▁the ▁" old ▁school " ▁theme , ▁Volk off ▁appeared ▁with ▁the ▁Iron ▁She ik , ▁singing ▁the ▁Soviet ▁national ▁anth em ▁before ▁being ▁interrupted ▁by ▁Sant ino ▁Mare lla ▁and ▁Vladimir ▁K oz lov , ▁the ▁latter ▁of ▁whom ▁then ▁s ung ▁a ▁du et ▁with ▁Volk off ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁national ▁anth em . ▁ ▁After wards , ▁Volk off ▁worked ▁for ▁various ▁independent ▁prom ot ions ▁throughout ▁North ▁America . ▁He ▁remained ▁popular ▁on ▁the ▁aut ograph ▁convention ▁circuit . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁he ▁threw ▁out ▁the ▁first ▁pitch ▁at ▁a ▁B owie ▁Bay so x ▁baseball ▁game ▁and ▁sang ▁" G od ▁B less ▁America " ▁after ▁the ▁pitch . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁he ▁sang ▁the ▁Soviet ▁national ▁anth em ▁at ▁a ▁show ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁after ▁being ▁introduced ▁by ▁Howard ▁F inkel . ▁ ▁Volk off ▁l ent ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁a ▁forward ▁for ▁a ▁fiction ▁novel ▁called ▁" Only ▁The ▁Begin ning " ▁which ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁is ▁about ▁a ▁girl ' s ▁life ▁during ▁high ▁school . ▁While ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁not ▁wrest ling ▁related , ▁the ▁author ▁Jason ▁Stre cker ▁was ▁a ▁personal ▁friend ▁of ▁Volk off ' s ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁for ew ord ▁Volk off ▁respond s ▁to ▁his ▁friendship ▁with ▁the ▁author ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁book ' s ▁message ▁of ▁being ▁of ▁strong ▁character ▁and ▁doing ▁positive ▁actions ▁for ▁others . ▁The ▁book ▁also