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Carl Brantley was a professional wrestler better known as Vladimir Koloff.

Career

Carl R. Brantley started wrestling in 1990 as Vladimir Koloff in a tag team with Oreal Perras|Ivan Koloff. Brantley was billed as a relative of the Koloffs, Ivan and Nikita Koloff. He was billed out to be Ivan's nephew and Nikita's brother. They teamed together in South Atlantic Pro Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the IWA and Atlantic Coast Wrestling. They feuded with the Thunderfoots.

Brantley was used by World Wrestling Federation & World Championship Wrestling under his Koloff ring name however was relegated to house shows for many years throughout the US and abroad, never really getting the "big break" that many said he certainly deserved!

Later that year, he and Ivan teamed up again briefly for Extreme Championship Wrestling|Eastern Championship Wrestling, which evolved into Extreme Championship Wrestling|ECW the next year. Koloff had several title matches tag-team and singles, most notably against Tito Santana (Merced Solis) for the ECW World Belt. Santana said of Koloff, "he has the most raw strength of any wrestler alive!"

In late 1993, Brantley wrestled in Asia and feuded with Kevin Vaughn|The Fabulous Lance (AKA Lance Von Erich, The Barbarian, The Giant Warrior, The Warlord, Demolition Smash, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

In 1994 he wrestled Jim Duggan|Hacksaw Jim Duggan in an Atlantic Coast Wrestling match on a supercard they promoted called WrestleBash '94. He lost the no disqualification match to Duggan.

In 1995, he wrestled for Southern Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Chris Stephenson and was managed by Count Grog. He continued in the independents through 1998 and feuded with Curtis Thompson, Giant Warrior, David Sheldon|The Russian Assassin, Del Wilkes|The Patriot and Ricky Morton, whom he traded the UCW Heavyweight Title with a couple of times.

In 1997, he briefly formed a tag team with Nikolai Volkoff called "The Red Guard" in Ultimate Championship Wrestling with Ivan Koloff as their manager. Brantley retired in 1998 to promote wrestling cards in the Southwest (NM, UT, CO, and AZ). "The Honky Tonk Man" Wayne Ferris said of Koloff and his promotions, "He ran the Largest Independent cards that I have ever been associated with in my entire career, in New Mexico, 15,000 spectators!"

In 1998 Koloff and then friend Sweet Stan Lane of the Midnight Xpress, entired into the world of offshore powerboat racing with Super Boat International (SBI). Koloff became an instant favorite with the crowds and racers, so much that he was the personal body guard for the
Preisdent of Argentina at an event in Mar Del Plata Argentina, and many of the family members and racers competing at the Global events.

He now lives in his hometown of Wilkesboro, NC; where he has maintained a residence since 1979, breeds and raises registered Texas Longhorn Cattle as well as exhibition show poultry, which he has been a four time National Champion.

Profile

Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)

Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)

Hometown: Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Born: Muncie, Indiana, June 1st 1964, second of three sons to William F. & Peggy Mae Brantley

Education: Selma Middle School, Selma Indiana; Wilkes Central High School, Wilkesboro, North Carolina; Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina; Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Trainer: Ivan Koloff, Bobby Fulton, Jackie Fulton, Andre' The Giant

Debut: 1990

Managers: Ivan Koloff, Nikita Koloff, The Big Cheese Sal Corrente

Finisher: Russian Suplex

Legal Problems
In 1995, Brantley was involved in a bizarre case involving his wife, Dr. Karen Wilkinson, who was banned from throwing the javellin in the Olympics for four years due to testing positive for steroids. During the hearings for her case, she made claims that she had separated from Brantley and that he had threatened her. She also made claims that he took steroids, was very controlling and harassed her and her friends. He also accused her of having an affair with another Olympic athlete. Brantley then made phone calls to Hugh Wilson, the Manager of Development Programmes for Athletics Canada to inform him of her steroids use and they decided to test her again, which resulted in the positive test and her four year ban from competing.

Shortly after the ban, Brantley recanted and attempted to claim that he spiked her drink so that she would test positive. He claimed he did this because she refused to continue their relationship and he wanted to make amends to her.

Championships, Professional & Amateur Accomplishments

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

*PWI ranked him # 453 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI 100 Years" in 2003.

*PWI ranked him # 120 of the top 500 wrestler of 1993.

*PWI crowned him as runner-up 1991 Rookie of the Year, behind Diamond Dallas Paige.

Other Titles

*2-Time ACW Tag Team Champion with Ivan Koloff

*1-Time IWA Heavyweight Champion

*3-Time IWA North American Champion

*5-Time UCW Heavyweight Champion

*1-Time Cavender Cup Champion, Mumbai, India

*3-Time NCHSAA All State Wrestler

*4-Time Conference, All Conference, Sectional and Regional Champion, 1 time NCHSAA State Wrestling Runner-up

*1978 & 1979 Indiana State AAU Gold and Silver Medalist, Greco-Roman and Freestyle Championships, Bloomington, IN.

*1981 & 1982 Gold Medalist United States National Elite Greco-Roman Wrestling Team that competed in the countries of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and France. Competed @ 98 kg/198 lb and 100 kg/220 lb.

*1981 Silver Medalist, AAU Junior Olympic Games, Winston-Salem, NC., Wake Forest University

*1981-1982 United States "Olympic 200" Team Member 192 lb. Colorado Springs, CO.

*1981-1982 Bronze Medalist, National Sports Festival, Syracuse, NY, and Indianapolis, IN.

*1981 & 1982 Silver Medalist and Bronze Medalist, AAU Grand National Greco-Roman Championships, Lincoln, NE.

*2006 AAU North Carolina State Games, Gold Medalist, Heavyweight Masters Age Group

*Numerous time throughout the 1990's he participated in and for the; "Child Abuse Prevention Association" Golf Tournament, Hilton Head, SC; "Brenner's Children's Hospital" Golf Classic, Winston Salem, NC; "MDI" Celebrity Classic, Hickory, NC. "Children's Miracle Network","Help Fill a Dream","D.A.R.E." (Buncumbe, Burke, Cleveland Counties Sheriff's Offices)