Man, that Magnum T A/ Nikita Koloff feud and best of 7 series is one of my all time favorite things in pro wrestling! Love the intensity of that feud and I also love that insane pop Nikita received when he turned babyface. Damn, I really, really miss that era of wrestling so much. I miss the over the top characters, the territories, real tag team wrestling, the managers, when championship belts meant something, when Saturday was the day (and night) for wrestling, all of the wrestling magazines and so, so much more!! I feel very fortunate to have grown up watching the 80's era of wrestling. It was a very, very special time for me as a fan. I just couldn't get enough of it!
IKR? it was my favorite era of wrestling. Back when the storylines were actually good. I found out that Nikita wasn't Russian many years ago and I was like Wow! lol He had me fooled. I did love hating him and Ivan as a lil girl they looked soo mean and evil. I loved Magnum TA tho. He was babe, haha
I remember when that happened. It looked like a shoot. At that time, I had no idea that Crockett had been trained as a wrestler...man...did he take that bump.
The coming together of the”super powers “ was to me the single greatest moment in pro wrestling history! Most hated to most loved in an instant! Genius! Thank you Nikita!
That was a great best of 7 series. I remember after the accident when Nikita followed Dusty to the ring in a steel cage match that had Dusty going up against Ole Anderson and J.J. Dillon. People were looking around when Nikita showed up behind Dusty. People thought he might attack Dusty , but when he entered the cage and went after Ole and J.J. the crowd went nuts! That was awesome and what a pop! It was one of the best face turns I have seen! It sold and sold hard! Nikita the hated "Russian Nightmare" was now a good guy with "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes as "The Super Powers". I encourage anyone if they haven't seen the you tube video " The Birth of the Super Powers." of the night Nikita became a good guy to see it and hear the crowd explode!
The best of seven series was the greatest event in NWA history because of its time period... THE COLD WAR. A "Soviet " winning the US Heavyweight Title was the talk of the schoolyard the entire week.
Go back and watch when Nikita and Dusty entered that cage when Nikita turned face. That pop was thunderous and Dusty did the best thing he could: turn his friend's enemy into his new ally.
Let's see how many thumbs up we get for those of us who bought that issue of PWI or better yet had the issue of either Inside Wrestling or The Wrestler (can't remember which ) with the title Better Dead Than Red.
Best era ever hands down. I remember when TA had his accident. It was real and hurt. I didn’t understand wrestling or life being only 6 years old but stuff like that makes you grow up quick. Thanks for the memories guys.
One of my favourite memories is that best of seven series. As a 10 year old it felt so authentic. They could never create that nowadays. A lot of what ifs if Magnum would not have had that accident. He was special for sure.
STILL the biggest, loudest crowd pop ever was when he came to the ring with Dusty and started hammering on Horsemen. Still look it up once in a while to get pumped up!
It's so amazing about Nikita. He was a unit first and foremost. Such a beast, and presence. He wasn't the best in the ring, but he did everything so intense it sold really well. And even though his accent was not good and more like a caricature of a Russian accent, he 'became' that character so much that it didn't matter. People bought into it all the way. Then you add Magnum who was just incredible. One of my favorite feuds of all time. And what the hell would have happened if Magnum had never gotten hurt and kept on climbing the ladder? It was such a huge blow to lose him, that they wouldn't have a replacement for a face the fans would buy into like that for a few years until Sting came along. And by then it was sort of too late for Crockett to compete with WWF.
My brother and I would watch the NWA all day on Saturday. We lived in North Carolina at the time, and there had to have been - at least - five hours of the NWA on TV each Saturday (not even counting the WWE shows). Great memories.
My first time going to a match was at the Great Western Forum in Cali during the Best of 7 matches. Loved it. My second time was at the Forum when Dusty and Nikita had already teamed up as the SuperPowers.
