| Demolition | |
|---|---|
 Smash (left) and Ax as WWF Tag Team Champions | |
| Tag team | |
| Members | Ax[1] Smash[1] Smash (original)[1][2] Crush[1] |
| Billed heights | Ax:[1] 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[3][4] Smash:[1] 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[5][6] Crush:[1] 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[7] |
| Billed from | Parts Unknown[8] |
| Debut | January 4, 1987[9] |
| Disbanded | May 6, 2017 |
Demolition was an Americanprofessional wrestlingtag team most prominent during the late 1980s and early 1990s in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) made up ofAx (Bill Eadie),Smash (Barry Darsow), and laterCrush (Brian Adams). In the WWF, Demolition werethree-timeWWF World Tag Team Champions, and hold the record for the most combined days as reigning champions with that championship.
Their first reign with the WWF World Tag Team Championship is the fourth longest reign withany male tag team championship in WWE history (behindMark Coffey andWolfgang's reign with theNXT UK Tag Team Championship,The New Day's reign with theWWE (Raw) Tag Team Championship andThe Usos' reign with theWWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship) and is the longest reign on record for that specific championship (which has been defunct since 2010).[10] Beginning in 2007, Ax and Smash reunited for several appearances at various independent shows and legends conventions.[1]
Randy Colley andBill Eadie created the Demolitiongimmick and worked for theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF). They debuted as aheeltag team on January 4, 1987, at theSpringfield Civic Centre inMassachusetts, alongsidemanagerLuscious Johnny V, defeating the team ofThe Islanders and later participating in abattle royal won byPete Doherty.[9] Demolition wore studded black leather outfits and leather-covered hockey masks to the ring, which they removed to reveal face paint usually made up of some combination of black, white, red, or silver colors, though other colors were sometimes included. The tag team wore outfits similar to Lord Humungus of the 1981 filmMad Max 2: The Road Warrior, while their facepaint was reminiscent of hard rock bandKISS. However, in TV interviews the characters generally compared themselves to another hockey-masked horror movie villain,Jason Voorhees of theFriday the 13th film series, as well asFreddy Krueger ofNightmare on Elm Street.
After only two more matches (wins over enhancement talent at TV tapings on January 5 and 6), Colley was replaced withBarry Darsow starting with a match filmed January 26, 1987 at the Sundome, Tampa FL and aired on the February 14, 1987 edition ofSuperstars. Eadie has stated that Colley was replaced because he was too recognizable to the fans as the man who previously performed asMoondog Rex. The WWF pitched a few potential replacements to Eadie, but he thought fans would recognize the suggested replacements. However, Eadie felt that many WWF fans would not recognize Darsow, who had been working forJim Crockett Promotions as Krusher Khruschev alongsideNikita Koloff. Darsow had left Crockett following a dispute in order to take over the role of Smash.[1][5][6][2] On the March 14Saturday Night's Main Event X, Demolition participated in another battle royal, won byHercules Hernandez.[9] Around that same period,Johnny Valiant (who went on to manage the "new Dream Team" ofGreg Valentine andDino Bravo before leaving the WWF at the end of 1987) sold their contracts toMr. Fuji who became their manager.
