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Kindle edition: 234 pages

Publisher: Crowbar Press

Item #: cbp04-ik-kindle

Price: $9.99

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However, they wouldn't have dared ask that question directly to Ivan Koloff, whose work in the ring made believers out of the most cynical viewers.

Growing up on a farm in Ontario, Ivan learned the meaning of hard work and discipline.  Unfortunately, he made wrong choices and wound up in prison for cattle rustling.  Upon his release, he enrolled in a wrestling school and began a career in pro wrestling as Red McNulty, the Irish Rogue.

Five years later, on January 18, 1971, he appeared in Madison Square Garden under the name Ivan Koloff and did what had never been done before.  He pinned Bruno Sammartino's shoulders to the mat and won the WWWF heavyweight title.  When the referee called for the bell, you could have heard a pin drop as the more than 21,000 screaming fans were instantly moved to a stunned, disbelieving silence.

That accomplishment made Ivan Koloff one of wrestling's biggest superstars until his retirement from the ring in the mid-1990s.  Competing in virtually every major promotion throughout the world, he feuded with every top name in the wrestling business, including Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Dick the Bruiser, Bob Backlund, Billy Robinson, Dusty Rhodes, and Ivan Putski.

Here for the first time, Ivan tells the story of his life: the highs and the lows; his admission of alcohol and drug abuse; reflections of a life spent on the road, and the toll it took on his body and soul; the event in Kannapolis, North Carolina, that changed his life forever.

Ivan also talks about:
•  growing up on a farm in Canada
•  going to prison for cattle rustling
•  learning to wrestle at Jack Wentworth’s school in Hamilton, Ontario
•  getting blood for the first time
•  wrestling as Red McNulty, the (one-eyed) Irish Rogue
•  wrestling Bruno Sammartino (Ivan’s hero) for the first time
•  working as a Union steward at a steel company
•  becoming a full-time professional wrestler
•  working in preliminaries and doing job for two years
•  working as a bouncer in Vancouver with Dale Hey (the future Buddy Roberts)
•  going to Montreal as a main event wrestler
•  Tony Angelo, his first manager
•  how Lou Albano paved the way for his first run in New York
•  dealing with Vince McMahon Sr. and what he thinks of him as a businessman
•  his tour of Australia with Playboy Gary Hart and King Curtis
•  who, how, and when he was approached about winning the WWWF title from Bruno Sammartino (and you won’t believe who the New York office sent to talk to him about it)
•  how the New York wrestling office double-crossed Ivan after he won the title.
•  his first tour of Japan
•  working for Verne Gagne in the AWA
•  teaming with Superstar Billy Graham
•  wrestling a young Ric Flair
•  getting into a fight with Buck Ramstead in Japan
•  how wrestlers used alcohol and drugs to deal with their injuries and physical problems.
•  the part steroids played in the careers of many of his peers.
•  acting as referee for a fight in the dressing room between Don Jardine and Wahoo McDaniel
•  being blackballed for wrestling for the International Wrestling Alliance
•  attempting to promote wrestling in California with Superstar Billy Graham
•  trying to find work with promoters who didn’t agree with the policies of National Wrestling Alliance promoters
•  the promoters who thumbed their nose at the NWA and booked him
•  his opinion of Ole Anderson as the booker for Georgia Championship Wrestling
•  his time in the ring and on the road with Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer
•  why he and Alexis Smirnoff were stopped and interviewed by the FBI
•  his fight with the Iron Sheik on an airplane
•  turning down what he thinks was a second opportunity to win the WWWF title
•  the lifestyle of a professional wrestler and the price they pay
•  being assaulted by fans with knives, bent nails, pieces of wood, chairs, and even a woman’s handbag
•  Nikita Koloff’s introduction to the business
•  why and how Nikita was turned babyface without Ivan knowing it was going to happen
•  teaming with Krusher Kruschev (Barry Darsow)
•  teaming and traveling with Dick Murdoch
•  being forced out of Jim Crockett Promotions
•  wrestling for Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico
•  operating wrestling schools with Paul Jones and Bobby Fulton
•  network marketing with Nikita
•  his conversion experience and accepting Christ as his Savior and Lord
•  his fight to beat his addictions to drugs and alcohol
•  Erica Flair, the Nature Girl
•  working for Children’s Miracle Network
•  his life today and what he’s been doing since he quit full-time wrestling

Ivan tells stories about many of the personalities he worked with, including Bill Miller, Stu Hart, Mad Dog Vachon, Ernie Ladd, Andre the Giant, Johnny Rougeau, Jacques Rougeau, Bepo Mongol (the future Nicolai Volkoff), Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon, Freddie Blassie, Bobby Heenan, Red Bastien, Bull Bullinski, Kevin von Erich, Kerry von Erich, Mr. Fuji, Johnny Valentine, Dick the Bruiser, Roddy Piper, Mr. Saito, Ray Stevens, Stan Hansen, and Abdullah the Butcher.