I remember when all this happened, it was like 1986 and I was 16 I think. Mind you, I still thought this was all real, I remember the moment Nikita switched sides and joined Dusty. I was watching it in TBS on like Saturday morning. I never knew what happened to TA, just knew I hadn't seen him since. in fact I actually found out recently (within the last 3 months) because I did a google search. I remember all this he's talking about, the negotiations, TA's mother, and everything, I bought it all, But when Nikita switched from 1 week to the next (or so it seemed) That was when the facade of professional wrestling started to crack for me, This was actually the beginning of the end of Wrestling as real for me
I SO remember how Nikita, every time he would refer to Magnum, would call him, in a heavy "Russian" accent, "Magga Tih Ehh". I LOVE hearing that to this day. And I ALSO think of that "I cry for Magnum T.A." cover every time I think of Nikita. That's how big it was.
If Magnum TA would not of have that accident, i wonder what the plans were for Nikita being the US Champion? I knew Magnum was in a program with Jimmy Garvin and soon to get the NWA Belt off Flair. Just wish i could go to a alternative earth in which Magnum TA didnt have his car wreck and see how things played out. Also go to another Alternative earth where David Von Erich didnt die and won the belt. How things would of been soooo much better if only a few things didnt happen.
Think Dusty had said the plan was for Magnum to get the big gold then fued with Nikita like how Rock-Austin went from Ic title feud to world title feud
Princeofcups Poc I was there to what a great card didn’t realize it was Magnum’s last match loved the Russians getting doused by beer from the upper deck
Whether your face turn/tag match happened in Charlotte or Philadelphia is up for debate. BUT the moment Nikita entered the cage and attacked Ole & JJ YOU TALK ABOUT A POP heard round the world! WOW THE ARENA EXPLODED. That was possibly the biggest POP in JCP history. Other then a music entrance for a baby face. It was The Horsemen, especially Flair who really sold the shock in seeing Nikita turn face.
Best of seven series was awesome, but I think people forget these guys wrestled numerous times before then. Numerous cage and Russian Chain matches. I still wonder who won those chain matches. They weren't on TV.
If you arent sticking your tongue out and flexing, its not the same. Thank you for making us believe wrestling till the pansy wwf/wwe ruined that. Respect and love brother
Charles Wilson They had two, actually. Their first was in WCW, n that was a great feud. I didn't like that WWE was gonna do the second one at first cuz I thought it was just some copycat bullshit, but that one turned out great, as well.
A match or series of matches are always better when the guys involved are more popular. Booker T & Benoit were nowhere near as popular/hated as Magnum & Nikita. Emotion drives the whole thing and the more over the guys are, the more people care. That's why people gave a shit when Nikita came back and was chasing the US Title from Rude. Had he been chasing a guy like Benoit, apart from wanting to see Nikita kill him in 30 seconds, nobody would have given a shit.
Match #7 may have been 20-30+ minutes have to recheck BUT definitely NOT an hour. The show opened with an immediate tv rematch between Rock-n-Roll Express and Midnight Express for the tag team titles (which the RRX had regained the titles in Philadelphia the previous night; because I was there). Then the Charlotte Coliseum EXPLODED, when the crowd realized and saw Ricky & Robert with the tag team title belts. Anyway the tag team match was maybe 10-15 or less, probably less so its possible Magnum-Nikita 7th match was 30+ but not an hour.
That was some great wrestling. It also was setting Nikita up for what would have been the Magnum world title run. Nikita would have been one of Magnum's main challengers and they would have had a great backstory where they could have had Magnum almost the underdog even though he was the world champion facing the man who less than a year earlier beat him for the US belt.
Quite telling that he immediately goes from discussing Magnum's accident to proudly discussing his part and in the formation of The Super Powers. Although he may well have already discussed Magnum's tragedy earlier in the interview and had no need to revisit it. That's the problem with this only listening to a section of the interview, you can take things out of context when you can see the whole picture.
This guy scared me as a kid. While he's talking he still has that look in his eye at certain times! Nonetheless for some reason I believe every word that comes out his mouth. He is genually pure!!!!
Still even if Magnum didn't explain anything to his mother about what was going to happen in that contract signing you or someone else should have let her know that everything was going to be alright no matter what she sees or hears because you ran the risk of causing his mother to either have a heart attack or something else.
