Q&A with Koloff - #32

Hey this is Mike Zwick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned in a hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting to just seconds. Enjoy it.

Sure, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network cuticle all fear questions and answers they would pull off the double Super Bowl winning quarterback Brad Johnson. As you know on the Q&A show. We kind of flip it around for those you who tune into the manna podcast you know I'm usually asking the guest all of the questions typically but here the Q&A with co-op, flip it around so Brad, welcome to the show.

First of all. I will show you the great to have you within in and we did.

I know the fans of the followers will will enjoy your interview that that we did on the man up show and I appreciate you coming on the Q&A so so here it is in over just kinda you know spot. This is spontaneous so you know you didn't submit any questions.

I don't even know what you might ask, so saw him on the spot on the hook so but you fire away with the quit.

What question Abby Lewis have a conversation. I picked out a quick background we we got a national, called emblem Evelyn Turner foundation. You've been warned by get for over 20 years is 70 years. We probably played the first year and how it got your name your route. Your real name with the cuticle. I thought you were Russian. I thought you were.

But as it went all I love that I was a real thing right now. Maybe by trade. You know me right. How did you had you to question how did you get a name.

They added Nikita Cole all come into play and how did you learn to speak Russian.

Okay, great, great question, since yeah so so my birth name is is not like you to call off many and and you're not the first and you will be the last believe an item with the Internet and everything else in my life story and in the book I wrote about the tale of the ring redemption.

In fact, I just did an updated version that added more chapters, more pictures and up for all of our listeners out there. Go to co-op.net. You can order that book but I am in it. So I tell the story that Sgt. slaughter and Donna Col. Dr. Noto was Ivan Cole officer attacked the barter they were the world taking champions for the NWA but Sgt. slaughter doctoral came up with the whole idea of a nephew for Ivan coal off and I and how how I came into the picture was. Don approached the Russian a road warrior animal who write interesting background on that I recruited animal out of high school, earned a high school in a bright Minnesota to play college football with me.

He was a standout in high school when I was part of the recruiting team.

We became best of friends, and later on that that the tables are flipped and he calls me to recruit me into professional wrestling, a doctrinal asked him this question.

He said he's an animal you know any big guys would my shaving her head becoming a Russian. That was the question I know the guy right now so I show up in Charlotte North Carolina. Jim Crockett promotions the day that Jim Crockett said to be there and he introduces me to Ivan and Don.

Apparently I had the look they were looking for and and that they Nikita: born in the hallways of Charlotte and Carolina and then to to cut it to your point, I legally change my name, so, so, yes, I really will be perceived that your real name. I can honestly say yes no summer smart enough to go it was that your birth nevertheless a different question right but it and so that's on the cuticle if was born, and then to to really get the character over Brad. I was like I how to get this over, just part of the story was I was right off the bold I don't. You don't speak any English so that part was easy to talk to anybody you know and not look mean it, and at yell at me to bring the living on interviews and so on. Crockett said. Always have your shirt off and put a chain around your neck like I and know you apparently it all these years later, just like you and many others thought I really will in fact I guys in the business who at first right believed I was I was from Russia because they didn't know any different.

I got a job to be bad to his neighbor is a smart marrow. He told me one time in an autograph signing goes by when I first came to the Carolinas. He was where the dress room in your talk with that accent them. At first I looked at Eagles.

First of all, you scared up achievers to be IBRA goes in on the business obscurity and he goes with accurately or talk with that's in the dressing that I leaned over to some guys good to see you know would like spark to the business so I made a decision. If I'm to get this character over. I got a learn a few Russian words you know that you like being the vivacious graveyard. Chase them so I count to 10 and Russian.

I can say yo hello goodbye good night uncle and then I'd I thought well I need a few phrases that sound Russian to throw off the loop with American judo and so I took about six months like like for real bread six-month ride and talk to anybody outside of the car he drove into the place I was living in very very little in the dress rooms to develop that that accent develop that character and and apparently I did a halfway decent job is many people like yourself believed I really was fine so yeah you put it well you got out where the great I love your I got a major journey. You know I think one cool things for me. I like that you know like when your passions now as the key you get your podcast we would your passions. Now, as you to move on from wrestling and use the name but what would make you take everything you know, great, great question. And I know you know you when you and I talked to close the man up show with with our interview together asking you how how do you know how you want people to remember Brad Johnson and and I could relate to your answers so those who have not yet heard his you know his his podcasts to my interview with Brad go to the Manor podcast and in please list a bit was one the best ones I've done, but I could really kind of resonate. Your answer resonated with me and that you I wake up each and every day hoping to in some way make a positive impact on people's lives and on and like even through social media like you got it.

