Jim Lanning
Encyclopedia
Jim Lanning is a retired American professional wrestler, best known by his ring name
Soldat Ustinov, who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) and the American Wrestling Association
(AWA) during the 1980s.
and together would defeat the Midnight Rockers
for the AWA World tag team title
in Lake Tahoe
, Nevada
on May 25, 1987. After defending the titles for almost five months with victories over Wahoo McDaniel
& D.J. Peterson
on August 10, Zukhov jumped to the World Wrestling Federation
in October as part of The Bolsheviks with Nikolai Volkoff
.
Replaced by "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers
, he and Somers would hold the titles little more than a week before losing them to Jerry "The King" Lawler
& "Superstar" Bill Dundee
on October 10, 1987.
In 1988, Lanning would team with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie losing to Greg Gagne
& "The Crippler" Ray Stevens
on January 10 and to Wahoo McDaniel & Baron Von Raschke
on January 17 as well as single matches to Tom Zenk
and Stevens.
Later that year, he feuded with Sgt. Slaughter
losing to him by disqualification on September 17 although he and Teijho Khan
would defeat Slaughter and Keith Eric by countout in a tag team match the following night.
On September 19, Lanning teamed with Khan and Colonel DeBeers
in a 6-man tag team match losing to Sgt. Slaughter and the Rock 'n' Roll Express
. He and Teijho Khan would later feud with Baron von Raschke and The Top Guns (Ricky Rice
& Derrick Dukes
) before leaving the promotion by the end of the year.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Soldat Ustinov, who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) and the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA) during the 1980s.
American Wrestling Association (1986 - 1989)
Arriving in the AWA in late 1986, he would begin teaming with Boris Zukhov under manager Sheik Adnan Al-KaissieAdnan Al-Kaissie
Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie , better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former iraqi professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan...
and together would defeat the Midnight Rockers
The Rockers
The Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
for the AWA World tag team title
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
on May 25, 1987. After defending the titles for almost five months with victories over Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
& D.J. Peterson
David Peterson (wrestler)
David W. Peterson was an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname D.J. Peterson, who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1980s in the Universal Wrestling Federation, the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association during its final days,...
on August 10, Zukhov jumped to the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
in October as part of The Bolsheviks with Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
.
Replaced by "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers
Doug Somers
Doug Somers is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers...
, he and Somers would hold the titles little more than a week before losing them to Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
& "Superstar" Bill Dundee
Bill Dundee
William "Bill" Cruickshanks is a Scottish born-Australian professional wrestler better known by his stage name Bill Dundee. Cruickshanks is the father of Jamie Dundee and the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton....
on October 10, 1987.
In 1988, Lanning would team with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie losing to Greg Gagne
Greg Gagne (wrestler)
Gregory Alan "Greg" Gagne is a former professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High Flyers with Jim Brunzell...
& "The Crippler" Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens (wrestler)
Carl Ray Stevens , better known as Ray "The Crippler" Stevens or Ray "Blond Bomber" Stevens, was an American professional wrestler. Stevens was a wrestling superstar since the early years of the television era until he retired during the early 1990s...
on January 10 and to Wahoo McDaniel & Baron Von Raschke
James Raschke
James Donald Raschke is a retired professional wrestler best known as Baron von Raschke.-Career:...
on January 17 as well as single matches to Tom Zenk
Tom Zenk
Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:...
and Stevens.
Later that year, he feuded with Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
losing to him by disqualification on September 17 although he and Teijho Khan
Tom Cassett
-Career:He started with Jim Crockett Promotions in the National Wrestling Alliance, with Paul Jones as his manager. He participated in the 1987 Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, teaming with Shaska Whatley...
would defeat Slaughter and Keith Eric by countout in a tag team match the following night.
On September 19, Lanning teamed with Khan and Colonel DeBeers
Edward Wiskoski
Edward Wiskoski is a former American professional wrestler best known as Colonel DeBeers in the AWA . He also wrestled as Derek "The Mongoose" Draper and Mega Maharishi...
in a 6-man tag team match losing to Sgt. Slaughter and the Rock 'n' Roll Express
Rock 'n' Roll Express
The Rock 'n' Roll Express are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions . In JCP, they held the NWA World Tag Team Championship...
. He and Teijho Khan would later feud with Baron von Raschke and The Top Guns (Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice is an American professional wrestler who competed in Midwest regional promotions during the late 1980s, most notably with tag team partners Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul DeMans as The Top Guns in Eddie Sharkey's Minneapolis-based Pro Wrestling America and the American Wrestling...
& Derrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans...
) before leaving the promotion by the end of the year.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Tag Team ChampionshipAWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
(1 time) with Boris Zhukov and replacement partner Doug Somers
- AWA World Tag Team Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- *PWI ranked him # 310 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1991