Professional wrestling is a cruel industry that lacks an institutional memory and ultimately thrives on making fun of its legends. That brings us to the case of Nikolai Volkoff, who by 1994 was a shell of the man who was a Tag-Team Champion with the Iron Sheik, or had headlined Saturday Night's Main Event versus Hulk Hogan. Instead, by 1994 he was cast as Nikolai Volkoff, the hard-luck property of Ted DiBiase and the Million Dollar Corporation. Lampooned by DiBiase and his cronies as "Nickel and Dime" Volkoff, he wore gear that had a cent sign replacing the Communist hammer and sickle. Intriguing to watch if only for the bizarre curiosity of seeing Nikolai Volkoff wrestling on TV in 1994 and in not-so-great physical condition, this moment is possibly best left forgotten.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
