of 11 to reach Stage 2. He went out early on Stage 2, failing the Spider Walk, but he did well enough to be invited back to the following tournament.

In 1961, Drago managed to make it to the event, despite some issues with travel. Given position 15, Drago failed to return to Stage 2, timing out at the top of the Rope Climb.

He was not invited back to UW3, but after talking with fellow competitor, Tommy Bone, Drago booked a flight to the US, and signed up to be an alternative competitor. His gamble paid off, as another competitor failed to arrive for the tournament, and Drago was given position 7. Drago capitalized on the opportunity, and cleared Stage 1, and was disqualified on the Boulder Push on Stage 2.

He was invited back for UW4, though he once again had to cover his own travel expenses, and he exceeded even his own expectations, reaching Stage 3, going out on the Body Prop.

Akulov had now established himself as a frontrunner with his breakout run, and his ticket was paid for in order for him to make the trip to compete in UW5, where he reached Stage 3 again, failing the Rope Junction.

In UW6, Drago arrived late for the tournament after several travel delays, though he still managed to return to the Third Stage, marking his third in a row, failing the new Cliffhanger.

UW7 marked a continuation to his Stage 3 streak, reaching it for the fourth time in a row, and reached the final stage, placing second, just behind Ryuji Shota.

As the top competitors reached national acclaim, Drago was able to purchase a home in the United States, making it much easier for him to compete in tournaments. It is also notable that at this time, rumors circulated that there was conflict within the top competitors, with Ryuji Shota allegedly clashing with the others. These rumors were never confirmed by the other competitors, but Shota has occasionally mentioned feeling like the "Outsider" when he was required to attend events with the other top competitors. Akulov spoke out in an interview in 1981, claiming that the controversy stemmed from one incident that took place in 1966, and did not extend beyond that.

UW8 took advantage of these rumors, and advertised the tournament as a "Japanese invasion" of the event, pitting Shota against the other stars. Drago personally spoke out against the event's marketing, disagreeing with the methods. By the time the tournament began, Shota had no contact with the other competitors, and rumors were amplified as Stage 3 featured Shota, Akulov, Edwards, and another japanese competitor, Yuujin Aizawa. Drago placed first in the tournament, but was visibly upset as he left the lot.

By 1968, Ultimate Warrior's ratings had begun to drop significantly, and as the show's biggest star, Mike Redmond, began to post subpar results, Drago began to be marketed as the face of the tournament. This had a drastic effect on Drago, making him a celebrity in the United States, but also bringing him a sudden surge of attention. Drago embraced the role, despite struggling with the sudden fame, and became quite active with the fans. Drago was propelled into the position of carrying the show through its most difficult times, as the ratings struggled in the late 60s. Drago's newfound role would affect his results in years to come, but in his first tournament as Ultimate Warrior's mascot, he placed first once again, reaching the Cliffhanger on Stage 3 once again.

In UW10, Drago's Stage 3 streak was broken when he went out on the Spider Walk, and Brad Washington took first place, leading to a shift in the show's marketing once again.

UW11 was marketed as a competition between the old guard and the new blood, much to the chagrin of Drago and the other competitors. Some have speculated that the competitors may have sabotaged this angle, as the entire top 10 all failed the first stage, and only one competitor, Steve McCloud, reached the third stage.

In UW12, Drago returned to the Second Stage, but was unable to make it back to Stage 3.

Akulov would fail Stage 2 again in UW13, but would return to Stage 3 after 4 years of absence, failing the Globe Grasp.

Drago would return to Stage 3 again in UW15, making it one step further, failing the Cliffhanger. Though it seemed that Drago had returned to his mid 60s dominance, this would be his final Stage 3 attempt as he would fail Stage 1 in every tournament up to his retirement in UW20.

Drago truly made his mark in the years of 1963 to 1968, and as the face of Ultimate Warrior, he contributed just as much off the course as he did on the course. A constant fan favorite, Akulov's career is missing one thing; a total victory. Despite never achieving this, Drago is truly a legend of the course, and his domination in the late 60s went unmatched until Steve McCloud's renaissance in the mid 70s.