Q&A With Koloff #47

Nothing says Christmas like a water buffalo. For a poor family in Asia, getting a water buffalo is like getting a farm tractor to pull a plow, or getting a milk truck full of delicious milk, or getting a stand at the market to sell cheese. A water buffalo opens the door for work, food, and income. More importantly, it opens the door to talk about Jesus.

And nothing says Christmas better than that. This is the Truth Network. Q&A with Koloff here. Questions and answers. Q&A with Koloff.

The devil's nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of Q&A with Nikita Koloff. Q&A with Koloff, where you, you get to ask me the questions. Now, I might throw a question or two in there, but for the most part, you get to ask me the questions. We kind of flipped the table on Q&A with Koloff, and it's just a fun time and an opportunity for me to reach out to you, the fan, or you, the listener.

And if you have an interest, you know, gosh, just email me at koloffforchrist.com, and I would love to give you a personal phone call and talk with you. And on the phone with me today, calling in from Tampa, Florida. He just landed. I appreciate him making himself available.

And an interesting interview today. I'm excited about this one, because I know him as Slappy. Slappy. Slappy, welcome to the show. Hey, thanks a lot, Nikita. Good to be here.

Well, it's good to have you here. Now, obviously, I'm guessing Slappy is a nickname. It is definitely a nickname that I wasn't too happy about when I got it, and I just kind of, over the years, had to settle with it. So Slappy wasn't happy. Slappy wasn't happy for very long, but you know, I kind of grew to like it. It grew on you. Yeah, it kind of grew on me.

Okay, but you've got to just quickly tell the story. How did it come about? Well, college roommates, I was a drummer, played in many bands, and before I played drums and had any drums, I would slap on anything, I would drum on the steering wheel, I would drum on anything around, and it would really get on my friends' nerves. So they would always ask to stop slapping on stuff, Slappy. So that's where that came from, you know. I was always slapping on things and kind of getting on people's nerves with it. So actually, hang on here a minute. So actually, Slappy was pretty happy, because you don't bang on stuff, you know, typically, because you're not happy.

True, true. So if you're playing drums and hitting steering wheels and everything else, you must have been in a good mood, or a decent mood, I'd say. Oh, yeah, music does that to me.

Music is an uplifting thing for me, for sure. So you've loved music for a long, long time. Ever since I can remember. Way back when. Singing with the hairbrush when I was three years old to Elvis Records, you know, in my parents' living room. For real!

Elvis with the hairbrush, as the microphone at three. You know it, man. That's me. That's amazing. Now, go ahead. Okay, so go ahead and introduce yourself, though, and tell our listeners, you know, where'd you grow up, you're three years old in the living room, but where'd you grow up, and just tell them about your family real quick.

Well, my real name is Brian Patton. I grew up in a town called Lebanon, Tennessee, which is just east of Nashville, about 25 miles. And, yeah, I've been there ever since, well, I moved to L.A. for a little while to learn my camera chops, and I was there for almost five years, and then I decided to move back because I really missed hills and trees and grass and that whole thing. And also being able to afford living.

Yeah, right, L.A., right? Yeah, I hear you. And family. You have family. Yeah, and my family is there, that's correct.

That's the main reason that brought me back home, for sure. Your family's back there, and you have children? Oh, yeah, I have four children.

Ranges from nine. I've got a 15-year-old son, an 18-year-old daughter, and a 22-year-old daughter. Okay, and let me test you, what are their names?

Youngest is Charlotte Francis, my son is Cade Kilgore, my middle daughter is Zoe Grace, and my oldest daughter is Mary Hannah. Oh, that's awesome. You're trying to make me forget these things, aren't you?

I'm just testing you a little bit here, and I'm just testing you. And a lovely bride, I'm thinking. Oh, yeah, my lovely wife, Molly, she is the most supportive woman that I could ever ask for. She's great. She works in the healthcare system, taking care of our elderly people, and she loves what she does.

