Ivan Petrov

Ivan Dimitri Hanson-Petrov (born 22nd July 1972) is a former wrestler best known for his years with Kamikaze Championship Wrestling (KCW), Pro Wrestling R4GE (R4GE) and for his own promotion Pure Pro Wrestling (2PW).

Personal Information
Born in Russia in 1972, Ivan Petrov was part of the wrestling business from day one. His father, Nicholas was a professional wrestler and later was the man to train Ivan Petrov. Ivan and his younger brother Igor, along with his parents the Russian Nicholas and the Irishwoman Ann Hanson came to live in Willmington, Delaware in the mid-seventies.

In 1999, Ivan met and married Elizabeth Morton whom he had met at a school reunion in January. She had been the girlfriend of a former class mate but left him for Ivan. They married in August of that year after a whirlwind romance. They have one child together Danielle Anne Petrov (born 2002).

Delware Wrestling Aliance & Independents
Petrov along with his brother Igor and 'Big Baby' Jake Hammerstein formed the "The Odd Men Out" in the early 90s. The trio had spent 3 years in Delaware as students under Nicholas Petrov and Bruce Campbell. In 1991 the Petrov brothers and Hammerstein turned pro and entered Nicholas Petrov's Delaware Wrestling Alliance promotion which was run out of Wilmington. Ivan and Jake, teaming as The Odd Men Out were two of the hottest young talents on the DWA rsoter..

A pivitol moment in Petrov's career came in 1992 when met with Jimmy Chisel who booked the Odd Men Out for a show in Sweetwater, Texas. Chisel would take him under his wing and be for many years the manager of the "Odd Men Out" and the agent for Ivan when he went solo in 2001. Jimmy was a charismatic manager and a clever businessman ans with his influence on the microphone and the in ring work of the Petrovs and Big Baby Jake (Hammerstein) the "Odd Men Out" had many classic matches on the Indy scene in the 1990s. Mainly committed to DWA, but also working dates in both the US, Japan, Europe and Peutro Rico; the Oddies (Odd Men Out) entertained the highs and lows of the life of both wrestlers and people.

The Crash and Leaving The Business
One of the low points, and the turning point's of Ivan's life came in 1996 when he, Igor and two of there friends from Wilmington where involved in a car accident. Ivan was drunk at the wheel when he lost control of the car on a wet November night and skidded off the road-hitting tree. The Petrov brothers escaped with minor injuries but Igor Petrov's fiance was killed. Her death stunned Petrov and caused a rift between the two brothers which lasted nearly four years. Ivan left wrestling for a year due to emotional and mental distress the aftermath of the accident had caused him.

In 1999, Ivan met and married Elizabeth Morton whom he had met at a school reunion in January. She had been the girlfriend of a former class mate but left him for Ivan. They married in August of that year after a whirlwind romance and it was Elizabeth who spurred Ivan on to return to wrestling.

Krazy Ivan
Petrov made his wrestling return in August 1997 when he wrestled Steele at a Delaware Wrestling Aliance/All Action Wrestling supercard promoted by himself and his father Nicholas. Soon after this we went to work for Jimmy Chisel's newly formed South Texas Wrestling promotion where his old tag partner Jake Hammerstein was working a comedy gimmick as Big Baby Jake, the pair were soon united and Ivan was re-packaged by Chisel as the unhindged and manic Krazy Ivan.

Krazy Ivan and Big Baby Jake known as 'The OutKasts' caught the eye of Chicago promoter Tony Pascone who called the two to his Federation of Extreme Distruction promotion in 2001. Petrov surfaced here as a singles wrestler winning the FED Hardcore championship. FED was in decline when The OutKasts arrived and soon folded in Febuary 2002.

