WWE Royal Rumble Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?
18. Boris Zhukov
Like Ivan Koloff before him, Boris Zhukov was a North American male who played a surprisingly convincing Russian heel. Having made his WWE debut just 3 months prior, Zhukov was still new to the company in January 1988, and had found little in the way of success as Nikolai Volkoff's partner in The Bolsheviks.
Zhukov lasted just 2:33 in the Rumble, and did very little to leave an impression. He went back to The Bolsheviks, who rarely ascended beyond "whipping boy" status in the tag division, and the duo split and feuded in 1989. As a singles wrestler, Zhukov was never anything more than an enhancement talent, and quickly became an object of ridicule for the announce team.
Boris' WWE run ended in 1991, and he never returned to prominence. His wrestling career evaporated as soon as he left the company, and his appearances were restricted solely to obscure promotions without significant exposure. Nowadays, Zhukov helps run and promote independent shows in his native Virginia, and still holds resent towards Vince McMahon for "forcing him out of the wrestling business." Perhaps unsurprisingly, Zhukov, like Butch Reed, was named as part of last year's class action suit.