Jim Barrell

James Harrell
Ring name(s) Boris Zhukov[1]
Boris Zukoff[1]
Boris Zurchov[1]
Pvt. Jim Nelson[1]
Jim Nelson[1]
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Billed weight 260 lb (120 kg)[1]
Born December 13, 1959 (1959-12-13) (age 52)
Roanoke, Virginia
Trained by Ric McCord
Debut May 1978[1]
Retired 1996

James Kirk Harrell (born December 13, 1959) is an American professional wrestler best known as Boris Zhukov (sometimes spelled Boris Zukhov) in his time with the World Wrestling Federation.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

After four years wrestling in different territories, Harrell started wrestling in 1982 as "Pvt. Jim Nelson" in Sgt. Slaughter's "Cobra Corps" in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. He frequently teamed with Don Kernodle and he feuded with Porkchop Cash.[2] In 1984, he went to Alabama's Southeast Championship Wrestling and continued his feud with Cash.[1]

In 1985, he went to the American Wrestling Association as "Boris Zukhov" from the Soviet Union, taking on Chris Markoff as his manager and challenging AWA World Champion Rick Martel and AWA Americas Champion Sgt. Slaughter.[1]

In 1987, he formed a tag team with Soldat Ustinov under Sheik Adnan El Kassey's management. The pair won the AWA World tag team title that same year.[3] Zhukov, however, left the AWA for the WWF while he was still one half of the tag team champions (the storyline being that Wahoo McDaniel chased him out after a brutal chain match). As a result, former tag team title holder Doug Somers was brought in to team with Ustinov, losing the titles to the team of Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee.[3]

Upon entering the WWF, he formed a team with Nikolai Volkoff known as The Bolsheviks. They teamed for over a year, but never rose above mid-card status. By mid 1989, Zukhov was wrestling in singles competition, being used primarily as a jobber, regularly losing in very short work with no announcement. He even feuded with his former tag team partner when Volkoff received a push as a face in 1990. Zhukov was usually ridiculed by Vince Mcmahon and other WWF commentators for the enormousness of his cranium.[4] Zhukov then left the WWF for the independent circuit until he retired in 1996.[4]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Boris Zhukov Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/boris-zhukov.html. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
  2. ^ Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson (2005). "The final Conflict". The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. ECW Press. pp. 226–228. ISBN 978-1-55022-683-6. 
  3. ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "AWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  4. ^ a b Solomon, Brian (2006). "Nikolai Volkoff". WWE Legends. Pocket Books. pp. 163–168. ISBN 0-7434-9033-9. 
  5. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "NWA Canadian Television Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 353. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  6. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 115. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  7. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 182–183. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.