Q&A With Koloff- #126

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Go to colov.net to get registered today. 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's show is going to be fun.

I've got with me Rob Vaughn. Rob, welcome to Q&A with Kolov. Hey, thanks for having me on, Nikita. Glad to be here.

Well, great to have you on. I know you're out there in the great state of Texas, is that correct? I am, the Dallas area.

The Dallas Fort Worth. And so, we met a while back through the wrestling circles, so to speak. Would that be right? Yes, sure did. Yeah, you had me, I think the very first time you actually sent me an invitation to come out and be a part of one of your events and what you were doing, and then since then I think we connected up in Michigan, I believe. And at an event up there that I was kind of the headliner, the speaker up there that night. So you've got a wrestling organization, you're a promoter, but you're also an educator, you are a dad, you're a husband.

Take a couple minutes, Rob, and just fill our listeners in on who Rob Vaughn is. Wow, man, I have, yes, all the above. And I've been coaching and teaching over 25 years at all levels. I teach from kindergarten to, I've coached arena football and every level in between. I'm married to Beth, and we have four children, and three of them are in their 20s, and my last one is 14. And I've been running this Christian Wrestling Federation, we're about to celebrate our 23rd year in May, and we've traveled, we've been in five foreign countries, 36 different states, over 1100 events, and seen over 50,000 people making decisions for Christ at these events.

So it's been a busy life. Wow, over 50,000 people whose lives in some capacity have been impacted in attending one of your wrestling shows. You know, that's what's cool, that's what we know of.

I can't wait until we get to heaven and find out where it actually extended to. The ripple effect of that, right? So 50,000, let's just put a plus behind it, right?

Because you're right, we have no, really from a day-to-day perspective, no idea on whose lives we're impacting or how we're influencing others, right? Exactly. And so everything from kindergarten to coaching arena football, now you're currently PE for elementary school, right? Elementary, yes sir. Teaching kindergarteners how to play red light, green light, what are you teaching them? Exactly. I mean, we go back to even hide and seek.

Come on, hide and seek, good old-fashioned hide and seek. Okay, let me ask you this because you've done a lot, you're doing a lot, you've done a lot. All right, let me pinpoint, let me narrow it down to what's been, what would you say in all your years of education, let me just say in the field of education, what have you enjoyed doing the most? Let's see, I have to say when I dropped down, you know, like I said, I loved coaching college football, arena football, but arena football really did something to me because, you know, there were eight men on the field in arena football and I've been coaching six-man football since 2008. It's big down here in Texas and so the school I'm at plays six-man football, I was the head coach at a six-man school for quite a while and so that's been something I never would have dreamed of when I was playing football or when I got into coaching. But six-man and like indoor football is popular down here, we have a team here, Frisco Fighters locally that we go and watch play and so I never would have dreamed but six-man and indoor football. Yeah, I'm trying to picture that because, you know, I'm a football, I'm the football, I'm a football guy, right? I mean, I dreamed as a kid of being a play, you know, playing in the NFL and that whole deal and, you know, so I played junior high, high school, college football, scouted by the NFL my senior year, had a tryout with the old defunct USFL back in the day and although a door for wrestling opened up and never, and I never looked back, so I never pursued a professional football career. But I've tried to envision the six-man game or even an eight-bag game, you know, and what that would actually have been like to participate in that.

Now, I guess I should say back in my elementary years, up in the great state of Minnesota, we played a lot of street football, so I guess, you know, I guess I can kind of envision that but sounds like it was a lot of fun, it really does. So, sports and of course this Christian Wrestling organization, all, wow, how can they find out more, how can people find out more about that if they were interested in bringing you into their community? They can go to our website, it's christianwrestling.com and we are on all the social media, we have our own YouTube page of the Christian Wrestling Federation, Instagram, Facebook, just type in Christian Wrestling Federation and they should pop right up. Awesome, awesome.

Well, let's segue and transition into your questions that you have for me and start with question number one. Alright, I'm going to get the wrestling question out of the way first. So, you know, we have over 23 years, we have brought in some guys who have just been physical specimens and, you know, we had the road warriors in here years ago and before Mike passed and I mean they're just, they're at a different level of their size, their strength.

And then once Dr. Destiny Williams came in here, he traveled with us for a couple of years, the biggest head I've ever seen on a human being. So who have you wrestled over the years that you just thought, wow, this is just their size, their strength, it was just, I mean you were a big strong guy and that Russian sickle took your head off, so you had to get across the ring from some people and you were just like, holy cow, this is the real deal here. Well, you know, you already threw two names out, the road warriors, I mean, one time, you know, they always did the press slam, that was one of their things, right?

The press slam. But I always did well to avoid the press slam for one reason, because of my size, I'm like, that just wouldn't look right, you know, you pressing, you know, I'm 285 pounds, that would just kill my character, right? But there was one time, and I don't remember what town we were in, but Animal Man caught me off guard, he pressed me over his head, and so I thought I'd get back at him and I went like Superman, you know, because normally, as you know, and maybe the fans don't are out there listening, but you know, you put your hand on his shoulder to kind of help balance you or whatever. But I just went Superman on him, I just put the arms straight out, and you know, it didn't matter to him though, because he was a behemoth, right, as you know, 23 inch arms.

