James Perras was raised on a farm in Crysler, Ontario, Canada, and had his firstpro match at age 18. In 1967 he became Ivan Koloff, “The Russian Bear.” During the next three decades, he toured the world, winning numerous titles, including the WWWF world championship. He moved on to the NWA for a long run, capturing more titles, including half of the world tag-team championship. He continued for years on the independent circuit. A born-again Christian, Ivan is very active as a minister and working with various charities.