Lot of comments here about how great this all was when we were kids. AND IT WAS! Wrestling now is not made for kids it's over sexualized and the stories are done too fast. A best of 7? Never happen now. Shit man my Mom used to just think wrestling was silly if she'd have walked by and a lingerie match was going on that would have been the end of that. Of course that was the eighties when parents gave a shit.
oh man I used to HATE on this guy when I was a little tiny pre-pubescent mark.... Now I am an adult mark and love hearing all this stuff, like grandpa simpson it reminds me of the old days and I slide in and out of a coma all day long.
For those who haven't seen it yet, look for a video called Birth of the Superpowers and listen to the pop when Nikita punches Ole Anderson to turn face. It's probably the loudest pop ever.
There is a match on UA-cam with Dusty and Magnum against JJ Dillion and Ole Anderson., and Dusty gets in, they double team Dusty and the fans are crying out. Nakita gets in with a look of "*ss kicking time!" and his first hit on Ole and the fans EXPLODE.. Edit: Found it ua-cam.com/video/OmO-U7atifQ/v-deo.html
I always wondered why the Russians were portrayed in wrestling with bald heads and mustaches? None of them looked Russian ...far from it...I never understood that
Man, that Magnum T A/ Nikita Koloff feud and best of 7 series is one of my all time favorite things in pro wrestling! Love the intensity of that feud and I also love that insane pop Nikita received when he turned babyface. Damn, I really, really miss that era of wrestling so much. I miss the over the top characters, the territories, real tag team wrestling, the managers, when championship belts meant something, when Saturday was the day (and night) for wrestling, all of the wrestling magazines and so, so much more!! I feel very fortunate to have grown up watching the 80's era of wrestling. It was a very, very special time for me as a fan. I just couldn't get enough of it!
Well said sir.
HELLS YEAH!!
IKR? it was my favorite era of wrestling. Back when the storylines were actually good. I found out that Nikita wasn't Russian many years ago and I was like Wow! lol He had me fooled. I did love hating him and Ivan as a lil girl they looked soo mean and evil. I loved Magnum TA tho. He was babe, haha
YES!!! That was the BEST Era of Wrestling that best of 7 was the BEST EVER!!!!
Wrestling junkie back then
The Russian Sickle was and still is one of the most underrated finishers in all of wrestling, I loved the Nikita Koloff character!
as a heel he was a great one. as a face not so much.
nwa wrestling was like church 6 0 5 t bs
The sickle was sick
Yeah! Definitely one of the most dynamic guys of his day. He could have become the Ultimate Warrior of NWA/WCW.💯
I just watched what it was. Its a clothes line. I guess I expected
My, he certainly learned to speak English well! You'd almost think he was from Minnesota or something.
😂🤣
Damian Skyfire whoosh
Damian Skyfire 😂🤣
I was think Utah lol
He had me fooled when I was 10
THIS IS BACK WHEN WRESTLING WAS RASSLIN!
Nikita's finest moment was when he clotheslined David Crockett.
I remember when that happened. It looked like a shoot. At that time, I had no idea that Crockett had been trained as a wrestler...man...did he take that bump.
In shelby nc i was there.
@@thejimm2009 What does it mean looked like a shoot? I like wrestling just don't understand the talk.
Mike "A Shoot" means it's real, as opposed to "A work" which is part of the business, part of the performance.
@@thejimm2009 Thankyou for your quick reply.
He had the most believable gimmick.
I thought he was really Russian back in the days. He was one of many favorite heels and baby faces.
Heard he stuck to the Nikita voice out of the ring for awhile. Surprised his voice isn’t shredded.
The coming together of the”super powers “ was to me the single greatest moment in pro wrestling history! Most hated to most loved in an instant! Genius! Thank you Nikita!
That was a great best of 7 series. I remember after the accident when Nikita followed Dusty to the ring in a steel cage match that had Dusty going up against Ole Anderson and J.J. Dillon. People were looking around when Nikita showed up behind Dusty. People thought he might attack Dusty , but when he entered the cage and went after Ole and J.J. the crowd went nuts! That was awesome and what a pop! It was one of the best face turns I have seen! It sold and sold hard! Nikita the hated "Russian Nightmare" was now a good guy with "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes as "The Super Powers". I encourage anyone if they haven't seen the you tube video " The Birth of the Super Powers." of the night Nikita became a good guy to see it and hear the crowd explode!
