Q&A With Koloff- #70

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This is the Truth Network. Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is set for one flaw. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, Nikita Kolov. Welcome to another episode of Q&A with Kolov, the devil's nightmare. Today on the phone, not in studio, but on the phone, Elton Payne, welcome to the Q&A with Kolov. That's a good try, Elton, good try.

Well, you can't beat the best. I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, I'm flattered by that. Elton, great to have you on the show. Thanks for joining us.

Yeah, I'm honored. Well, Elton, let's let our listeners know a little bit about who Elton Payne is, you know, where you're from, where you're residing and, you know, just a little bit about who you are. Well, I was originally born in Georgia, a little bitty town outside of Hartwell.

I reside in South Carolina now, still a little place called Iowa. I'm 41 years old and happily married. I've got the greatest wife in the world who supports me in all my endeavors through life. And most importantly, I am a child of God and a Christ follower who, without him, I would not make it on a day-to-day basis.

Well, I would diddle that, that is a fact. And what's your lovely bride's name? Her name is Tara. Tara, how do you spell that? T-A-R-A.

That's what I thought, but I just want to make sure. I find now the most, even the most common name can sometimes be spelled differently. So when I'm out doing autographs, signings and stuff, it can be Bill and I'll go, uh, how do you spell that?

They look at me sometimes like, uh, like, you don't know how to spell Bill, but anyway, I just, everyone's name is different. So Tara, how long have you guys been married? Oh, we'll be married, uh, we've been married 14 years. Wonderful. Congratulations on, on those 14 years. Uh, any, any children, Elton?

We have no children, just little babies, some animals. Oh, okay. Okay.

I, I, I understand that, uh, very well as well. And so did you say Hartwell, Georgia? Hartwell, Georgia. Yes, sir. By the lake? Yup. But right on the, right on the, uh, right on the border, right?

Yup. Um, I live, I live in, I live in that area until about 07 when we moved to South Carolina, when we found our house. So you may or may not be familiar with a little tiny town called Royston. I am familiar with Royston. Uh, uh, uh, my grandparents, my grandmother actually still lives in Royston.

Um, I was actually actually a man up complex in Washington back in January. Oh, okay. Okay. Uh, uh, I always find it interesting. I can, you know, I have so many conversations and talk to so many people. It's hard to keep, uh, keep straight.

Like where, where are we connected? Yeah. So you were at the man up conference there at the camp, a little light. I was enjoyed it thoroughly. Now, how'd you, how'd you hear about it? Somebody invites you or how'd you hear about it? I actually, my wife and I were, they came to the new year, New Year's Eve conference at Morningstar. Okay.

And, uh, you actually was supposed to sit and talk with him for 10 or 15 minutes after the service. You want to grab the magazine for me and invited me to the conference. Very good. And, and you, you, you took me up on it and you came.

I did. Well, now we just got to get you to, now we just got to get you to the man camp Hilton. I am. I am actually, uh, I wanted to come in the spring one, but I was already out of town on a vacation and, uh, but I am looking to plan to come to the following.

Okay. Well, re registration is open. So you go to man camped out info and well, we had it and we had a phenomenal time. We had 19 campers and 13 staff and, and seven different States that guys gathered together. And we had two, two guys drove down from separately from Delaware and guy from Indianapolis, Indiana.

And yeah, they came in from all over. So it was, it was pretty amazing. And, uh, uh, just to watch the Lord just work and, you know, in men's lives and, uh, we got to baptize six guys, water baptize six guys. And, uh, yeah, it was, it was powerful. So, well, that's awesome.

That is awesome. Now, what do you do, Elton? What do you, so what do you do for a living? I actually, I work in retail. I, um, I work at a belt department store, do a little bit of everything there. Okay. All right. Um, I also, I also do retail on my own. I'm a, I like to buy, sell and trade on eBay and, uh, you're an entrepreneur.

