Nikolai Volkoff

Nikolai Volkoff was the ring name of Josip Hrvoje Peruzovic, a Croatian-American professional wrestler who lived from October 14, 1947, to July 29, 2018, and is best known for his years in the World Wrestling Federation. In the 1970s he worked as Bepo Mongol in the Mongols tag team and as one of the masked Executioners, then became the Soviet villain Volkoff, feuding with Bruno Sammartino over the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. In the 1980s he and the Iron Sheik won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the first WrestleMania. In 1990 he turned fan favorite and defected to America, and in 1994 he returned as the first member of Ted DiBiase Million Dollar Corporation. He kept wrestling for various promotions until his death.