Other
Resources:
A Message to fans
from Jim Nelson
Photo Album: Sgt. Slaughter with Pvt.
Nelson and Pvt. Kernodle
Photo Album: The Privates and the Camo Cadillac
Jim Nelson
Interview on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway
1982 Roanoke Times Article: The Success
of Jim Nelson
1983 Roanoke Match Photos: Johnny Weaver and Jim Nelson vs. Gene
Anderson and Red Dog Lane
2005
Roanoke Times Article on Boris Zhukov
Reunion with Johnny Weaver, Sandy Scott, Rich Landrum, and the
Kernodles
ACW Website
NICW Website
Smoke Filled Rooms
Mid-Atlantic Gateway lobby
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On Saturday, September 8, in Rocky
Mount VA, a wrestling legend retired. Boris Zhukov, who wrecked
havoc in the Southeastern Wrestling territory in the
early-to-mid-80s, was one of the the top heels in the AWA in the
mid-80s, and was part of tough tag team called the Bolsheviks with
partner Nicolai Volkoff in the WWF (including appearances in
Wrestlemania) in the late 80s, had decided to call it quits. Zhukov,
whose mainstream ring career ended in the World Wrestling
Federation
some years ago, had made a comeback recently for longtime Roanoke
area wrestling group ACW (American Championship Wrestling) and Floyd
VA based NICW (National Independent Championship Wrestling), allied
with local heels Eclipso and Ken Steel. Steel and Eclipso (along
with manager Douglas J. Wentworth, III) had recently turned on
Zhukov, resulting in the big Russian becoming a big fan favorite.
But following a recent injury to the arm of Zhukov, he was forced
into a wrestle-or-retire stipulation and to the surprise of the fans
in attendance, announced he would indeed retire. But Zhukov told the
fans that someone was in the building that night that would step in
for him and take over the fight, someone with deep roots in the
tradition of the Mid-Atlantic area.
And later that night, when Pvt. Jim
Nelson stepped through the curtain into the arena, things had come
full circle. Twenty-five years ago, in 1982, U.S. Champion Sgt.
Slaughter had drafted young Jim Nelson to be his first recruit, and
made him Pvt. Jim Nelson. Later joined by veteran Don Kernodle, the
two Privates became a respected tag team, winning the Mid-Atlantic
Tag Team championship, but more importantly to Slaughter, they
watched their Sergeant's back and took care of a lot of his dirty
work.
In
1983, following months of verbal abuse at the hands of Slaughter and
Kernodle, Nelson became an underground agent for Ricky Steamboat and
Jay Youngblood who at that point were hot after Slaughter and
Kernodle's NWA World Tag Team Championships. Nelson fed them key
information that assisted them in finally defeating the Marines for
the world titles at the legendary Final Conflict cage match show in
Greensboro in March of 1983. In retaliation, Slaughter and Kernodle
double teamed Nelson on Mid-Atlantic television, putting him out of
wrestling with the Slaughter Cannon and a prolonged Cobra Clutch.
Pvt. Jim Nelson was not heard from again.
Until that September Saturday in 2007
in Rocky Mount VA, 24 years later -
You see, Boris Zhukov and Pvt. Jim
Nelson are one and the same. After Nelson left the Mid-Atlantic
area, he took the persona of the mad Russian Boris Zhukov and got
great experience working for Bill Watts in Mid-South Wrestling and
for Ron Fuller and Bob Armstrong in the Alabama territory, better
known as Southeastern Championship Wrestling. His big break came
when he went to work for Verne Gagne in the AWA and quickly became
one of the top heels there. He was in the first main event when the
AWA debuted on ESPN, against Sgt. Slaughter, who had by that time
become an American hero. Zhukov held the AWA world tag team
championships before going to the WWF and forming the Bolsheviks tag
team with Volkoff.
That
September 2007 night in Roanoke, after delivering a retirement
speech to the fans, Zhukov went to the back, shaved off the beard,
donned the camouflage, and was once again Pvt. Jim Nelson.
Except this night he would be promoted
to Sgt. Jim Nelson, the story being that Sgt. Slaughter wanted to
reward him for getting through that Paris Island boot camp. Later
that night, Nelson defeated ACW champ Eclipso to win the ACW belt -
- or did he? You can read all about that controversy on the ACW
website. Let's just say that regardless of the outcome of that
situation, Jim Nelson was a winner that night, back in the persona
he loved the most, where he got his first break in wrestling.
That night, after victory in the ring,
Sgt. Jim Nelson led the crowd in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Things had come full circle indeed.
- Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
September 2007
See this
special video from that night on YouTube, produced by Thom
Brewer.
UPDATED!
See match photos from Rocky Mount below.
2007 Photos above of Boris Zhukov
retiring and Sgt. Jim Nelson with the ACW title belt by Thom Brewer
A Message to
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling fans from Jim Nelson:
First of all. I want to thank God for
allowing me to still be able to step in the ring and do this. It has
been 25 years now since Sgt. Slaughter and Ole Anderson gave me this
opportunity.
I was so young and green at the time
and Sgt. Slaughter really took me by the reins and led me the right
way. I got teamed up with just a
great
guy Don Kernodle who had helped me so much being in the ring against
him. I could not love or respect anybody more than Sgt. Slaughter
and Don Kernodle. Being able to have been a part of their team with
Jim Crockett Promotions in the early 80's was the highlight of my
career.
And with all the sad tragedy we have
all seen Pro Wrestling suffer as of late, it just means so much
more. I have had the pleasure of several great reunions as of late
with Sgt. Slaughter, Don and Rocky Kernodle, Sandy Scott, Johnny
Weaver, Rich Landrum and so many others who were at Fanfest this
year. I just love and will always treasure and cherish all these
great memories.
But, most of all I want to thank all
the wrestling fans who came out and cheered us on, who have helped
keep all of these great wrestling memories alive for all of us. I
just love and thank you all so much and I will never forget you. It
has all come full circle for me and I will always do this with the
utmost respect for Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle. Each time I can
get in that ring, I always remember the great friends I had and met
who are no longer with us and dedicate it to them. And I do hope and
pray that one day. Sgt Slaughter, Don Kernodle and I can all get
together just one more time for all of our great wrestling fans.
Thank you all!
- Boris Zhukov, aka. Pvt. Jim Nelson
September 9, 2007
Action Photos
from Sgt. Jim Nelson vs. Eclipso for the ACW Heavyweight Title
Photographs by Thom Brewer
Photos © Thom Brewer
© 2007
Mid-Atlantic Gateway |