The best of seven series was the greatest event in NWA history because of its time period... THE COLD WAR.
A "Soviet " winning the US Heavyweight Title was the talk of the schoolyard the entire week.
Go back and watch when Nikita and Dusty entered that cage when Nikita turned face. That pop was thunderous and Dusty did the best thing he could: turn his friend's enemy into his new ally.
Search for nikita koloff face turn on yt
The Best of 7, during the Reagan years, a Cold War time for this to happen was EPIC GENIUS!.......for which WWE cannot NEVER recreate.
That best of 7 was awesome stuff and the magazine with him and the crying for Magnum TA was a perfect touch
Had the pleasure of speaking with both " Nikita" & Terry Allen in their hey day away from the ring. Both were genuinely good people.
Ta and Nikita best feud ever!! I will cry for Mangum T.A. epic.
Let's see how many thumbs up we get for those of us who bought that issue of PWI or better yet had the issue of either Inside Wrestling or The Wrestler (can't remember which ) with the title Better Dead Than Red.
Magnum doesn't get injured, and the wcw would have looked quite different for the late 80's early 90's
Dusty turning heel on him or him turning on Dusty would have gotten molten heat.
@Paul Jackson He would have far surpassed Magnum either way. Magnum was TOO old school. Sting was a more exciting, dynamic talent.
I'm remember this storyline very well! Top Notch! Two excellent athletes providing with the best with in ring entertainment!
Awesome content as always Hannibal, keep it coming
Best era ever hands down. I remember when TA had his accident. It was real and hurt. I didn’t understand wrestling or life being only 6 years old but stuff like that makes you grow up quick. Thanks for the memories guys.
Nikita is a preacher, met them all in starcade in Dec. Winston Salem, spent time talking to him, great man
One of my favourite memories is that best of seven series. As a 10 year old it felt so authentic. They could never create that nowadays. A lot of what ifs if Magnum would not have had that accident. He was special for sure.
Magnum’s Mom was the best. She told me who to contact to get into Pro Wrestling school and she didn’t know me from Adam
STILL the biggest, loudest crowd pop ever was when he came to the ring with Dusty and started hammering on Horsemen. Still look it up once in a while to get pumped up!
Nikita walking out with Dusty to the ring to wrestle Ole and JJ, Mind blowing! The crowd rocked that arena!
It's so amazing about Nikita. He was a unit first and foremost. Such a beast, and presence. He wasn't the best in the ring, but he did everything so intense it sold really well. And even though his accent was not good and more like a caricature of a Russian accent, he 'became' that character so much that it didn't matter. People bought into it all the way. Then you add Magnum who was just incredible. One of my favorite feuds of all time. And what the hell would have happened if Magnum had never gotten hurt and kept on climbing the ladder? It was such a huge blow to lose him, that they wouldn't have a replacement for a face the fans would buy into like that for a few years until Sting came along. And by then it was sort of too late for Crockett to compete with WWF.
My brother and I would watch the NWA all day on Saturday. We lived in North Carolina at the time, and there had to have been - at least - five hours of the NWA on TV each Saturday (not even counting the WWE shows). Great memories.
My first time going to a match was at the Great Western Forum in Cali during the Best of 7 matches. Loved it.
My second time was at the Forum when Dusty and Nikita had already teamed up as the SuperPowers.
I remember when all this happened, it was like 1986 and I was 16 I think. Mind you, I still thought this was all real, I remember the moment Nikita switched sides and joined Dusty. I was watching it in TBS on like Saturday morning. I never knew what happened to TA, just knew I hadn't seen him since. in fact I actually found out recently (within the last 3 months) because I did a google search. I remember all this he's talking about, the negotiations, TA's mother, and everything, I bought it all, But when Nikita switched from 1 week to the next (or so it seemed) That was when the facade of professional wrestling started to crack for me, This was actually the beginning of the end of Wrestling as real for me
That magazine cover was essential to Nikita's face turn. It made it real.
One of the few to get out and not go back, he seems like a good man
I SO remember how Nikita, every time he would refer to Magnum, would call him, in a heavy "Russian" accent, "Magga Tih Ehh". I LOVE hearing that to this day.
And I ALSO think of that "I cry for Magnum T.A." cover every time I think of Nikita. That's how big it was.