Kamikaze Championship Wrestling
Petrov resumed the Krazy Ivan gimmick in the cult New York based Kamikaze Championship Wrestling (KCW) where he worked a short program with Irish Shocka and Madd Dogg before being joined by his old running mates Big Baby Jake and Jimmy Chisel. The OutKasts would taste championship gold in KCW when they defeated XTC to win the vacant KCW Tag Team titles on an episode of televison show HardKore Heaven. This early KCW run saw Petrov first come into contact with men who would later be big influences on his career namely Karl 'KiD' Jones, Razorblade and HaZz; Petrov had a few matches with the then rising star HaZz and rubbed shoulders with KiD and other KCW icons like Apollyon and Forgotten in the infamous Thunderdome where KiD won the KCW World title from Razorblade.

Petrov defeated HaZz for the KCW HardKore title just before The Gauntlet in July 2002. At this time Ivan flipped flopped from showing manic almost parnoid traits to exhibiting an arrogant streak (which saw him wear extravagant robes and treat Chisel and Hammerstein like his personal servants). Petrov lost the HardKore title to 'Live Wire' Shane Williams in a triple threat match with Kokane at The Gauntlet and due the ending of the HardKore Wrestling Aliance invasion of KCW (of which Petrov was a part saw him exiled from KCW for a month).

He returned a changed man. Ivan won the KCW TV title from Nine and feuded with Sik J over the belt before turning and joining Sik J, O.g.K and G-Money in the Comitted Felons and as a result becoming one of the KCW Tag team champions for a second time along with the other Felons. But soon he fell by the wayside due to his mental well being and when he returned again he was back under his real name Ivan Petrov and from there his career took off. He became outspoken in his promos, drawing a hard line and never backing down from anyone weather they be legends, world champions or just some hard-headed rookie. Ivan had a long and successful time in KCW. His greatest moment was a defeat at the KCW Scars And Stripes event. He wrestled KiD, not for gold. But for pride, KiD had also lost his job at the same time as Ivan; but unlike Ivan had been welcomed back with open arms even though he had betrayed KCW and joined with the invading HWF.

KCW finally closed its doors in 2003. Ivan went back to Delaware and helped his father to train young wrestlers. But the call of the ring was too loud for him not to hear, and to strong for him not to answer. After a few months Ivan re-surfaced in FIW (Full Intensity Wrestling), he was unbeaten in his time there but left to join some of his friends from KCW in the short lived Shadow Hardcore Wrestling. One match was all he had in SHW, he won the SHW Hardcore championship.

HWF, Memora Wrestling, EPW and R4GE
When former KCW president, Firestorm called him and asked him to join in his new project HWF (HardKore Wrestling Federation) Ivan didn't refuse. He was the first name on the roster and the last to leave the day it closed it's doors for as "The Powerplant" in January 2004.

After HWF folded Ivan's signed with Alexandra Memora's (a former KCW and WEF wrestler) short lived promotion Memora Wrestling before heading to Edge Pro Wrestling with the intentions of teaming up with his old rivals Jamie Lemont and KiD, however due to disagreements with the EPW management the three men left EPW and soon turned up in Pro Wrestling R4GE. Here Ivan shocked the world by turning his back on the fans who had taken him to there hearts for so long and creating a group of young wrestlers called The Rush to bring about a revolution in R4GE.

Pure Pro Wrestling
Due to adminstration problems R4GE folded in November 2004 Petrov with the backing of sports company MTR sports, owned by Michael Ryan (the former Micca T of WEF fame) then made a joint bid to take over the promotion which was successful but they were not allowed to use the name Pro Wrestling R4GE and so out of that was born Pure Pro Wrestling.

Ryan withdrew backing from 2PW in March 2005. Petrov was forced to close the promotion the week after it had held it’s first major event. At this event called Age of Purity, Petrov won the 2PW World title in a match with Daniel Abel and Shane Williams. He was set to face Williams for the belt on the next 2PW television show but it never came about.

Petrov was declared legally bankrupt witht he folding of Pure Pro Wrestling. Afterward Petrov mostly worked the larger shows promoted by his father Nicholas or his old manager Jimmy Chisel, often teaming with his brother Igor or with Jake Hammerstein. On a couple of occasions he defended the 2PW World title. Notably against his own father at the Delaware Wrestling Alliance Anniversary show. This match was also his now 65 year old fathers last match after the death of Ivan’s mother Ann Hanson Petrov at the age of 68 from cancer.

