# Danny Babich

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{{short description|Bosnian professional wrestler}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name        = Danny Babich 
|image       = 
|birth_name  = Nedelko Babic
|caption     = 
|names       = Danny Babich<br>Igor Volkoff<br>Daniel Martel<br>Yugo Babich 
|height      = 
|weight      = 
|birth_date  = {{birth date|1937|4|12}}
|death_date  = {{Death date and age|2008|6|28|1937|4|12}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=7027|title=Danny Babich « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm|publisher=}}</ref>
|birth_place = [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), Kingdom of [Yugoslavia](/source/Yugoslavia)
|death_place = 
|billed      =
|trainer     = [Stu Hart](/source/Stu_Hart)
|debut       = 1970
|retired     = 1989
|}}
'''Nedelko Babic''' (12 April, 1937 – 28 June, 2008) was a Yugoslavian-Bosnian [professional wrestler](/source/professional_wrestler), known by his [ring name](/source/ring_name)s '''Danny Babich''' and '''Igor Volkoff''' who competed in Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. He would spent most of his career in Vancouver's [NWA All-Star Wrestling](/source/NWA_All-Star_Wrestling) and Portland's [Pacific Northwest Wrestling](/source/Pacific_Northwest_Wrestling).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=10690&feed=6|title=Profile|publisher=Wrestlingdata|accessdate=2024-12-13}}</ref> 

==Professional wrestling career==
Trained by [Stu Hart](/source/Stu_Hart), Babich made his wrestling debut in 1970 in Calgary for [Stampede Wrestling](/source/Stampede_Wrestling). teaming with Danny Babich to defeat [Earl Black](/source/Earl_Black_(wrestler)) and [Tiger Joe Tomasso](/source/Tiger_Joe_Tomasso) for the Stampede International Tag team Championship in [Calgary, Alberta](/source/Calgary%2C_Alberta) on October 1, 1971. Their championship reign was brief, however, as they lost the titles to Chin Lee and [Sugi Sito](/source/Sugi_Sito) less than two weeks later.

He and Babich would later defeat [Tiger Joe Tomasso](/source/Tiger_Joe_Tomasso) and [Gil Hayes](/source/Gil_Hayes) to recapture the tag team titles in mid-December only to lose the titles to [George Gordienko](/source/George_Gordienko) and Super Hawk on December 16. Rebounding a week later, they won the titles back from George Gordienko and Super Hawk on December 23 and held on to the titles for almost a month before losing to Dan Kroffat and Lennie Hurst in [Edmonton](/source/Edmonton), Alberta on January 20, 1972. Winning back the titles in Calgary on February 9, he and Babich would eventually lose the titles to [Carlos Belafonte](/source/Carlos_Colon) and [Gino Caruso](/source/Gino_Caruso) two months later. 

In 1971, he made his debut for Vancouver's [NWA All-Star Wrestling](/source/NWA_All-Star_Wrestling) and, in 1973, changed his character to a Russian heel as "Igor Volkoff". Then in 1972, he worked for Montreal's Grand Prix Wrestling, where he wrestled [Andre the Giant](/source/Andre_the_Giant). Stayed with Grand Prix until 1973. 

Made his debut in the United States for the [American Wrestling Association](/source/American_Wrestling_Association) in Minneapolis in 1974 as "Yugo Babich". In 1975, he made his for Portland's [Pacific Northwest Wrestling](/source/Pacific_Northwest_Wrestling) as "Igor Volkoff".  

He reunited with his former Stampede Wrestling tag team partner Michel Martel and [Pierre Martel](/source/Frenchy_Martin), who became the third member of "The Mercenaries" as "Daniel Martel". Later defeating The Medics ([Medico I](/source/Johnny_Rodz) and [Medico II](/source/Jose_Estrada%2C_Sr.)) for the WWC North American Tag Team titles in May 1977, he would feud over the tag team championship with Jose Rivera and [Hercules Ayala](/source/Hercules_Ayala) and eventually won the tag team titles twice more with Martel before the end of the year. They broke up at the end of 1977, just before Martel died of a heart attack in Puerto Rico months later.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2004/08/02/566775.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925072410/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2004/08/02/566775.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 25, 2015|title=Michel Martel: Forgotten great|author=Oliver, Greg|date=2004-10-11|publisher=SLAM! Sports }}</ref>

In 1978, Babich went to Japan to wrestle for [International Wrestling Enterprise](/source/International_Wrestling_Enterprise). That same year, he left Stampede and continued to work in Vancouver and Portland.

He won his only singles title [NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (''Vancouver version'')](/source/NWA_Canadian_Heavyweight_Championship_(Vancouver_version)) in 1983 when he defeated [Moose Morowski](/source/Moose_Morowski). He dropped the title to [Al Tomko](/source/Al_Tomko). Then he returned to Stampede in 1983 as Igor Volkoff. In 1984, he retired from wrestling. 

In 1989, he returned to wrestling for a few more matches for British Columbia's Pacific Coast Championship Wrestling. 

==Death==
Babich passed away on June 28, 2008 at 71. 

== Championships and accomplishments ==
*'''[NWA All-Star Wrestling](/source/NWA_All-Star_Wrestling)'''
**[NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (''Vancouver version'')](/source/NWA_Canadian_Heavyweight_Championship_(Vancouver_version)) (1 time)<ref>{{cite web|title=NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title|work=Wrestling Titles|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-can-h.html|access-date=2023-12-19}}</ref> 
**[NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)''](/source/NWA_Canadian_Tag_Team_Championship_(Vancouver_version)) ([4 times](/source/NWA_Canadian_Tag_Team_Championship_(Vancouver_version))) - with [Gama Singh](/source/Gama_Singh) (1), [Bob Della Serra](/source/Bob_Della_Serra) (1), The Mongol (1) and [Al Tomko](/source/Al_Tomko) (1)<ref>{{cite web|title=NWA Canadian Tag Team Title|work=Wrestling Titles|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-can-t.html|access-date=2024-02-13}}</ref> 
**[NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)''](/source/Stampede_International_Tag_Team_Championship) ([4 times](/source/Stampede_International_Tag_Team_Championship)) - with [Michel Martel](/source/Michel_Martel)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/calg-t.html |title=Stampede International Tag Team Title |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505025114/http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/calg-t.html |archive-date=2008-05-05 }}</ref>
*'''[World Wrestling Council](/source/World_Wrestling_Council)'''
**[WWC North American Tag Team Championship](/source/WWC_North_American_Tag_Team_Championship) ([3 times](/source/WWC_North_American_Tag_Team_Championship)) - with Michel Martel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-na-t.html|title=W.W.C. North American Tag Team Title|year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}</ref>

==References==
'''General'''
* {{cite book |last=Nevada |first=Vance |author-link=Vance Nevada |date=2022 |title=(Un)Controlled Chaos: Canada's Remarkable Professional Wrestling Legacy |location= |publisher=FriesenPress |isbn=9781039154797 }}

'''Specific'''
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{professional wrestling profiles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babich, Danny}}
Category:1937 births
Category:2008 deaths
Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers
Category:Faux Russian professional wrestlers
Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina professional wrestlers
Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Danny Babich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Babich) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Babich?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.