Like wise
Best of seven series with Magnum is right up there with Macho Man and Ricky Steamboat feud!! All time best!
Great feud with the best of Seven Series. Also first
Man this guy was the shit...The russian cycle was and still is the best clothesline in wrestling history
Great interview with a great wrestler
If Magnum TA would not of have that accident, i wonder what the plans were for Nikita being the US Champion? I knew Magnum was in a program with Jimmy Garvin and soon to get the NWA Belt off Flair. Just wish i could go to a alternative earth in which Magnum TA didnt have his car wreck and see how things played out. Also go to another Alternative earth where David Von Erich didnt die and won the belt. How things would of been soooo much better if only a few things didnt happen.
Think Dusty had said the plan was for Magnum to get the big gold then fued with Nikita like how Rock-Austin went from Ic title feud to world title feud
Wasn't Nikita suppose to turn babyface in a program with Ron Garvin?
Magnum was THE guy they were grooming. He was the absolute complete deal.
I saw the TA Flair match at Comisky Park. I just heard that was his last match. Shit. TA had everything to be the champ for a LONG time.
Princeofcups Poc I was there to what a great card didn’t realize it was Magnum’s last match loved the Russians getting doused by beer from the upper deck
The classic magazine cover: I weep for Magnum TA
I still weep for Magnum
seen here: 78.media.tumblr.com/918b16d21e266b4b6365630269e247d0/tumblr_ng1g74satO1sg99p0o1_500.png
Whether your face turn/tag match happened in Charlotte or Philadelphia is up for debate. BUT the moment Nikita entered the cage and attacked Ole & JJ YOU TALK ABOUT A POP heard round the world! WOW THE ARENA EXPLODED. That was possibly the biggest POP in JCP history. Other then a music entrance for a baby face. It was The Horsemen, especially Flair who really sold the shock in seeing Nikita turn face.
not up 4 debate it happened in charlotte im from philly it most definitely DID NOT happen here lol
Saw that as a kid I remember it being great.
Nikita if you read this you were and are awesome! Thank you for your work!
If you watch that clip, Barbarian and Paul Jones are in the ring for the match. Barbarian laughs his ass off. It's really hilarious.
I still remember when Magnum knocked Bob Geigel down after he reprimanded and stripped Magnum of the US Title for "conduct unlike that of a champion".
Best of seven series was awesome, but I think people forget these guys wrestled numerous times before then. Numerous cage and Russian Chain matches. I still wonder who won those chain matches. They weren't on TV.
If you arent sticking your tongue out and flexing, its not the same. Thank you for making us believe wrestling till the pansy wwf/wwe ruined that. Respect and love brother
I remember war games when the horsemen spike pile drived Nikita like a hundred times.
Booker and Benoit had a great best of 7 as well
Yes
Charles Wilson They had two, actually. Their first was in WCW, n that was a great feud. I didn't like that WWE was gonna do the second one at first cuz I thought it was just some copycat bullshit, but that one turned out great, as well.
It was good but Nikita Magnum was way better
A match or series of matches are always better when the guys involved are more popular. Booker T & Benoit were nowhere near as popular/hated as Magnum & Nikita. Emotion drives the whole thing and the more over the guys are, the more people care. That's why people gave a shit when Nikita came back and was chasing the US Title from Rude. Had he been chasing a guy like Benoit, apart from wanting to see Nikita kill him in 30 seconds, nobody would have given a shit.
“Magga Tee Aay”!
Classic. 👍👍👍
Man he looks great.
My favorite mark out moment in wrestling was when he turned face and helped Dusty beat the Horsemen.
Search nikita koloff face turn
I always thought Trump got the verbiage from Nikita because Koloff used to call the opponent “MAGA T.A.” Great and intense series.
😂😂😂
Match #7 may have been 20-30+ minutes have to recheck BUT definitely NOT an hour. The show opened with an immediate tv rematch between Rock-n-Roll Express and Midnight Express for the tag team titles (which the RRX had regained the titles in Philadelphia the previous night; because I was there). Then the Charlotte Coliseum EXPLODED, when the crowd realized and saw Ricky & Robert with the tag team title belts. Anyway the tag team match was maybe 10-15 or less, probably less so its possible Magnum-Nikita 7th match was 30+ but not an hour.