Demolition's undefeated streak ended when they suffered their first pinfall loss toThe Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel andTom Zenk) on June 6, 1987 at theBoston Garden, Demolition became known for their aggressive style in the ring and the way that they dominated their matches. Their first feud was with the team ofKen Patera andBilly Jack Haynes, which started after Ax and Smash brutalized WWFjobberBrady Boone (billed in storyline as the cousin of Haynes), during a televised match and then battered first Haynes and then Patera when they each tried to come to the rescue. Demolition claimed victories over all of the establishedface tag teams in the WWF at the time, includingThe Killer Bees (Jim Brunzell andB. Brian Blair),The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques andRaymond),the British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid andDavey Boy Smith),[11] theYoung Stallions (Paul Roma andJim Powers),The Islanders (Haku andTama),[12] and The Can-Am Connection.[11]
Demolition made theirpay-per-view debut atSurvivor Series in anelimination tag team match as part of the heel team. They eliminated The Rougeau Brothers, but were disqualified when Smash shoved down refereeDave Hebner during the match and the face team went on to win the match.[13]
AtWrestleMania IV, Ax and Smash defeatedStrike Force (Rick Martel andTito Santana) to win theirfirstWWF Tag Team Championship. Ax struck Martel in the back of the neck with Fuji's cane while he had Smash in aBoston crab (Fuji had dropped the cane into the ring while taking a beating from Santana who carried on oblivious to what was happening in the ring). Martel was knocked out and Smash covered him for the pin while Ax hid outside with the cane.[1][14][15] As champions, they defeated a number of the top teams of the WWF, which at the time had a very talent-rich and hotly contested tag division, most notably the British Bulldogs[1][16] andHart Foundation (Bret Hart andJim Neidhart).[1][17][18]
Their first big challenge came in the summer of 1988, whenThe Powers of Pain (The Warlord andThe Barbarian) entered the WWF and challenged them for the Tag Team Championship. During theelimination tag team match atSurvivor Series, Mr. Fuji attacked Demolition and joined forces with the Powers of Pain. Adouble turn took place as Demolitionturned face while the Powers of Pain turned heel.[19][20] Interviewed after the contest, Fuji claimed that he had turned on Demolition because, since winning the championship, they had become insubordinate and disrespectful towards him, whereas the Powers would be utterly obedient and loyal apprentices.[21] For their part, Demolition denounced their former manager as a parasite,[22] labelling him "Fuj the Stooge."[23][24][25]
Ax and Smash also memorably squared off against each other as entrants #1 and #2 in theRoyal Rumble match at theSummit inHouston in1989, tearing into each other for the full two minutes before being joined in the ring by the third entrantAndré the Giant, where they once again joined as Demolition and targeted the big man.[26]
Demolition defeated the Powers of Pain and Mr. Fuji in a tag team handicap match atWrestleMania V to retain the WWF World Tag Team Championship when they caught Fuji in the "Demolition Decapitation".[27] That day, Demolition became the longest reigning WWF World Tag Team Champions after breaking the previous370 day record ofThe Valiant Brothers (Jimmy andJohnny). Subsequently, on May 2 Demolition's reign exceeded the399-day third reign ofThe Fabulous Kangaroos with theWWWF United States Tag Team Championship, thus becoming the longest running holders ofany tag team championship in WWF/WWWF history. They would eventually last a reign of478 days, and while the general record for any male tag team championship has since been broken (by The New Day in 2016, byMark Coffey andWolfgang in 2020 and byThe Usos in 2022), this still stands as the specific record for the "classic" World tag team title of 1971–2010.[28][29]
After WrestleMania V, Demolition started a feud withThe Twin Towers (Akeem andThe Big Boss Man) and then a feud withThe Brain Busters (Arn Anderson andTully Blanchard), who were managed byBobby "The Brain" Heenan. On the May 27, 1989Saturday Night's Main Event XXI, the Brain Busters defeated Demolition by disqualification.[30] They finallydropped the titles to the Brain Busters in atwo out of three falls match on the July 29Saturday Night's Main Event XXII (filmed July 18, 1989 inWorcester, Massachusetts at theWorcester Centrum) following outside interference from André the Giant who threw a chair into the ring for Anderson to use on Smash.[1][31] As well as looking to regain the belts, Demolition sought revenge on André and closure on The Twin Towers. AtSummerSlam 1989,King Duggan and Demolition defeated André and the Towers in a six-man tag team match (already advertised prior to the title change) where Darsow showcased his strength by body slamming both of the Twin Towers.[32] Demolition focused on regaining the tag titles and restarted their feud with the Brain Busters. On the November 4 edition ofSuperstars (taped on October 2), Demolition defeated the Brain Busters to regain their tag titles and win their second WWF Tag Team Championship.[1][33][34]
Demolition next feuded with the new Heenan Family team,The Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku). On the December 30 edition ofSuperstars (taped on December 13), Demolition lost the tag titles to the Colossal Connection.[1][33] AtWrestleMania VI at theSkyDome inToronto, Demolition defeated the Colossal Connection to regain the titles and win their third and final WWF World Tag Team Championship, and finally put an end to their feud with the Heenan Family.[1][35][36] Due to his deteriorating physical condition, André never tagged in during the match with Haku facing Demolition on his own.
