For those who are familiar with American pro wrestling, Pavel Kozlov is better known as Victor Romanoff, the Siberian Fighting Spirit. His stage name truly befits the character he created. Kozlov is the wrestling phenomenon with a real Russian accent and an authentic Russian character. What’s more, it is his great determination that has driven his success as a wrestler and actor. Also notable is his ability to learn from key events and experiences to turn his life around and achieve his dreams.

An only child, Kozlov was born and raised in Moscow in a family of math professors. Growing up in such an environment, it was expected that he would follow in his parents’ academic and creative pursuits. Even though he took a different path from his professor parents, Kozlov brought with him creativity and a value for formal training.

At the age of 13, he experienced two life events that shaped his life significantly. He suffered the loss of his father which took a toll on him. It was also during this time that he was introduced to professional wrestling. Upon seeing American wrestling on TV, he became determined to transform himself physically. Later on he received training and competed in kickboxing.

After high school, Kozlov majored in Journalism at the University. This period in his life was marked by important development in and expression of his creativity. He wrote poems, maintained a creative webpage, and secured a job as a journalist.

Even after all those years, Kozlov still felt the tug of the call to become a pro wrestler. Equipped with all that life has taught him thus far and the strong will characteristic of him, he left for America. Even without any friends or family in the USA, with very little money and even less English language skills, Kozlov stepped into the unknown.

In order to improve his wrestling abilities, Kozlov looked to the schools and training centers. He started his pro wrestling training in America at the World Wrestling Alliance 4 (WWA4) school in Atlanta, Georgia. After a year and a half, he moved to Orlando, Florida to join the prestigious Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling. This was where he created the persona of Victor Romanoff. Not long after, Kozlov finally made it into American Professional Wrestling.

The professional wrestler continues to push himself and explore new horizons. His love for creating and playing characters, telling stories, and creativity makes it natural for him to try his hand at acting. He has landed various roles in numerous short films and TV shows. Wanting to improve himself, he enrolled at the Meisner Master Acting program and has since graduated.

With a passion for creativity, transformation, and training, it is no surprise that Kozlov found his calling in professional wrestling and acting. He admits that he never had a Plan B. For him, success was the only option. He shares that a huge part of his success is the courage to put himself in a position where he can’t go back. This mindset helped him to never give up on his journey.

Get updates on Kozlov by visiting his website and his Instagram account.

Published by: Nelly Chavez