This is a revealing memoir that will take you into the mind of the Russian Bear, both in and out of the ring.

A bonus is a section called "Christian Facts Guidance," which is written by Blackjack Mulligan, shared here in print form for the first time.

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Acknowledgements Foreword 1  Scaffold Match 2  The Meanest Fighter I Ever Fought 3  Fox in the Henhouse 4  "When I was a kid ..." 5  Cattle Rustlers 6  Red McNulty, the Irish Rogue 7  The Cat in the Frying Pan 8  Speaking Russian 9  The Insurance Policy 10  Blackout 11  Blackballed

12  Motel Room Brawl 13  Missed Opportunity 14  The Daily Ritual 15  Nikita 16  The Long Walk 17  Blind, But Now, I See 18  Renae's Story 19  A Tribute to My Friends 20  Me-Ma and Pa-Pa Index Afterword Bonus Section — Christian Facts Guidance by Blackjack Mulligan

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Adonis, Adrian, 124-125 Albano, Captain Lou, 8, 75-77, 161, 177 Allen, Ted, 116 Altomare, Tony, 75 American Wrestling Alliance, 89 Anderson, Ole, 82, 96, 116-118, 123, 127-128, 130, 138, 142, 176 Anderson, Randy “Pee Wee”, 137 Anderson, Gene, 96 Anderson, Lars, 94-95 Angelo, Tony, 65, 67, 76 Animal, Road Warrior, 140, 166, 177 Anoai, Sika, 135 Anoai, Afa, 135 Apollo, Argentine, 65 Atlantic Coast Wrestling, 152 Atlas, Tony, 176 Baba, Giant, 60, 95, 110 Backlund, Bob, 76, 124, 126, 176 Bagwell, Buff, 166 Baillargeon, Tony, 65 Barbarian, The, 166, 176 Barend, Johnny, 79 Barnett, Jim, 78-79, 82, 118 Barrett, Pat, 56 Bastien, Red, 93, 177 Beefcake, Brutus, 165 Bell, Al, 43, 155 Bence, Jack, 56 Blackwell, Crusher, 169 Blair, Brian, 122 Blake, Al, 144 Blanchard, Tully, 154, 161, 165 Blanchard, Joe, 165 Blassie, Fred, 84 Blondes, The Hollywood, 60 Boesch, Paul, 81-82, 175 Borne, Matt, 122 Bravo, Dino, 178 Brazil, Bobo, 70, 177 Brito, Gino, 65 Britton, Jack, 61, 70 Brower, Bulldog, 42, 65, 170, 177 Brown, Jerry, 60 Bruggers, Bob, 102 Bruiser, Dick the, 82, 89, 100, 109-112, 178 Brunzell, Jim, 89 Bullinski, Bull, 93, 177 Bully, Blacktop, 144 Butcher, Abdullah the, 65, 67, 117, 162-163 Calhoun, Haystack, 56 Capral, Ed, 168 Carpentier, Edouard, 65, 90 Caudle, Bob, 168 Christy, Paul, 178 Clark, Sailor, 42-44, 138, 