WWE Issues Statement On The Passing Of Ivan Koloff

Ivan Koloff, who famously beat Bruno Sammartino in 1971 for the title now known as the WWE Championship, has died at the age of 74 after a lengthy battle with liver disease.

WWE issued this statement on the passing of Koloff:

Ivan Koloff passes away

WWE is saddened to learn that Ivan Koloff, best known to the WWE Universe as one of Bruno Sammartino’s most bitter rivals, has passed away at age 74.

Koloff, nicknamed “The Russian Bear,” quickly became a primary rival to one of the most beloved WWE Champions of all time, Bruno Sammartino. In an infamously memorable instance in WWE and Madison Square Garden history, Koloff crushed Sammartino’s throat with his knee by jumping off the top turnbuckle. This act on Jan. 18, 1971, allowed “The Russian Bear” to cover the WWE Hall of Famer and score an astonishing three-count to become WWE Champion, ending the Italian powerhouse’s record-setting seven-year title reign.

WWE extends its condolences to Ivan Koloff’s family, friends and fans.

To add to this, Koloff gave Sammartino his only pinfall loss at Madison Square Garden to become WWWF Champion. It is one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history due to the reaction of complete shock that the crowd had at the finish. It can only be matchd by The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania ending in 2014.

Born Oreal Perras, Koloff dropped the WWWF Championship to Pedro Morales shortly after beating Sammartino and went on hiatus from the WWWF due to fear that him being there would create a bad incident because of the emotion the fans had after Sammartino’s loss.

Koloff was a territory era star who worked as a top heel across the United States. His last major run in a national promotion was in the mid-1980s as part of the villainous Russians in Jim Crockett Promotions alongside Nikita Koloff and Khrusher Khrushev (a/k/a Smash from Demolition, and Repo Man). Koloff was not actually Russian, as he was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Koloff became an ordained minister after leaving Jim Crockett Promotions in 1989. Despite his accomplishments, he was never inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was, however, voted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2015.