Shortly after WrestleMania VI, the team quietly turned heel. This intensified whenBrian Adams debuted in WWF and joined the team asCrush.[1][7][37] Inkayfabe it was claimed that this was a heinous scheme to gain a three-on-two advantage over other tag teams. (In reality, it wasactually because Eadie had developed an allergy toshellfish which he attributed to his frequent trips to Japan, which hospitalized him, and WWF owner and headbookerVince McMahon wanted to add a third member to the team just in case the illness put Eadie out of action for an extended period of time.)[38]
Crush soon took a more active role, teaming with Smash while Ax faded into the background, becoming more of amanager. At this time Demolition used the "Freebird rule" to allow any two members to wrestle the matches. Smash and Crush defended the titles in the summer of 1990. On the July 28edition ofSaturday Night's Main Event, Smash and Crush defeatedThe Rockers (Shawn Michaels andMarty Jannetty) to retain the titles[1][39] after Ax interfered on their behalf and scored the pin on Michaels.[40] The next month atSummerSlam, however, Demolition lost the titles to the Hart Foundation in a two out of three falls match. In that match, Smash & Crush started, but Ax secretly came down later on to substitute himself into the match behind the referee's back. Ultimately, theLegion of Doom (Hawk andAnimal),[1][41][42] who had signed with the WWF a month earlier, interfered and snuffed out the deception. Demolition never recaptured the titles after this loss.
As a result of the interference by LOD, Demolition began feuding with Hawk and Animal who would often be joined in six man matches by reigningWWF ChampionThe Ultimate Warrior. WWF commentators at the time would often claim that the team wearing the face paint would win whichever particular match they were broadcasting (Demolition, LOD and the Warrior all wore face paint). On the October 13edition ofSaturday Night's Main Event, Ax, Smash, and Crush lost to the Ultimate Warrior and LOD.[1][43]
Soon after, due to the Legion of Doom (L.O.D.) now being on the WWF roster, Demolition's popularity began to decline and they regained the managerial services of Mr. Fuji in the fall of 1990. AtSurvivor Series, The Perfect Team (Demolition andMr. Perfect) was defeated by The Ultimate Warriors (the Ultimate Warrior, the"Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich, and the Legion of Doom).[1][44] Shortly after, Ax left the WWF, with the on-air explanation being an order from kayfabe WWF PresidentJack Tunney that there could only be two members of Demolition. Smash and Crush were the two remaining members, and went on to primarily lose to teams such as the Rockers and the Legion of Doom. The team lost a match toGenichiro Tenryu andKoji Kitao atWrestleMania VII.[45]
The team's next match was at WWF/SWS Wrestlefest on March 30, 1991 where they defeated Shunji Takano & Shinichi Nakano.[46] Following this match, Demolition would continue to wrestle in the SWS throughout the summer usually on the losing end of matches. Crush went on a leave of absence from the WWF (his SWS commitments aside), while Smash wrestled in singles matches (usually on the losing end) for a brief time before also leaving the WWF. As well as SWS, they also teamed in theWWC after leaving the WWF.[47] The team's final WWF-related match occurred on an SWS show in Japan on September 18, 1991 in a losing effort toGeorge Takano and Shunji Takano.[48] Afterwards, they eventually broke up and the member Crush would return toPNW (where he had previously wrestled as Brian Adams), still in his Demolition attire and paint, but as aface, where he would eventually win thePNW Heavyweight Championship[47] Smash would later return to the WWF as the Repo Man a sneakythief claiming to be arepossessor, in the fall of 1991. Crush would also return in the spring of 1992, still as aface, beginning a run as the popular "Kona Crush"surfer type building on Adams being a native ofHawaii). The two ended up facing off atSummerSlam 1992, with Crush getting the victory over Repo Man.[49] Crush would later turn heel onRandy Savage and rehire Mr. Fuji as his manager in 1993, once again painting his face, only in a different pattern from his Demolition days.