155 Colon, Carlos, 150-151 Crockett Sr., Jim, 136, 168 Crockett, David, 168 Crockett Jr., Jim, 140, 142-144, 147, 150, 163-164 Crusher, The, 89 Curtis, King, 78 Darsow, Barry, 144 Deaton, Joel, 151 Denucci, Dominic, 161 DiBiase, Ted, 161, 165 Dillon, JJ, 142, 146 Draper, Dave, 110 Dusek, Frank, 152 Eaton, Aileen, 109 Einhorn, Eddie, 106-108 Exodus Wrestling Alliance, 166 Farmer, Woody, 56 Fenton, Rod, 56 Fernandez, Manny, 179 Ferrigno, Lou, 110 Fever, Mike, 170 Flair, Ric, 89-90, 96, 101-103, 113, 117, 130, 134, 146, 166-167, 170, 172, 175 Foti, John, 53 Freebirds, The Fabulous, 60 Froelich, Eric, 56 Fuji, Mr., 102, 124-125, 179 Fulton, Bobby, 151-153, 178 Gagne, Verne, 67, 70, 82, 89-90, 99, 100, 178 Garvin, Ronnie, 90, 136, 176 Geohagen, Timothy, 56 Giant, Andre the, 67-68, 177 Gibson, Robert, 176 Gordy, Terry, 60 Gouldie, Archie, 108 Goulet, Rene, 56, 70 Graham, Mike, 170 Graham, Superstar Billy, 89, 96-99, 102, 108-110, 177 Graham, Eddie, 82, 90, 103, 112, 178 Gulas, Nick, 108 Hansen, Stan, 121, 123, 175 Hanson, Swede, 144 Hart, Stu, 61-62 Hart, Playboy Gary, 78-79, 179 Hawk, Road Warrior, 177 Hawk, Rip, 106, 108, 170, 178 Hayes, Michael, 60 Heenan, Bobby, 93 Hegstrand, Mike, 99 Heideman, Johnny, 113 Hennig, Curt, 99, 124 Hey, Dale, 58-62, 67, 70 Hodge, Danny, 60, 90 Hogan, Hulk, 96, 126 Igor, Mighty, 65, 106, 171-173, 177 Inoki, Antonio, 60, 95 International Wrestling Alliance, 106-108 Jacobs, Abe, 174 Jaggers, Bobby, 144, 179 Jardine, Don, 101 Johnson, Bull, 41-42, 48 Johnson, Dwayne, 57 Johnson, Rocky, 56-57, 134-135 Jonathan, Don Leo, 56-57, 60, 65 Jones, Paul, 56, 100, 106-107, 147, 151-152, 176, 179 Kabuki, The Great, 179 Kalmikoff, Karol, 42 Kalmikoff, Ivan, 42 Keirn, Steve, 112-113, 170 Kernodle, Don, 134, 136, 162, 176 King, Sonny, 170 Kiniski, Gene, 65, 177 Kobayashi, Strong, 93 Koloff, Dan, 61 Koloff, Vladimir, 151, 159 Koloff, Nikita, 140-144, 147, 149, 152-154, 156, 161, 166, 175 Koloff, Ivan (origin of name), 61 Kovacs, Sandor, 55-56 Kowalski, Stan (Big K), 92-93 Krockett, Keith, 166 Kruschev, Krusher, 144, 176 Kusatsu, Great, 93 Ladd, Ernie, 68-69, 116, 170 Lambuth, Mike, 151 Landrum, Rich, 168 Lanza, Black Jack, 89, 93 Layton, Lord Athol, 53 Lewin, Mark, 79 Ligon, Gene, 151