She's been on the front lines since COVID started, and bless her heart, man, she's a godsend, for sure. Oh, man, that's awesome. So, I have to let our listeners know, because this is an important part of this conversation, I feel like, anyway, because you mentioned going out to LA to, what did you call it, Chop Shop? What did you call it? My chops, yeah, to get my camera chops, to learn all about this, how we met, actually.

That's what I'm leading into. So, here's the interesting thing, for you listening, how Slappy and I met was on a, I guess, well, I don't even call it a television set, but I guess there were different settings, but you were working the cameras, if my memory serves you well, and it was for a reality show called Preacher's Daughters. It sure was, it sure was, and that's where we met, and I tell you, when I first met you, I was starstruck a little bit.

I couldn't believe that I was standing in front of the Russian nightmare that I had watched a lot as a kid in wrestling, because I was a huge wrestling fan. Did you really? I did, I did. I can't say that I was a fan back then, because, you know, I was against you then, but when I met you. Yeah, they loved to hit me back then. Well, you did a great job, and that's, you stayed in kayfabe so well, you know, that it was hard to tell, you know.

You did it so well. I tried to stay in character, and so do you have a favorite memory of one of my matches or anything? Well, I think the series of seven with Magnum, that had to have been a highlight of your career as well, because you went back-to-back champion from 86 to 87, I believe, was that right? Around 86, 87?

Did, had the USP, yep. Yeah, yeah, that was some exciting times, man, and yeah, that was, that was right when wrestling was great. I just, I missed that era of wrestling.

Yeah, many do, many do. They call it the golden era of wrestling, and so you and I meet on the set of Preacher's Daughters, and for those who don't know, that was a reality show centered around my youngest daughter, Colby, and although all of the family was on the show, and we were a part of that for two seasons, but it really centered around Colby's life as the daughter, you know, of a pastor, hence Preacher's Daughters, and so we meet, and we get, and you did both seasons, you filmed both seasons. I sure did, I sure did. And do you have any memory from that? I know we fell in love, I'll just say this first, we fell in love with you as a filming crew, you know, and we really did. Our family fell in love with you guys, but any favorite memories from filming that show with us? You know, all the memories that I have of you and the family were off camera, you know. They were the times that you and I ran into each other at your church when I was filming another show, and I broke down crying because I hadn't seen you in so long, and I was so happy to see you, and you know, I've been to your daughter's houses, we've had barbecues together, our kids have played together, my kids have played with your grandkids, you know, just, we all became great friends. You have a beautiful, great family, beautiful daughters, a ton of grandkids now. I do, do not. I can't even keep up with how many you have now.

A boatload, I think I'm heading into double digits here pretty soon. You should be, yeah. I know, man. You know, the memories of shooting the show, you know, I really don't have many memories of the actual show itself because I'm in work mode and I'm thinking about the camera settings, I'm thinking about the lighting and things like that. But yeah, most of my memories about you guys are offset, and after we're done filming and we're talking, we're standing around and shooting the breeze about my diet or, you know, my cheat day, we talked a lot about that because I was impressed with your cheat day. Incredible, the stuff that you had in that cabin, oh my gosh.

He sounds like there's no way this man is in this greatest shape and he has a cheat day like this, but yeah. That's another story for another time. Somebody will just have to come. I'm telling you, man, you're impressive, you're impressive. I appreciate it. Lex Luger and I now do, since I've seen you last, we do a camp, we just finished one up now, just recently called Man Camp, where we bring small groups of guys down into a camp in Georgia for a period of days. And we teach them about, we talk about that, eating healthy and right, as well as many other things. And I remember a few times during the film, we had times, I can recall, where I think there was moments there where I had opportunities to pray with you, pray for you, and for the crew.

And then since that time, even some, you know, we don't talk often, but conversations, you know, and opportunities to pray for your family, and so that's been a blessing. Well, that's another thing I was going to say. It's been years since we've shot that show. If you can think back, it's almost been 10 years, Nick. That's crazy, bro. It's been at least seven years, right? Yeah, that's crazy.

