Jim Lanning

Jim Lanning is an American retired professional wrestler, best known by the ring name Soldat Ustinov, who played a fictional Russian character during his career. He competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the American Wrestling Association (AWA) during the 1980s. Before his professional wrestling career, Jim Lanning was a left offensive tackle known for pass blocking - he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, and also spent time in the USFL for the San Antonio Gunslingers. Arriving in the AWA in 1987, he would begin teaming with Boris Zukhov under manager Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie 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 jump…