Long, Teddy, 137 Love Brothers, The, 106 Luger, Lex, 143, 165 Luke, Lumberjack, 59 Lyons, Billy “Red”, 41 Maivia, Peter, 57-58 Mantel, Dutch, 144 Marconi, Frank, 56 Martinez, Pedro, 106-108 Martinez, Ron, 107 Martinez, Luis, 178 Mascaras, Mil, 90, 106, 108 McClarty, Roy, 56 McDaniel, Wahoo, 45, 47, 67, 89, 97, 99-101, 113, 117, 151, 154, 159, 175 McGraw, Bugsy, 132 McGraw, Rick, 99 McKenzie, Tex, 106 McMahon Jr., Vince, 45, 84, 96, 124, 126, 161-162 McMahon Sr., Vince, 8, 48, 52, 77-78, 80-81, 83-84, 106-107, 109-110, 175 McNulty, Red, 42-43, 47, 52, 55, 58, 60, 161 Milano, Mario, 83 Miller, Bill, 51-52 Mongol, Bepo, 68 Mongol, Geto, 68 Monsoon, Gorilla, 82-83, 177 Moquin, Larry, 65 Morales, Pedro, 80, 84 Morrison, Don, 59 Morton, Ricky, 166, 176 Mosca, Angelo, 102, 177 Mosca Jr., Angelo, 179 Muchnick, Sam, 82, 112, 126 Mulkey, Randy, 170 Mulkey, Bill, 170 Mulligan, Blackjack, 89, 93, 96, 152, 166, 169-170, 173-175, 181 Muraco, Don, 114, 178 Murdoch, Dick, 89, 138, 144, 146 Patera, Ken, 89 Patterson, Pat, 178 Patterson, Thunderbolt, 106, 116, 178 Petrov, Vladimir, 144, 176 Piper, Roddy, 93, 113, 175 Poffo, Angelo, 65 Poffo, Lanny, 65 Powers, Johnny, 106, 108, 170 Powers, Sean, 153 Price, Greg, 166 Pugliese, Tony, 51-52 Putski, Ivan, 178 Race, Harley, 70, 146 Ramstead, Buck, 94 Red, Eric the, 65 Reed, Johnny, 42, 43 Regal, Steve, 47 Repo Man, 144 Rhodes, Dusty, 82, 89, 96, 117, 142-144, 147, 176 Rich, Tommy, 121, 123 Road Warriors, The, 144, 149, 152, 177 Roberts, Buddy, 58-62, 67, 70, 103 Robertson, Dewey, 41 Robinson, Billy, 57, 89-91, 97, 99, 177 Robley, Buck, 130 Rock, The, 57 Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, 144, 149, 176 Rogers, Buddy, 103, 167, 172 Rossitani, Vic, 41 Rougeau, Johnny, 8, 61, 64-65, 70, 82, 150, 177 Rougeau, Jacques, 8, 57, 61, 64-65, 68, 70, 150, 177 Royal, Nelson, 106 Rude, Rick, 99 Saito, Mr., 112-113, 178 Sammartino, Bruno, 8-9, 42, 48, 52, 75-78, 80, 83-84, 96, 110, 127, 161-162, 175 Sanchez, Pete, 150 Santana, Tito, 126 Savage, Dutch, 56, 60, 65 Savage, Randy, 10, 65 Sawyer, Buzz, 118-119, 121-122 Schmidt, Hans, 68, 90 Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 109-110 Scicluna, Baron Mikel, 52 Scott, George, 82, 89-90, 100, 103, 106, 147, 151 Shamrock, Ken, 151 Sheik, Iron, 89, 121-122, 124-126, 130, 147 Sheik, The (original), 117, 171 Shields, Bad Boy, 93 Smash, Demolition, 144 Smirnoff, Alexis, 120, 131, 176 Snuka, Jimmy, 176 Snyder, Wilbur, 178 Solie, Gordon, 103 Solie, Gordon, 170 South, George, 161, 166 Spade, Solomon, 153 Spittles, Al, 41 Stasiak, Stan, 62 Steamboat, Ricky, 178 Steamboat, Ricky, 130 Steamboat, Sam, 80 Stevens, Ray, 99, 122-123, 179 Sting, 143, 161, 166 Stomper, The Mongolian, 108 Strongbow, Jay, 177 Sullivan, Kevin, 131 Superstar, The Masked, 179 Swayze, “Beautiful” Bruce, 170 Sweetan, Bob, 84 TA, Magnum, 142-143 Teal, Scott, 8, 56 Tenryu, 102 Thatcher, Les, 168 Thesz, Lou, 108, 177 Thomas, Sailor Art, 91-92 Thunderfoots, The, 151 Tolos, Chris, 41, 55, 96 Tolos, John, 41, 55, 96 Travis, Steve, 131 Vachon, Butcher, 70 Vachon, Maurice “Mad Dog”, 64-65, 67, 70, 90, 93-94, 96, 119 Valentine, Johnny, 45, 90, 101-103 Valentine, Greg, 166, 176 Valentino, Bilotto (Valentino), 116 Valiant, Jimmy, 111, 149, 161-166, 174-175 Valiant, Angel, 164-165 Volkoff, Nicolai, 68, 176 Von Raschke, Baron, 178 Von Erich, Kevin, 97 Von Erich, Kerry, 97 Watson, Phil, 170 Watson, Whipper Billy, 65 Watts, Bill, 130, 144 Wentworth, Jack, 7, 41-47, 49, 51, 55, 155 Windham, Barry, 179, 181 Windham, Kendall, 181 Woods, Tim, 174 World Championship Wrestling, 147 WWWF Heavyweight Title, 80, 83-84 Youngblood, Jay, 136-137 Youngblood, Mark, 136 Zacko, Phil, 48 Zhukov, Boris, 176

