Nikolai Volkoff Said Everything’s Changed In Wrestling Now (Video)

WWE Hall Of Famer Nikolai Volkoff was one of three professional wrestling deaths on July 29th last month.

The former WWE star passed away after being hospitalized for several days due to dehydration and other issues. Go Pro Wrestling has released an interview they did with Volkoff back in May.

It’s likely the last interview he did before his passing. Volkoff talked about WWE’s Rusev and Lana, and praised how good of people they are. He worked with the pair back in 2014 on an episode of Monday Night RAW in a backstage segment:

“Rusev and Lana, they’re good people,” Volkoff said. “Rusev is a good athlete and Lana is a beautiful lady.

“They’re a good couple and I wish them all the best, they’re very beautiful people. They even speak Russian.”

He then talked about how much the landscape of professional wrestling has changed since his day. Volkoff noted that change is necessary as people grow over time, and credits Vince McMahon for doing so:

“Everything’s changed, nothing’s stayed the same. Wrestling had to change the way people change because if you don’t change with the people then you’re missing something.

“Vince McMahon is a very intelligent man and he knows what to do that’s why he’s doing so good.”

Volkoff began wrestling in 1967. He worked for NWA and had several runs with WWE. After doing work in the AWA, Volkoff returned to WWE as an evil Russian aligned with The Iron Sheik. They won the Tag Team Titles together in 1985.

In 2005 Volkoff was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame by Jim Ross. It is one of the most star-studded HOF classes of all time; as it also included Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jimmy Hart, Paul Orndorff and The Iron Sheik.