And so I'm flying like Superman, he finally, you know, slams me, and he goes over the corner, and him and Hawk are kind of hee-hee-ing and gawking, you know, hee-hee-hee-hee, you know, chuckling, and I said, I just looked at him, I was so mad, I just looked at him, I go, one time, one time, you will never do that ever again, you dog, you know. So certainly, the road warriors, the barbarian, barbarian, man, for those who, really honestly, Rob, any of those guys from Samaria, I think that's in the Bible. Samoa. Samoa, thank you, Samoa, Tonga, you know, any of those, man, those guys are just a raw strength, right, Ming and the barbarian, all those guys.

And then one other who, real quick, who I really didn't, I don't think realized his own strength, was not from the islands, but it was a guy named Van Vader, who I actually had my very last match with, who had a history of being reckless, you know, and not knowing his own strength, and actually injured me that last match, in my last match, that became my official last match, injured my neck, and then, you know, I got a hernia, I didn't realize until the next day, I got a hernia, you know, he's legit 450 pounds, a hernia picking him up, I ended up having hernia surgery, and of course rehab in my neck and all of that, but so, just a few of the names for me. So, there you go. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Nikita Kolof here, and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?

Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Kolof Fans, and like it, and follow today. If you would like to support Kolof for Christ Ministries, for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration. For a gift of $50, Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success. And for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption.

Go to www.kolof.net and donate today. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Next, what former wrestler that you maybe ran in circles with back in the day that has come to Christ that maybe you were shocked, or maybe you were at that point where you were like, wow, the Lord really does work miracles, because the transformation that you've seen in them. I'm going to, I'm going to, well, it's a great question. And we're going to kind of stay in the same vein of LOD, religion of doom. Road Warrior Hawk, Road Warrior Hawk. And so, in fact, I'll try to condense this down and keep it as concise as possible. You know, Hawk and I, so I recruited an animal out of high school to play college football. He recruited me into wrestling. That's a real condensed story. If you want more of that story, go to my website, kolof.net, get Nikita a story of a ring and redemption. You'll get the full story.

But that's a condensed story, right? I recruit him out of high school to play football. He drops out, gets into wrestling. He recruits me into wrestling.

I become the Russian nightmare. The rest is history, so to speak. Road Warrior Hawk and I, so animal and I become like best friends, right, through our college days and going all the way back then. Hawk and I, on the other hand, had a different lifestyles, shall I say that, and a different view on life. And so, although when we got in the ring, we were very professional and respected each other's abilities in the ring, outside of the ring, it was no hiding.

Well, he didn't even try to hide it. You know, he was well steeped into drugs and drinking and made known that he put you under the table no matter what you wanted to imbibe in, right? And so we had very different lifestyles. And all that to say, I was on a tour.

I'd already retired. I was on a tour in New Mexico, gave these guys a copy of my very first book that I'm actually working on getting back in print called, oh gosh, the name just slipped. Anyway, I gave all of them a copy of my very first book, 25 different wrestlers on that tour. Animal read it that night in the dressing room. And then Hawk, I don't know if he ever read his or not, but then I heard within a week that Animal and his family, his son James, had went to a power team event giving their life to the Lord.

And I'd heard that and I eventually got him on the phone, heard more of his story, invite him to a conference, an athletes conference in Phoenix, Arizona, AIM, Athletes International Ministries. He asked if Hawk could come. And I'm like, uh, Joe, you know, this is like a Christian like conference, right? He's like, yeah, but I just feel like I'm supposed to invite him. And I'm like, all right, well, yeah, go for it. So he called me back a few hours later, Rob, and he goes, he said he wants to come.

I'm like, like for real? Like, let me call Pastor Larry. Well, I remember when I got to Phoenix, the first thing I did was find Pastor Larry. I'm like, Larry, if you've seen the road warriors, like, are they actually going to show up?

You know, that was going through my mind. Well, they did show up. On that very first night, Rob, Jensen Franklin, a very powerful preacher out of Georgia was preaching. Hawk was the first one to the altar, encountered Jesus, gave his life to the Lord. That weekend, we baptized him in the pool. And then for the next year and a half, prior to his passing, I brought him on the road with me to share his testimony. And Rob, I had no idea. I want others to hear this story.

I had no idea. And that first time he shared his story and I even brought him into school assemblies to do a say no to drugs and alcohol role. Okay. He said, and he really did talk, you know how you talk, right? I got a hawk, right? He goes, I can't have nine lives.

God gave me 10 so I could get saved. And I'm like, what's he talking about? Rob, I had no idea. Three times he had OD'd, overdosed on drugs and was rushed into an ER on a gurney, right? Almost died.

