Action Figures Friday: The "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff

It's Friday, and that means another in this great series of action figure photographs from collector Mike Simmerman. This week it's a shot that takes you back to late 1981 in the studios of WPCQ-TV in Charlotte, where "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, master of the Russian Chain Match, is the NWA Television Champion.
 

Ivan Koloff first held the Mid-Atlantic TV title in 1974, defeating Danny Miller for the belt on 5/10/74 in Richmond, VA. He lost the title a couple months later to Paul Jones on 7/8/74 in Charlotte, NC, and then traded it again with Jones later that same year.

Seven years later, Koloff once again claimed the title, now known as the NWA Television Championship. He defeated Ron Bass for the title on 11/3/81 in Charlotte. He lost the title for a final time to Jimmy "Boogie Man" Valiant on 1/2/82 in Hampton, VA.

His feud with Jimmy Valiant is one of the most memorable during those years and will be immortalized with these action figures in future installments of this series.