Original "Smash" gimmick owner Randy Colley moved to theContinental Championship Wrestling territory in late 1987 and revived his version of the Demolition character with only minor modifications asDetroit Demolition. He was managed byDowntown Bruno and stayed in the territory until the end of 1988.[50] In May 1988 he teamed with D.I. Bob Carter to win theCWF Tag Team Championship.
Detroit Demolition feuded withLord Humungous after Humungous turned babyface on Bruno's stable, helping (kayfabe) childhood friendShane Douglas defeat Detroit Demolition . In retaliation, Detroit Demolition squirted ink in Humungous' eyes, causing Douglas to come to his old friend's aid, cementing their alliance. Humungous and Douglas would defeat Detroit and Carter for the tag team title in June 1988. As Darsow and Adams would do later on, Colley as Detroit Demolition also made occasional visits to the WWC in Puerto Rico. By early 1989 he had reverted to Moondog Rex and signed with WCW.
After leaving the WWF, Eadie began using thenameAxis the Demolisher on theindependent circuit and took in Colley as well as Richard "Le Magnifique" Charland under the name ofDemolition Blast in an attempt to resurrect the Demolition name and gimmick.[51][52] They were sent a cease and desist letter by the WWF once they found out.They wrestled for Universal Superstars of America where they held tag team title once. AlsoDemolition Hux portrayed byGarry Robbins.
In between his time as Repo Man in the WWF and his 1994–1995 stint as Blacktop Bully in WCW, Darsow wrestled as Smash inAustralia for local promotion AWF in mid 1993, losing to Hawk on 14 June in Melbourne.
In the mid-1990s, Bill Eadie filed a lawsuit against the WWF for the rights of the "Demolition" name and gimmick but lost. Ax, Smash and Crush signed a deal withJakks Pacific to make Demolition Classic Superstars action figures. Ax and Smash were together in a 2-pack for Toys R Us, each had a singles figure from series #14, and were packaged and repainted with Crush in a 3-pack for Walmart.
On April 1, 2007, Darsow and Eadie reunited for the first time in 16 years at a "Meet the Legends" event inWindsor, Ontario,Canada.[53]
On August 13, 2007, Brian Adams was found unconscious in his Tampa, Florida home. Adams' wife found him not breathing in his bed, and summoned paramedics. The wrestler could not be revived, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police could not immediately determine a cause of death, but noted no signs of injury.[54][55]
On September 29, 2007, Darsow and Eadie reunited as the tag team Demolition for the first time in 16 years inOrlando, Florida at a United States Xtreme Wrestling event. They once again became tag team champions, defeating theChristopher Street Connection (Buff-E and Mace) to win the UXW Tag Team Championship.[53]
On Friday, February 22, 2008, both Ax and Smash were re-united and inducted into the XWF Hall of Fame by Jack Blaze who also inducted both New Jack & Shark Boy in the same night. Later that year, XWF became LPW (Legends Pro Wrestling) where Demolition are still honored as LPW Hall of Fame Inductees- Class 2008.