I don't have a ton of followers by got a lot of followers on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, etc. and I tried every day just put little positive little note out there with with a few comments about the positive note, and I do get a lot of feedback from people that say manna I needed to hear that today hey thank you for Lakers one the other day as ring is like. Who would've thought all these years later, the guy feared the most in professional wrestling the cuticle off is now one of my inspirational coaches you know up front so that immediate right right and so certainly that that's part of the drive that that that you don't get makes me makes me tick as you said every day or we can going and then for those most know I mean you'll ministry as is my number one, a passion at this point in an just sharing the gospel. You know, traveling others doing crusades revivals of man of conferences Lex Luger and I do up a camp together you'll will hear all about your camp experience on the on the man up, show and I'll just say for those who listen the Q&A. Lex and I do it we do a camp called man camp you will we just bring small groups of men into Georgia and and equip them to to be more godly men godly husband's godly fathers and and in so I'm I'm driven first and foremost really to get that message out there how Jesus changed my life personally and wrestling is the place a lot of times a platform to do that because you blessings has an appeal all over the world so people from churches from all over the world will will will bring the Internet to share either share my story or or or share the good news so I've been doing all get to know you over the years, and it shows the way you carry back Jamaica people immediately and it it it is awesome and so funny when my best friend, yet you have the barbecue restaurant down and lame – Lex came in there the other day was in the car okay and and and eBay were barbecues that we had a bottle right oh my friend bragged about something that when registering people to something that share. You've always been that way with 12 a golf course or have a great little message or the little impact that you do the nugget and been very impactful farmer made it part of your precedent for friendship and I appreciate you mentioned. I gotta say this event you mentioned. I don't know if this would cover property bets in the golf tournaments and stuff it a few times and you may remember mentioning this to be here or whatever but I guess I still get a kick out of this. I still I tell this story about you sometimes and when it comes up in in the right situation, but Macedo played together at a number of times and I member when you got to get the two boys that met Max and Max inject Max and Jake.

This I thought back to Jake and what I guess when they were little I remember you tell me the story by if I have it right that I have accurately about how how every year like your boys like that dad is is the cuticle have to be at the tournament again this year and you're like, what's the big deal it that he was a will chip and Rusty like hello Super Bowl hello my finger like well I chopped liver right do I do you want Broward monthly Mickey did a great part say that for the night with our golf game. I don't think we ever really got aware, but we had a great day. I can that yeah I love you tell and expose the cues that they can never forget it, but we need to win the tournament one year we did. We bought a home and regarding K-12 and they would get a couple along the way we did get black II like it camping today out that without a jacket 1.what I was just thrilled to be able to contribute something to the team. You know I'm not as you… I just love going out in the course. I the reason I came up there for 20+ years is one to support you support ablative but you just all the great work that they've done over the years. In the course of building a friendship with you is is been amazing enough one more question. You have what one last question you like the fire way to what it's been a world champion your podcast what net I me. I am amazed by your story impact on you have a know you got many many more years but what's next for you 25, man. It's a great it's gray so part of my goal and am here is that it is studio with that with the main domain man Robbie who helps me helps me get the word out on the on these podcasts and and it's a weekly radio show to on untruth radio network up and down the East Coast and but Stu Epperson as we had talked and even as I talked with Robbie. We have some pretty aggressive goals of the radio show and and and the podcasts were as we build more sponsors and advertisers.

We want to syndicate the radio show and get it on our goals maybe to 300 stations around America is one whole print. Presently, were somewhere, somewhere between 30 and 40 countries that the shows been downloaded in less than a year so far and I and very aggressive goals of want to see this show this message. Get out your story and many others get out over 100 countries and do it yeah and and here's the thing about that brat in it. Really appreciate the question because like many things in my life. Okay like little back to wrestling. I was looking to become an approved wrestler, as they say here in the South pro Rasul or right). One member that Rasul and don't you apparently I did. How do you spell anyway but wrestling the door of opportunity opened up wrestling in and I took advantage of it. I never in a million years that I be an evangelist, a minister or missionary out reach about Jesus 11 months after I left wrestling 17, October 1993 I find myself at an altar and I was altered that day.

My life is changed forever and little did I know it would take me now been to a type. I personally traveled to a total of 30 different countries and so well to answer your question, I'm not done yet.

I'm not done traveling not only to affect last year was, I am supposed to go to eight different countries in 2028 different country. Several which I've never been to before. It is so I'll do more traveling in and share the good news and and some of it will be on a personal personal side, but you I just wanted Yahweh I want to make a world why I just worldwide impact and utilize my platform and my voice from your you are.

I got one more quick work. Yeah, big impact on your life. You think what is wrestling or got something anything with your mentor, man, you know what I can.

I can actually answer that relatively quickly so I'm to say I'm a say this Bill Burke Jerry McFarlane K Bo Burke, Jerry McFarlane, but my dad for some who know you know my story to get you don't know the whole story, go, go, go get the key to tailoring redemption but identify was. Teresa had no real male mentor ship growing up until seventh grade when when I met my first football coach Bill Burke and anything in my story I mouse a welfare kid, Brad Amis, I came out of the projects, the ghettos of Minneapolis and so really had no money and but many take me to the sporting goods store by me equipment and stop and he just embraced me and took me under his wing and that simultaneously I picked up this magazine called iron man was a bodybuilding magazine and I was in a member that yeah and I was like I was enamored by the on like old I got a vision.

I thought one day I like one of those guys and right, and two years later I meet this guy named Jerry McFarlane good good Scottish name and and and Jerry was the health teacher in junior high school, but he was also a professional bodybuilder so he took me under his wing and began teaching about nutrition and exercise, weightlifting, eating all that kind of stuff. They were the first two guys and probably like yourself. There's a number of other coach every rock Ross for Chi Davis grinding Irv nerd all John Richman. There's a number of other football coaches that were instrumental instrumental through high school, college, that that also impacted my life. So you yeah so you don't member you remember the people impacted your coach or mentor and then you get back to grandma great grandma precritical yeah that's that for real self.

Well, hey, great questions and and thanks so much for being on Q&A with Cole often and again on the on the manna podcast as well. Look forward to our paths cross sooner than later. Fred, I have a have a blessed day okay I thank you. This is the Truth Network