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Scott Teal has done it again and has co-authored yet another championship literary work in the fast moving world of Professional Wrestling!

  This time he tag teams with Ivan "The Russian Bear" Koloff in Is That Wrestling Fake? and takes us down another unique path of what the old school kayfabe days of pro wrestling were like.  Here you will read about Ivan’s life long struggles both in and out of the squared circle — his rise in to the main events — how the WWWF title was to exchange hands between Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales and himself, and why it was done exactly the way it was done at that time — his travels to many wrestling territories of his time: WWWF, NWA, AWA, WWA, IWA, etc. — how he carried his anti-American act too far and found himself deep in trouble with the FBI — and about his great partners and the tag titles he held.

The book is very different than most other wrestling books you might have read before.  In fact, you might seem to think, like me, that the book is somewhat incoherent until you realize the angle Ivan and Scott are coming from.  The book is not set up in a straight, historical time line; rather, it is set up as if Ivan and Scott were sitting right next to you, sharing a beer, and talking about the good old days.  The thoughts come out as naturally as if you were talking to your best friend on old childhood memories.  Nothing is rehearsed, and the thoughts flow freely from topic to topic; or in wrestling terms, from pillar to post.

Readers who were fortunate to have read Inside Out by Ole Anderson, and Wrestlers Are Like Seagulls by J.J. Dillon, know just how much work it took to make the matches come to look as real to a fight as possible, and for good reason; the people believed it was real, but if it were real, the wrestlers could never have wrestled several times a week as they did then.  That is not to say the wrestlers did not get hurt, or suffer all sorts of physical punishment.  The truth is, THEY DID!

Finally, you will read about Ivan’s reclamation through his faith in God.  It is this part of the book that reminds me of "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck, in that no matter how far from grace a man has fallen in the sight of God, he still maintains the choice to do better, to choose between good and evil – "timshel" or Thou Mayest, is truly ever present in Ivan’s life and book.

Accolades to Ivan and Scott on a great book!
Mark Cappuzzo

I finished the book a few nights ago and I really enjoyed reading it a lot.  Ivan is a very interesting guy and his life is a remarkable story.  I also learned a lot about the wrestling business, at least the way it used to be when it was good from a fan and spectators standpoint.  I assumed that the top guys made a whole lot more money.  Perhaps they do today.  I rattled off some of the names he mentioned to my brother and we had a lot of fun reminiscing, remember this guy, remember that guy, etc.  I hope that the book is a huge success for both you and Ivan.  Please let him know how much the guy who printed his book enjoyed reading it!
Steve Sirlin

Just wanted to let you know that I just finished your book with Ivan Koloff.  I must say, great job again.  I found the book to be very entertaining from a wrestling fans perspective (since 1970) and also I found Ivans story and his trial of his faith to be tremendously inspiring.  I will recommend this book to any and all.
John Mozuke

I have now received and read the J.J., Ole, and Ivan books and all I can say is Bravo!!  All three are great reads and even better than I thought they would be!!  They blow away the sanitized works put out by the WWE.  I can't wait for the Bruiser Brody book.  And do you have an E.T.A. for Stan Hansen?  Also, two more names come to mind when thinking of possible subjects: Kevin Sullivan and Abdullah The Butcher.  Have either ever shown any interest in telling their no-doubt fascinating stories?
Jim Filipski

I just finished Ivan's Is That Wrestling Fake? and was enthralled and wanting more.  It is a good read, full of interesting tidbits on the wrestling business, it's characters, and Ivan's life.  In his book, he proves, without doubt, that God can save the worst of us.
Tim Quinn
Webmaster for ivankoloff.com

Received the Koloff book.  Can't wait to sit down and actually read it cover to cover.  I keep grabbing it and reading bits and pieces here and there.  It is another one of your masterpieces and couldn't be on a finer talent than Ivan Koloff, one of wrestling's all-time finest.  We need one on Donnie Fargo now!
Ken Jugan, aka Lord Zoltan

I loved your Ivan book.  It was great.   I would love to see a book that exposes the deaths related to drugs?  I believe it is just terrible.  Ivan is a friend.  I am happy to see his life detailed in a book.
Paul Jones

I received Ivan book today and thumbed thru it at lunch.  GREAT pics in the book, especially near the end.  I can't wait to read story tonight of Ivan, Bruno Sammartino, and WWWF title swap.  Thanks again for another great piece of work.

Kelly Townsend

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To schedule radio interviews or other media appearances with the authors, please contact Scott Teal at