Josip Peruzović
Known For
Acting
Born
1947-10-14 in Split, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died
2018-07-29
Biography
Josip Hrvoje Peruzović better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, was a Croatian-American professional wrestler who was best known for his performances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Although the Volkoff character was often portrayed as a villainous Russian, Peruzović originated from Yugoslavia. In the 1970s, he was Bepo of the Mongols tag team, one of the masked Executioners and feuded with Bruno Sammartino over the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship as Volkoff. In the 1980s, he was known for teaming with The Iron Sheik, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event, and later with Boris Zhukov as The Bolsheviks. In 1990, he turned face and embraced America, briefly feuding with Zhukov and newly-turned Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter. In 1994, after a hiatus, he returned as a destitute and desperate character, exploited by Ted DiBiase as the first member of his Million Dollar Corporation.
Most Known For
Raw
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWF Wrestling Challenge
as Nikolai Volkoff
Saturday Night's Main Event
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE Old School
as Nikolai Volkoff
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
as Nikolai Volkoff
Mid-South Wrestling
as Nikolai Volkoff
Tuesday Night Titans
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWF All-Star Wrestling
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE Hall of Fame
as Self - Inductee (as Nikolai Volkoff)
Tag Team Champions
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
as Nikolai Volkoff
WrestleMania II
as Nikolai Volkoff
WrestleMania
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE Royal Rumble 1992
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE WrestleMania X-Seven
as Nikolai Volkoff
WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
as Nikolai Volkoff
The Sheik
as Self
WWE Survivor Series 1987
as Volkoff
WWE WrestleMania III
as Nikolai Volkoff