Oreal Donald Perras (August 25, 1942 – February 18, 2017) was a Canadian Professional Wrestler best known for his work from the 1960s through the 1980s as Ivan Koloff. He started as an Irish character named Red McNulty before starting the Koloff gimmick in 1967. His biggest moment was when he defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWE (then WWWF) World Heavyweight Title
, ending Bruno's epic EIGHT-YEAR reign, though he lost the belt to Pedro Morales three weeks later. Aside from his WWWF run, he is famous for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance territory in the Carolinas run by Jim Crockett. He also competed for the AWA, SMW, ECW, All Japan Pro Wrestling and many other promotions. He was a four-time NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Champion and held various titles in other territories as well. He retired in 1994 and has since become an ordained minister. He passed away of liver cancer on February 18 2017
"Russian Bear Tropes":
- Arch-Enemy: Bruno Sammartino (whose legendary eight-year reign he ended), Dusty Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Chief Wahoo McDaniel
- Autobiography: Is That Wrestling Fake: The Bear Facts, a biography of his life where he describes his childhood, wrestling career and his turn to Christianity.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The audience was shocked to silence when he pinned Bruno Sammartino, ending his eight year reign. In fact, the ring announcer didn't even proclaim that Koloff had won out of fear of how the audience would respond.
- Bash Brothers: with Nikita Koloff, Krusher Khrushchev, Don Kernodle, The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and the Warlord), Nikolai Volkoff
- Bald of Evil: Both Red McNulty and Ivan Koloff are completely bald, and both are villainous characters who were absolutely hated by fans.
- Beard of Evil
- Bears Are Bad News: His Red Baron: "The Russian Bear". He even used the bear hug as his finisher.
- Chain Pain/Chained by Fashion
- Dirty Communists/Foreign Wrestling Heel/Husky Russkie
- Eyepatch of Power: As Red McNulty
- Finishing Move: Bear Hug, Russian Sickle
- Gimmick Matches: Of the Russian Chain variety.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the late 1980s to feud with Paul Jones' team the Russian Assassins (I [The Angel of Death] and II [Jack Victory]).
- Leotard of Power: This was Ivan Koloff's wrestling gear, which made him stand out from most babyface wrestlers he fought (who always wore an Underwear of Power).
- Power Stable:
- Pro Wrestling Headband: With the letters "CCCP" on it.
- Ring Oldies: In the 1990s and any later matches in the Carolinas independent scene.
- Tag Team: The Russians, with different combinations of Nikita, Krusher, Kortsia Korchenko, Vladimir Koloff
- Unrelated Wrestling Family: He's the Kayfabe uncle of Nikita Koloff, despite them not sharing any sort of relation in real life.