Three drugs. One time he said he's driving in his pickup truck, old pickup truck, no seatbelt, head on collision with an 18 wheeler, rolls the truck six times and walks away on scrap, no scrap, not even a scratch. And then the other one I'll share real quick is him and a buddy of his, he was a handicapped buddy of his, they were out in Northern Minnesota like in November on a lake of all places getting hammered. And it was like one in the morning and he's so tipsy, he falls out of the boat because, you know, he always wore cowboy boots. He had this big down jacket on and he kept sinking, sinking, sinking.

His buddy at first didn't even know he wasn't even in the boat. Then when he realized it, he found a flashlight and he's shining in the water and Hawk, as he's telling the story, said, I saw this pin light. Now he didn't know it was a flashlight. He just saw a pin light and he thought, it's my last hope. If I don't make it to that light, I'm dead. I'm done.

I'm done. And he said, I gave it everything I had. And, and, and, and of course it was the flashlight that was in view. His friend snagged him, pulled him, nine different, that's five, nine different things like that, where he almost lost his life. And he said, God has nine lives.

God gave me 10 so I could get saved. And so, yeah, bro, I was shocked one by the fact he showed up in Phoenix, two, that he went forward and surrendered his head, had a genuine encounter with Jesus. Three, that he came on the road with me. In fact, he was calling Greg Valentine, who was watching his dog while he was out in Phoenix. He's like, Greg, he's leaving like voicemails on Greg's phone like, Greg, you got to meet this Jesus I met, man.

He's pretty cool, dude. Like you got to meet him. You got to meet him. And then Valentine later told the story when he got back home, they'd be at the gym and he'd be standing over him, like, like Greg's benching, you know, like 315 and spotting him. And he's like, Greg, I'm tired. You got to meet this Jesus guy I met, man. He's pretty, he's really good. Greg's like, man, what's he taking now?

What's he on now, right? Anyway, that's the big shocker for me. That was the biggest shocker. So, all right. So, well, I got time for one more. I know you're squeezed on time. You got time, you got one more for me or? Yeah, let's squeeze one more in. Have you, when you first were radically saved and people could see the change in your life, was there anybody that surprised you, that just turned away from you and said, no, I don't believe this.

I'm not going to, and kind of abandoned you because of your walk forward. Well, just about every wrestler in the wrestling world. No, I'm generalizing, but, but, but there were guys, there were guys, you know, word got back, the word gets back to you, right? So wrestling, those who don't really, so wrestling, as you know, wrestling is a work, right? So therefore wrestlers, as you know, can become very, shall I say the word, skeptical, right?

Very skeptical. And so they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. So what kind of got back to me was some of the guys in the business, and I don't even need to name any names.

And because if I named names, people would know who they were, but the names aren't even really important or significant. The story is what's important. Cause what got back to me is like, Oh yeah, yeah.

Yeah. And the kid is doing that like Jesus thing now, that religious thing, you know, and he found another way to make money and I'm like, well, and Rob, you know, may anyone who's involved in true ministry. I'm just going to say it that way. True and genuine ministry. One, it's not about the money, although, you know, it takes money to minister, but it's not about the money. And, and, and I've been faith based from day one, my spiritual father who I modeled the Kolah for Christ Ministries after was faith based, meaning I don't set fees or charge money to come preach or to do a conference or a camp or anything else.

By faith, I come and just trusting God's going to provide for me. And in fact, on that, in that vein, the last payroll, really the corporate payroll I was on Rob was WCW World Championship Wrestling in November of 1992. And so for all the skeptics out there, whether they're in wrestling or anywhere else, I have, it's been a walk of faith for me, a journey of faith for God to provide and take care of me and my family all these years.

And so hopefully I'll end on this, hopefully some of those skeptical wrestlers who thought I was just in it for the money, so to speak, or just doing that religious thing or that Jesus thing over the years, my hope is, and my prayer is that as I have now almost 30 years, faithfully followed Jesus, that they have seen those changes in me that are undeniable even past their skepticism. That's my hope. So there you go.

Right. That's awesome. Well, listen, thank you for being a part of Q&A.

And I want to encourage all you out there too. I did a great interview with Rob on the Man Up show. Make sure you go over to the podcast platform and in our archives and listen to the interview I did with Rob there. You'll get more of his story.

And here's some more amazing ways that God is using this man of God as well. Rob, God bless you, man. Thank you. Thank you, Nikita.

Love it. Love you. And God bless. Appreciate you. And thank all of you each and every week you're so faithful to tune in and listen to Q&A with Koloff and the Man Up show.

Have an amazing, God-filled, God-blessed day. Hi, Nikita Koloff. Be sure to check out the Man Up show, now available on television, broadcast and podcast. Go to MorningStarTV.com or the Truth Radio Network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today. If you are enjoying Q&A with Koloff, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe and leave a comment. Are you looking for the perfect gift for your pastor?

Well, look no further. Bless him with a trip to the Holy Land with yours truly, Nikita Koloff, the Russian nightmare. I'll be hosting this once in a lifetime trip, December 27, 2023 to January 5, 2024.

Your pastor will never be the same. Go to Koloff.net to get registered today. Nikita Koloff here.

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