Yeah. Um, trying to make that the, try and make eBay flip the bills for me. That's a pretty, it's interesting. I'm kind of blown away. Like I got a good friend of mine who he was in the printing business for years and years and years, and almost in a sense, kind of got forced out of that. Um, uh, but, but, uh, and then jumped into for some side income into that eBay business. I've watched him, uh, learn the ropes, so to speak on that. And just kind of blows me away on what people buy, all the oddities of what people buy, what they're willing to pay for it. And, and I think presently, you know, he makes like a hundred, $150 a day, just doing that on eBay, sitting at his house.

You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. Yeah. If you can get the right stuff and get it rolling, it pays off. Well, I am finding that to be true and he is, uh, he's garnered quite a system for, for doing that.

And so I'm, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you'll make that more and more successful. So. Yep.

It's a slow, it's a slow wheel, but it's turning. Yes. Well, like anything, it takes time, especially if you want to be successful at it.

Right. And you give it some patience along the way. So, well, that's really cool. Well, I appreciate, uh, appreciate you coming to the conference and I'm going to say, I'll, I'll look forward to seeing you in October at the camp. And, uh, as well as, uh, just learning a little bit more about you and, and your story.

That's, that's, that's pretty cool. So wrestling fan, you you've been a wrestling fan going back the days. Oh yeah. Ever since I was a little guy, um, little kid, it was always on the television with my dad or my grandpa, NWA wrestling band.

Um, and as I grew up, I just, um, I had a little, I gave up on it for a few years in the early nineties, got back into it in the mid nineties and, uh, just been in love with it ever since. That's actually, uh, a large part of what we sell is wrestling related memorabilia. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah.

And you got back in like during the, like the Monday night wars, right? With the WCW right before it. Yeah.

Just right before it. Okay. So you, but you got to be a part of that whole, I guess they call it, I think the attitude era, I think that was where I grew up on, but as an adult, I looked back at that, but it was okay. But, um, my love goes back the decade before that. But to what, to what was my era, to what we call the golden era of pro wrestling.

Yes, absolutely. Come on, Elton. Come on. So give me a couple of your favorite memories from the golden era and maybe a favorite memory from the attitude era.

Well, attitude era, generally it relates to anything involving the undertaker. Who just recently has been my modern favorite. Who just recently surrendered his life to the Lord.

My understanding. I was so happy at that. I was telling my wife the other day, I was like, like I have this habit of like music and I'll have my top five favorites of whatever. And I was like, I was telling, I was like, like three out of my five wrestlers are like saved now. And just get Ric Flair in there, we'd have it made. Boy, I, I hope so. I hope so. I, I mean, only God really truly knows the heart of a man. And, and, uh, you know, I don't know what he professes, but, but I'm hoping, you know, based on the fruit that he displays that, that he has a genuine encounter or has had. And, and there'll be a, uh, a life change there for Rick for real, but who, who, so who are the three that you're referring to?

Um, uh, staying is one of them. Yeah. The stinger, um, most recently. Well, and, and yeah, and I, again, I see him post some things and so, you know, I'm, I'm trusting him and believing that, that he's, he's had that encounter, that life-changing encounter. And, and, uh, I know a friend of mine one time, a pastor friend of mine met him years and years ago. And, and, and at that time said, you know, Terry, do you realize, you know, if you, if you really got sold out for the Lord, I mean, like really sold out with your following, uh, you know, the impact you could have, you know, for the kingdom, not for, not for Hulkamania, you know, uh, but for the kingdom. Yeah.

So, and, and, and flare as well. I mean, look, he is so charismatic and such a showman. Yeah. If he ever got, you know, like genuinely sold out for Jesus, man, what an impact, uh, the, those two guys could have for the kingdom, not for themselves, for the kingdom. Right.

So maybe we we, maybe we pray that, uh, God just ignites a fire in the two of them, huh? Right. Could you imagine if Ric Flair had been a preacher instead of a wrestler with cutting the charisma he has on stage, how excited he gets.

