WWE Royal Rumble Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?

One of pro-wrestling's prototypical "evil Russians," Nikolai Volkoff made his name in WWE by teaming with the Iron Sheik. Known for singing the Soviet Union's national anthem prior to every match, Volkoff really pushed the envelope as an '80s heel, successfully preying on the American crowds' Cold War paranoia to draw immense heat everywhere he went.

He eliminated Jim Brunzell from the 1988 Royal Rumble, but his Bolsheviks tag team weren't doing all that well at the time, and eventually became a comedy act. The duo split by 1989, Volkoff somehow became a fan favourite in the afermath, and while his WWE appearances grew increasingly sporadic, was was part of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation from 1994-95.

Volkoff entered semi-retirement thereafter, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. He has since made numerous WWE cameos, particularly on "Old School" Raws, and and most recently appeared to sing the Soviet National Anthem with Rusev and Lana in September 2014. At 69 years old, Volkoff still appears on the independent scene, though he hasn't wrestled since June 2016.

Once described as a "good family man" in Freddie Blassie's autobiography, Volkoff enjoys a relatively quite life away from the ring. He has recently retired from his old role working on a number of kids' programs with Baltimore Country Police, and currently lives on a farm in Maryland.