I think 2014, 20, yeah, something like that. That's crazy. Yeah, so, I mean, we carried on our relationship and correspondence with each other through texts and phone calls. And, you know, and times would get hard for me, and I would reach out to you and say, hey, Nick, can you pray for me? And you would be so readily available as a friend and do that. And being, you know about being on the road and how hard it gets being away from your family and the things that go through your head and the things you have to deal with on the road and the things that you can't deal with because you're on the road. That helps out a lot to have friends with faith like that. You can call and then say, hey, man, I'm having a tough time here and totally receptive, being receptive to it and being there like a rock, man. I love that about you and I think that we will always be in touch because of that.

Yeah, I feel the same. So, well, all right, so let's transition to, you might have a couple, three questions here for me and have no clue, no idea what you're going to ask. So let's have some fun and fire away with your first question. Well, my first one is you learned Russian specifically to be able to stay in character, correct?

I learned enough words and put a few phrases, so I was not fluent in it, but I learned enough phrases to hopefully get people to that place where they did love to hate me. And so, in fact, a quick funny story is with Lex Luger at an autograph signing a while back and this woman came up with a little child and spoke fluent Russian and I'm like, oh, man, like I didn't have a clue what she was saying. And I'm like, well, maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away. And she says something else, she didn't go away. She says something else, I got to look at her and make eye contact. She's glowing and I'm like, ma'am, I'm not really from Russia. And she went sloppy, she went from a glow to a scowl. I mean, she took a step and she was, you're not, and I'm just part of my character. And she goes, I drove three hours here to meet you and so I burst into her bubble.

She never got an autograph, six hours in the car. And so, anyway, so I did learn some, but I was not fluent in it. Well, that is awesome. Another question about that is was it hard for you to stay in character and were there times when that became an issue with the family and whatnot? Well, and you mentioned that you brought up the word kayfabe.

Now, some may know what that means and others may not, but essentially it just means staying in character, what you're talking about. Yeah, sorry. No, that's fine.

No, that's all good. And so I did that, actually, believe it or not, three years post-retirement. So when I walked away from the wrestling career, I still stayed in character 24-7 anywhere in public. Now, not in private, but in public. And I explained to the family, look, I've got to protect the business and I've got to protect the character.

So, you know, we're out at a restaurant or a movie theater or, you know, wherever, you know. And they were good with all that and receptive with it, so. That's awesome. I can imagine that would be a task.

It was. Because the most challenging part was once I retired, I'm like, okay, how do I phase out of this thing? Because, like, you know, I've been around a lot of people. Like, I had a gym at the time and I'm in the gym every day, eight, ten hours a day, talking with an accent. Do I just walk in one day and go, hey, how's everybody doing today? Right. You had to be very careful.

You know, put a good Minnesota twist to it. So, I just slowly, I just phased it out and as it became more, if you want to say, exposed as entertainment, nobody really made a big deal out of it. So, I just slowly phased it out and now I joke with people how well I've mastered the English language, so. That's awesome. One more question. Yeah. Did you ever have a match with anybody where you physically hurt yourself pretty bad and couldn't continue? Hmm.

No. Not where I hurt myself. Now, I had quite a number of self-inflicted wounds, that's for sure. I remember my arm getting gaffed at a hockey arena in Michigan wrestling Lex Luger.

We've since kissed and made up now, that's why we facilitate this man camp together. But, you know, and he ran my arm into like the hockey boards and anyway, it got cut there. There was a time, you mentioned the best of seven against Magnum.

I think it may have actually been one of the best of seven and I want to say it was in Cincinnati at the Riverfront Stadium, I think. Right. Where I had gaffed my head and it was so deep that, I mean, I was, the old expression, I was crimson red.

I mean, from head to toe. Oh, wow. And I had red tights on with the red, you know, you probably remember the hammer and sickle on my red tights, my singlet. Oh, yeah. And after the match, I'm in the dressing room and I'm ringing out my tights and it's just ringing, like you'd be ringing out sweat or water and it's ringing out like blood, right? I mean, it's just like blood red.