Yeah. He'd probably have millions of millions of, of, of jewels, uh, in his crown that he could lay at the, at the, at the feet of Jesus. So, um, and of course I was thrilled to hear that about, about taker as well. And, and, uh, he even, he even acknowledged, uh, when he did his hall of fame speech, which was about an hour and a half long, the man can be a motivational speaker. Now he's spent for an hour and a half at his acceptance. The, uh, the hall of fame ceremony this year was about, I want to say it was about two and a half hours long. They inducted in the first hour, they inducted the finer brothers and like the Charmel, which is Booker T's wife and Bader. Kita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, a tale of the ring and redemption. Go to www.colof.net and donate today.

You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. And they got all them inducted in an hour and they voted like the last hour and a half of the sheriffs of the undertaker. Well, certainly deserving. He's, he's quite an icon in wrestling and made, made his, his mark in wrestling. That's, that's for sure.

And of course, Stinger, you know, uh, of course I know very well and have had the privilege and the opportunity of, of, of helping to disciple and mentor him over the years and, and, and his, his children as well. But, uh, so, well, let's do that. We could talk a lot about this and, uh, but, you know, I, I know you might, maybe you're itching at asking me a few questions. I'm still throwing some out there, but let's reverse it. Let's reverse it around and give you Elton, the opportunity to ask the Russian nightmare, a handful of questions here. Fire away. What's your first question?

All right. Well, um, I did have a couple of wrestling questions, but the most important question is spirit led. And I wanted to get in there first in case, cause I wanted it to have the most thorough answer in case it took up all the time. Um, and, and I'm sure this is a question that a lot of people have is since you're walking class, since you were saved, what do you feel like has been your hardest struggle in your walk? Like what's the one thing that always like has been your killing field.

You have to really play the hardest over. They have control over and to speak God about. Well, and, and, and Christ, uh, came to, to establish, give us the opportunity to establish a relationship with the father.

Right. And, and, and modeled that for us and what that should look like. And so I would say first and foremost, I've been very intentional on just pursuing that, that intimacy, that passion, uh, with, with Christ, with, with Abba, uh, translated Papa, daddy, you know, Abba father.

Um, and, and so I've been very intentional over the years and even more so now the older I get to really set it, set aside some time and be as much time as needed and necessary to just continue to build upon that relationship that was established 17 October, 1993, when I gave my life to the Lord. And since that time, it's been a process of refinement. You know, he talks about in the Bible of that refining fire. And I'm reminded of, uh, I'll use a silversmith as an example, who has his cauldron and his silver in it. And, you know, I understand it's a pretty intense heat. I think they have to heat that up to like 800 degrees or something like that.

Super hot. Right. But the objective being for what, any idea? Cause what's, what's he trying to do? Why is the heat so hot?

Any idea? Uh, purification possibly. Well, purification. So, so he's got this cauldron filled with silver and what rises to the top, the, the dross, right? The dross, the impurities rises to the top. And then he skims off the impurities and to kind of paint a picture, give all the listeners out there a visual, hopefully the ultimate goal of the silversmith is to be able to look into the cauldron and see his perfect reflection.

Okay. And, and ultimately that's, that's God's goal is, is we go through these fiery trials in life, uh, tribulation challenges, uh, you know, and sometimes it can be relational. Like for me, it's been relational that I'm, I'm leading this to other relationships that I've had. Uh, sometimes it's those closest to us that try us the most, right? Where, where it seems that the, the greatest fire or the, or the most heat is, is within our own home or within some of those own, our own relationships, you know, especially like for those who might be married, you know, your spouse, uh, can just rub you the wrong way. And, and, but it can be God's way of refining you and getting those impurities out of you. So that ultimately Elton, the father can look into our lives and see his perfect reflection. And so that being the ultimate goal is, is for, for all of us as Christ's followers. And so I summarize all that to say, you know, the relationships around me, whether it be family or friends who have taken me to the foot of the cross, whether it's seeking forgiveness for something I said or did, uh, and, or just them rubbing me the wrong way and learning to have patience, compassion, unconditional love.

