Better Russian heels: Nikola Volkoff or Ivan Koloff

[horsemen4ever]

So back in the 80's, the WWF had Nikola Volkoff as the Russian heel, while JCP had Ivan Koloff's stable which at various times included his "nephew" Nikita, Russian sympathiser Krusher Krushchev, Vladimar Petrov.

Both had different style, the WWF had Nikola be this kind of comedic character, with his singing and stuff, while JCP they had the Ivan Koloff be this serious monster heels, especially Nikita, he was this monster who was seemingly unbeatable, he was Goldberg 10 years earlier.

So how do you perfer your evil Soviets, bad singing bufforns who were more ring technicans, or just scarry monster heels?

I have to go with the Koloff's stable, I always found Nikola and the Shiek these lovable characters I kind of liked, whie the Koloff just evil monster who you just hated which I want from a heel.

[paperbackhero]

Ivan by miles.

[toodarkmark]

Nikita Koloff. NIKITA KOLOFF.

[Deleted]

If you just compare the two men by themselves, without bringing up Ivan's stable, Ivan was badass. He wasn't much size-wise, but to think this guy had such power over larger individuals should be something.

Talked gruff, fought mean and he looked like Lenin reincarnated.

Nikolai resembled a guy who just bought into the Communist thought, but just seems to be more of a tool instead of a scary monster of the Soviets.

[James Fabiano]

Ivan by far. Nikolai was too buffoony by then.

Granted, the NWA Russian stable jumped the shark when Krusher left and Nikita turned face....then you were stuck with Vladimir Petrov (also the name given to a piano player on Brittas Empire!) and later the Russian Assassin.

[horsemen4ever]

The Russian Assiassin was after Ivan joined Paul Jones stables which I think was explained on TV as a merger of Ivan's Russian stable and Jones army stable.

[Joe Neglia]

People of course remember buffoony Rock-n-Wrestling era Nikolai and Crockett-era aging Uncle Ivan more so, but both were much more convincing prior to that. Ivan in '70s WWWF and Nikolai in Mid-South could be taken much more seriously. That said, even of the two of them in their prime before the '80s, I'd lean toward Ivan.

[willywonka666]

Looking back and realizing how nice he is, I think they could have turned Nikolai face a little sooner. Not that he went anywhere when he did, but maybe if it had been 86 or so it could have been fun