Return To Pro Wrestling R4GE
Following months of small independent shows, Petrov was offered a chance to return to a revitalised Pro Wrestling R4GE. He re-debuted along side his brother Igor and Jimmy Chisel. However Ivan’s doctor recommended Ivan reduce the number of matches he worked to slow the wear and tear of his body after years of injuries. Ivan announced his full retirement from wrestling after R4GE’s first TNT on 24th of March 2006. Both Igor Petrov and Jimmy Chisel left R4GE to pursue other interests that same week.

The announcement of Ivan Petrov’s retirement was met with much shock and dismay. Many fans and some of his peers have tried to tempt him to come back and he himself as said on the topic of a comeback “Maybe, it’s all up in the air right now”. Petrov was scheduled to have his final match at R4GE’s second Pay-Per-View, aptly titled Rebirth. He faced former KCW World champion and one of the few men he has never beaten: Razorblade. At Rebirth both men went hell for leather. In front of thousands of adoring fans, his family and close friends Ivan put on a great display. The highlight of the match saw Ivan perform a bulldog on Razorblade off a fifteen foot ladder.

In an earth shattering twist, Karl Jones the man who ever since they faced off at Scars and Stripes became one of his best friends and almost a brother to Ivan, a man who before Petrov went out to face Razorblade embraced him in a show of deep respect. This man Karl "KiD" Jones turned on Petrov and attacked him costing him his final match.

In the weeks that followed KiD played mind games with Petrov, beating up his father Nicholas and drugging Petrov to make it seems as though Petrov was drunk in front of his wife and child. KiD then took Danielle to stay with him and Liz left Ivan to go stay with friends to leave Petrov alone to contemplate his revenge on KiD. Ivan was then forced to make his July 23rd match with KiD at R4GE’s Lights Out his final match. In the build up to the match both Ivan's and KiD's daughters were kidnapped and they joined forces to track down the kidnapper who turned out to be Ivan's own brother Igor. The episode served to re-kindle the respect and friendship between the two.

The Pay-Per-View occured 24 hours after Petrov's 34th birthday and was a stellar event. Ivan was given the honour of being the first induction to the Pro Wrestling R4GE Hall of Fame and his match with KiD was the biggest match in R4GE history and was probably the match of the night, even if it did have stiff competition from the World and Custom title matches. The match ended when Ivan with claiming the victory after the match was restarted due to the senior offical Guido Choikov over-ruling another offical who had run in when Guido had been knocked out by a KiD Spear and counted a pinfall for KiD. After the match the entire R4GE roster came out to congradulate Petrov on his 19 year career and KiD presented him with the KCW World title, the belt that had meant so much to Ivan but he had never gotten to hold it during his career.

Retirement
Petrov has kept quiet during his retirement, only making a few appearances for Pro Wrestling R4GE. Mostly he spends his time with his family and training wrestlers at his gym.

Title History
DWA
 * Delaware State Champion

FED
 * HardKore Champion

KCW
 * Tag Team Champion (x2) (with Big Baby Jake, and Sik J)
 * HardKore Champion
 * Televsion Champion

SHW
 * Hardcore Champion

WEF
 * Hardcore Champion

EPW
 * World Championship #1 Contender

2PW
 * World Champion

R4GE
 * Hall of Fame Inductee

Trivia

 * Ivan is an avid fan of Bruce Springsteen, having used 'Further On (Up The Road)' and 'Adam Raised A Cain' as his theme songs in KCW and elsewhere.


 * Ivan's last two PPV appearances were retirment matches.


 * Ivan was the first R4GE Hall of Fame Inductee.


 * Ivan owns a house on the east and west coasts of the United States.


 * Ivan helped to train former R4GE wrestler Daniel Abel