And that's how I would answer that question. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Hi, Nikita Kolov. Be sure to check out the Man Up show now available on television, broadcast, and podcast. Go to monistartv.com or the Truth Radio Network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today.

You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Excellent. Excellent. I'm sure a lot of people need to hear that including myself. Well, and I, cause it, and it is for all of us, right?

All of us. The ultimate goal is for all of us as a Christ follower, for the Lord to be able to look into, into our lives, looking into our heart, right? Cause God looks at the heart and just look at the fruit that we're bearing, right? How we act, things that, words that come out of our mouth, how we conduct ourselves in behind closed doors in public and in private. I mean, it should match the test of integrity. Our public life and our private life should match the test of integrity and Christ's likeness, character and Christ's likeness are synonymous. And that's what we should be showing to the world. Now I get it there, you know, we're all a work in progress. So I get that as well.

You know, some of the guys we forementioned, you know, would maybe say, Hey, I'm a work in progress. Okay. I'll cut you some slack. I'll sprinkle some grace. Well, at the same time, I still need to hold you accountable and hold your feet to the fire. If you're professing to be a Christ follower, but you're acting this way, you know, you're having an affair on your wife or your husband, then I probably need to hold your feet to the fire and call you out on that and hold you accountable. Right?

So relationships, man, that's, I think that's one of the biggest challenges for all of us. So great question. Question number two. All right. Well, we're just talking about the hall of fame and I was just wondering, I know you never made the trip up north and I was just wondering if they ever extended the invitation to you to join their home. Did you accept it? They have not. And you know, it would certainly be an honor if they did. And for whatever reason they have, they have chosen not to, and, and I don't lose any sleep over that.

I'm okay. I'll say, I'll say this and I have a couple of other things to add to it. Ma I'm more interested in being in the hall of faith, F A I T H than I am in the hall of the WWE hall of fame. That's again, that's not to say I wouldn't be honored if they extended that invitation. They have just up to this point, chosen not to for, for whatever reason, they have the reasons for why they, they choose who they do and don't, don't, don't select more important to even my being in the, in the WWE hall of fame would be Ivan Koloff being, I would petition for Ivan long before I would ever be, you know, interested in being in it only because he's legendary, a legendary 40 plus year career, legendary beat Samo Bruno, Sam Martino after like a seven or eight year run in the, in the legendary Madison square garden about created a riot. Couldn't give him the belt until he was in the back in the locker room in the hallway. Bruno was very loved up north.

He was loved up north. And, and so if anyone deserves being in there, I believe, I believe, uh, I believe that Ivan does and right behind him, Lex Luger, uh, Ma, if they gave me a selection card, those would be the two names I would ever check before my own ever. Um, and one last caveat to that, uh, uh, hall of fame that I am inducted in that is of high importance to me is, is the Dan Gable wrestling museum and hall of fame in Waterloo, Iowa. If you're a wrestling fan out there, a true wrestling fan, both be it both amateur and professional, make your way one day to Waterloo, Iowa, and go to Dan Gable's museum and hall of fame.

You'll spend, you could spend two or three days there and still never see everything and walk away blessed to have gained that experience. And I was fortunate to be inducted in that one, I think back in 2006, I think. And so that was a important to me. Great question. Question number three.

All right. Um, I'll imagine that the Russian circle looks so intense. I was just wondering, um, I know you easily hurt your arm. If your opponent didn't go with the clothesline, have you ever injured your arm delivering that Russian circle?

No, I think you gave one. Uh, well, I mean, every now and then I may throw a, just for posterity, say throw, throw one around. And I have fun with a couple of guys, uh, that I christened Alexander and Neil Koloff, uh, uh, as my adopted nephews. Now it's not exactly the same story as me being Ivan's nephew, but, uh, and every now and then the situation is right. I mean, guys, believe it or not, probably no surprise to you, guys stand in line wanting to take the circle. I still hadn't figured that one out because of how intense it was.

