Ex WWE Superstar Makes Surprise Impact Wrestling Return

Impact Wrestling has seen several former WWE Superstars make their debuts for the company, and it brought about great success on occasion. Now, another ex WWE Superstar is in Impact Wrestling, and fans are waiting to see what they can do next.

Oleg Prudius, previously known as Vladimir Kozlov in WWE, made an unexpected appearance on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling. Prudius joined forces with Dirty Dango in this week’s episode, participating in a match to determine the first and 20th entrants in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at Bound for Glory on October 21st.

Oleg Prudius assisted Dirty Dango in securing a victory in a five-way match on Thursday’s show, which also featured Champagne Singh, Eric Young, Jake Something, and Jordynne Grace. As a result, Dirty Dango will be the 20th entrant in the Gauntlet, while Jake Something will enter first.

This marked Oleg Prudius’ first on-screen appearance since a cameo in March of this year. He also worked as a foreign-language commentator for the company in 2021.

At 54 years old, Oleg Prudius last competed in 2012 in a few matches in Japan following his release from WWE in 2011. He signed with the company in 2006, spent time in the OVW and DSW developmental territories, and had appearances in main roster house shows in his debut year before joining the main roster full-time in 2008.

With a background in sambo and kickboxing, Prudius was a promising pro wrestling prospect who was brought to WWE’s attention by Jerry Jarrett. His most notable WWE run occurred on the SmackDown brand in 2008, where he debuted with a long winning streak in squash matches, ultimately entering the WWE Championship scene alongside Triple H and Jeff Hardy.

Kozlov’s only WWE title reign was as a Tag Team champion, holding the titles from December 2010 to February 2011 alongside Santino Marella as a comedic duo, following his transition from a serious singles competitor.

We will have to see what he does next in Impact Wrestling, but he certainly looks like he’s in great shape and ready to take on anyone the company has lined up for him.

What’s your take on this big Impact Wrestling debut? Let us know what you think in the comments section!