About Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Hrvoje Peruzović (October 14, 1947 – July 29, 2018), better known by his ring name Nikolai Volkoff, was a Croatian-American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In the 1970s, Peruzović was Bepo Mongol of the Mongols tag team with Geeto Mongol, and one of the masked Executioners. He later transitioned to singles competition as Volkoff, a Russian Soviet heel, and feuded with Bruno Sammartino over the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. In the 1980s, he tag teamed with the Iron Sheik and won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 1990, after having been wrestling with Boris Zhukov in the Bolsheviks, Volkoff turned face and defected to America, briefly feuding with Zhukov and newly-heel Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter. In 1994, after a hiatus, he returned as a destitute and desperate character, exploited by Ted DiBiase as the first member of his Million Dollar Corporation. He continued to wrestle in various promotions until his death in 2018. A fellow Croatian-native played the first Soviet Volkoff character in American pro-wrestling. In the 1980s, he tag teamed with the Iron Sheik and won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event, and then with Boris Zhukov as The Bolsheviks.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.