And it took me forever to get it stopped, right, it's up on the top of my forehead and then I bent over to pick something up and it started gushing again, going everywhere. Oh, no. I probably should have had stitches, but you know, the male ego in me, you know, the suck it up, you know, pull your bootstraps up and never did get stitches, although I probably should have. Because women love stitches, right? I guess, yeah, they love scars, right? They love scars.

They love scars. But let me just say this too, my very final match against a guy named Vader, you remember that guy? I do. Big Van Vader, right?

I do. My very last match was actually here in Winston-Salem where Truth Radio Network is located, not far from here, and he injured my neck fighting out on the floor. He had a history, kind of a reputation of being reckless and hurting a lot of guys. Oh. And so there were actually certain moves of his that I just said, I just said, that ain't happening with the Russian Nightmare. You may do that on other guys, but he clotheslined me in the back of the head and my left arm went numb. It literally pinched a nerve and my left arm went limp and completely numb for about three or four minutes. Wow.

Couldn't move it. Well, I've always wondered that too. Was there any wrestlers that you preferred to wrestle with because you guys had a good flow with each other? Yes.

Great question. First one that comes to mind is Ricky the Dragon Steamboat. He was what we would call a night off. You know you could go in there and it was just like the most graceful dance you've ever seen between Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, right?

It really was a beautiful thing to watch him wrestle. He was all over the place. He was. Very acrobatic. Yes.

Smooth. He seemed like a really good dude too. He was. He is. Ricky is.

But certainly Rick Steamboat and Rick Flair. He was the consummate professional. I joke all the time that he can make a broomstick look good because he made Nikita Kolov look good. But he's another guy. You knew you could just go in there and have a night off and it was not going to be a struggle.

Where there were others where it was like Vader where it was a struggle. Man, not with him. And Magnum TA, even though it was a very, as you were a witness to, it was a very physical match.

Oh yeah. But nevertheless, we had great chemistry together. And so we were able to really work well. I felt well together as well. So quite a number.

I say most of the guys sloppy. I think I had a pretty decent match with, yeah. That's so awesome. Yep. And one more, I think. Who was your biggest, biggest rival throughout your career? Well, I'll give you, here's kind of a, I kind of do a top three when I'm asked kind of the question in that regard. So certainly the best of seven with Magnum TA.

That's certainly one, right? The best of seven with Magnum TA. And you know, the first ever Great American Bash. You know, Rick Flair, my first ever match against Flair was certainly historical.

Oh wow. I mean, several. I mean, the turn to Dusty, like it just, not long ago, just celebrated 35 year anniversary of, you know, heal the face turn, coming to Dusty's rescue in the cage.

Yeah. And then, you know, the formation of the superpowers, which leads me into the fourth and, I guess, the fourth and final one, the war games, the match beyond. Superpowers, Four Horsemen, Nikita Kolov, Road Warriors, Paul Ehlering.

It's certainly incredibly memorable. Oh man, no doubt. Just the workhorse of the wrestling community.

Yes. Always can count on a good match with all of those guys. Anyone or all of them. I've interviewed a number of different guys. In fact, Tully Blanchard being one of them. And you know, I just said, and I say this when people interview me on other interviews, I'll go, you can take a single match, a tag team match, a six man, or an eight man, and or a war games, and it wouldn't matter, any combination of the four horsemen, you are going to have a, most of the time, a great match that night.

In any combination of any of them. So, yup. No doubt. Yup.

So, well, great questions Slappy. Yeah man, thanks Nikita, this has been fun. Well, I appreciate you coming on the show, and I'll look forward to, hopefully connecting with you sometime there over in the Nashville area when I come over to visit those grandkids. I know we've talked about it, we just need to do it, match up our travel schedule.

We definitely do, Nik. I can't wait to see you again, man. Thank you so much. Alright, well, safety on the roads, and thank you to the listeners. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Q&A with Koloff, and a reminder, I'd love to call you and have a conversation like this with you. Koloff for Christ Ministries, koloffforchrist.gmail.com, and tune in again for another episode. God bless. This is the Truth Network.