David Frederick he didn’t say the match was an hour. He just said they dedicated an hour of tv to it
He always looked pissed for real
I like when he clothesline on Jim Crockett.
Magnum and "Nikita" are the same age, but time has been kinder to Nikita
Nikita talking like that in the interview shocks me, along with finding out who he really was.
That was some great wrestling. It also was setting Nikita up for what would have been the Magnum world title run. Nikita would have been one of Magnum's main challengers and they would have had a great backstory where they could have had Magnum almost the underdog even though he was the world champion facing the man who less than a year earlier beat him for the US belt.
as a kid, i was terrified of this guy over all other wrestlers.
Unprecedented? Hell, I can't see Vince doing a best of 7 for the IC or US belt.
Awesome Guy
Great video
Quite telling that he immediately goes from discussing Magnum's accident to proudly discussing his part and in the formation of The Super Powers. Although he may well have already discussed Magnum's tragedy earlier in the interview and had no need to revisit it. That's the problem with this only listening to a section of the interview, you can take things out of context when you can see the whole picture.
This guy scared me as a kid. While he's talking he still has that look in his eye at certain times! Nonetheless for some reason I believe every word that comes out his mouth. He is genually pure!!!!
I am struck by how it goes from his American usual voice to the Russian voice.
Highlight of his career is giving the sickle to David Crockett
SHATOATAAAAAAA!
Still even if Magnum didn't explain anything to his mother about what was going to happen in that contract signing you or someone else should have let her know that everything was going to be alright no matter what she sees or hears because you ran the risk of causing his mother to either have a heart attack or something else.
How old is he now, he looks great.
He was awesome when he teamed with dusty Rhodes and the road warriors against the 4 horsemen
Lot of comments here about how great this all was when we were kids. AND IT WAS! Wrestling now is not made for kids it's over sexualized and the stories are done too fast. A best of 7? Never happen now. Shit man my Mom used to just think wrestling was silly if she'd have walked by and a lingerie match was going on that would have been the end of that. Of course that was the eighties when parents gave a shit.
oh man I used to HATE on this guy when I was a little tiny pre-pubescent mark.... Now I am an adult mark and love hearing all this stuff, like grandpa simpson it reminds me of the old days and I slide in and out of a coma all day long.
Always wondered what a "Warrior" versus "Nikita" match would have been like????
A squash match with 4 to 5 minutes of rope shaking, a shoulder block takedown, a lousy splash, and a 3 count.
RedfishCarolina --- couldn't have said it any better
For those who haven't seen it yet, look for a video called Birth of the Superpowers and listen to the pop when Nikita punches Ole Anderson to turn face. It's probably the loudest pop ever.
There is a match on UA-cam with Dusty and Magnum against JJ Dillion and Ole Anderson., and Dusty gets in, they double team Dusty and the fans are crying out.
Nakita gets in with a look of "*ss kicking time!" and his first hit on Ole and the fans EXPLODE..
Edit: Found it
ua-cam.com/video/OmO-U7atifQ/v-deo.html
"Magnum" T. A. and "Nikita" would have been dynamite tag team. Then have "Magnum" T. A. turn heel would have been extraordinarily awesome.
I REMBER THAT MATCH
If Nikita made an appearance or a run-in in the WWE, would he have to be in character? i.e. Russian
MAGGAM TEE AYYYYYYY
Huh, Nikita isnt Russian? 😃 love the Koloffs!
Neither was Ivan. Ivan was Canadian.
What if ... Nikita went to WWE and evolved?
Sad that new Wrestling has eliminated the Southern boy. New wrestling is now in Saudi Arabia. Job killers.
Nikita was Goldberg before Goldberg. Would have loved to have seen a match between them when they were both at their prime.
IS HE NOT RUSSIAN?!?!?!?!😂 now I feel some type of way about Ivan being around😂
Im sorry but I can not understand this man with his thick Russian accent.
I always wondered why the Russians were portrayed in wrestling with bald heads and mustaches? None of them looked Russian ...far from it...I never understood that
Crockett didnt get along with nikita