Right. Um, but, but, but I, so I, it's probably been within the last few years, a couple, three years that I've, I think I've, I have, uh, entertained the fans with a sickle. All that to say, no, I've never injured my arm. There would probably be a few guys out there that, that would confess I injured them more before I ever injured my arm.

Cause he's, you know, you gotta remember, especially in the, in the early days, I was 285, 8% body fat, 34 inch waist. And, and yes, I did lay it in. Why? Because I was going to convince you, the fan Elton, that that sickle was real.

And many of fans have said, especially when I took, took, uh, as they say, took off, took David Crockett's head off that, uh, that that was as real as it got. And so, yeah, so fortunately, no, I've never, never injured my arm. Nope. Oh, that's good. So we have time for one final question. If you'd like to ask it.

I had one more in the tank just for fun. I enjoy your show immensely, but I'm always like, it's over. Why is the shows typically like a half hour or 40 minutes? You talking about the, the podcast?

Yes. Well, we, we show, so it's actually a radio show. Um, it airs on truth radio network, uh, Stu Epperson, Robbie Dilmore, great guys here at the station that, that put it up on truth radio. And, and, uh, you know, people can download the truth radio app and get tons and tons of shows. If you hadn't done that, Elton, I'd encourage you to go to your app store and download the truth radio app. There are so many amazing podcasts and, and, or radio shows you can access. So it's formatted for 30 minutes for radio. And then from there, it's uploaded onto all the podcasts platforms and now a television show. Did you know there's the man of TV show?

You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. Hi Nikita Koloff here, and I am excited to announce the first annual Morty's star men's conference, August 25th to the 27th. Our theme man up it's time. We have a phenomenal lineup of speakers, including NBA all-star Al Wood, WWE superstar Lex Luger, David and Jason Benham, the Benham brothers, Lieutenant general Jerry Boykin, world renowned evangelist, Frank Shelton, Chris Reed, Dr. Rick Joyner. Of course yours truly get registered early. You do not want to miss this event.

Go to mstarevents.com. You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. I haven't heard about that. Yes.

Yeah. There's a, actually you mentioned morning star. It airs, it launched about, I'm not even sure how many weeks ago, a couple months ago or something, but anyway, uh, morningstartv.com. You can go and find the man up TV show, completely different interviews. Um, and that's a weekly show and then it'll, it's also on Facebook and YouTube and coming up soon. Uh, it's going to be airing four times a week on all nations TV, on all nations TV, be able to find that all nations tv.com as well as on Roku. And so I'm excited about the TV show, man.

We've got some incredible interviews on there as well that, uh, that, uh, people can, can watch, not only listen to the radio and the podcast, but watch the TV show. So, but that's why it's not longer. Maybe one day, maybe one day we'll expand it to, you know, to an hour, but for now it's always like, Oh, this is so good, but Oh, it's over already. Well, Hey, but see, that's an old wrestling trick, you know, did you know that?

Do you know what I mean by that? So if you recall, if you recall, go back to watching mid Atlantic wrestling or your world championship wrestling on TBS and, and it'd be the end of the show be coming up, like be in the height, the heat of a match or something. Right. And they're like, Oh, we're out of time. We got to go tune in next week to find out what happened. Right.

So I've taken that same strategy. See with the radio show, I'm like, Oh, we're out of time. Elton, uh, we we've got to go dial in again for another episode of Q and A with Kolal for the man up show. So, uh, all that to say, Elton, it's been great to have you on the show today. Thank you.

And I, and I do, I expect to see you in October in Royston, Georgia, man up man up or the man, the man camp. So, well, God bless you and your family. And, and thank you for being such a long time.

Loyal fan. Thank you so much. It's been an honor to speak with you today.

All right. Tune in again for another great episode. And Hey, just to remind her, if you'd like to get a phone call from the Russian nightmare, colaf.net, shoot me an email. God bless you. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. Make God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to colaf.net and donate today. Nikita Koloff here.

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