Demolition teamed withOne Man Gang in the 28-teamKing of Trios tournament held byChikara during the weekend of February 29 and March 1 and 2, 2008 inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania. While losing the three-man tournament they did win the Tag Team gauntlet.[56]
On November 13, 2010, Demolition appeared at WrestleRage VIII in Villa Park, Illinois with POWW Entertainment.[57] They beat the team of Picture Perfect for the POWW Tag Team titles, but quickly lost them after the first match to the team of Trevor Blanchard and Black Iron.[57]
On May 21, 2011, Demolition reunited atFull Impact Pro's debutiPPVIn Full Force.[58] Their match againstTony DeVito and Ralph Mosco went to a no contest when local commentator and manager Larry Dallas came out and said his men wanted revenge. The ring was stormed byManu,Sami Callihan, Blain Rage and Joey Attel. Demolition, Devito and Mosco managed to clear the ring and beat Dallas to end the show.[58][59]
On September 16, 2012, Demolition returned to Chikara, taking part in the tag team gauntlet match at the2012 King of Trios tournament, from which they were eliminated by their old WWF rivals, The Powers of Pain.[60]
In 2013, Demolition were set to perform for the eastern Canadian independent promotion XWA. The former champions were scheduled to make appearances in Saint John (June 6), Fredericton (June 7), Miramichi (June 8), and Bathurst (June 9).
In November 2013, their Demolition Decapitation finishing move was rated the 7th greatest Tag Team Finisher of all time.[61]
In July 2016, Eadie and Darsow were named part of aclass actionlawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit is litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[62] The lawsuit was dismissed by US District JudgeVanessa Lynne Bryant in September 2018.[63]
On May 6, 2017, Demolition wrestled their last match as a tag team. Both Eadie and Darsow retired from wrestling later that year.
Colley died December 14, 2019.
See alsoMoondog Rex#Championships and accomplishments,Ax (wrestler)#Championships and accomplishments andBrian Adams (wrestler)#Championships and accomplishments for singles titles (and tag team titles with a non-Demolition partner) won by the original Smash, Ax and Crush respectively while using the Demolition gimmick.
The below list includes only tag team titles held by teams billed under the Demolition name and consisting purely of two or more of the members both/all using their Demolition personas. All championships and accomplishments below are by the Ax and (Darsow) Smash line-up unless otherwise noted.
WWF @ Springfield, MA – Civic Center – January 4, 1987
Pete Doherty won a $50,000 20-man bunkhouse battle royal; other participants included: Hillbilly Jim, Dick Slater, Mike Rotundo, Dan Spivey, Lanny Poffo, Don Muraco, Bob Orton Jr., Brutus Beefcake, Sika, Demolition, the Islanders Greg Valentine, & Jim Neidhart ... Demolition defeated the Islanders...
WWF @ Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena – February 21, 1987...Saturday Night's Main Event #10 – 3/14/87 on NBC ...
Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) won a 20-man battle royal at 11:16 by last eliminating Billy Jack Haynes after Haynes grabbed for Heenan on the ring apron; other participants included: WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant (w/ Bobby Heenan), Ron Bass, B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell, Demolition, the Islanders, Billy Jack Haynes, Hillbilly Jim, the Honkytonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart), Blackjack Mulligan, Paul Orndorff, Lanny Poffo, Butch Reed, Sika, Nikolai Volkoff, & Koko B. Ware
The Powers of Pain, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid, Jim Powers & Paul Roma, and Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition (w/Mr. Fuji), the Conquistadors, Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (w/Bobby Heenan), Jacques & Raymond Rougeau (w/Jimmy Hart), and Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov; Bret pinned Raymond Rougeau by blocking a backdrop attempt and using an inside cradle; Zhukov pinned Powers with the momentum of a flying crossbody put Zhukov on top; Jannetty pinned Zhukov with a sunset flip into the ring after a blow to the midsection by Michaels; Blanchard pinned Bret when Hart pinned himself with a German suplex into a bridge; Michaels & Jannetty fought Anderson & Blanchard to a double disqualification for brawling in the ring and eventually fighting to the backstage area; Smash pinned Dynamite with a clothesline after Dynamite missed a diving headbutt off the top; Demolition was counted-out after Mr. Fuji pulled the rope down, causing Smash to fall to the floor; the Barbarian pinned a Conquistador with a running headbutt off the ropes after Fuji tripped a Conquistador; after the match, Demolition cleared the ring of Powers of Pain and Fuji
Ax & Smash regained the titles, but Crush joined and defended the titles with Smash.
WWF Tag Team Champions Smash & Crush (w/ Ax) defeated Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty at 9:31 when Ax interfered behind referee Joey Marella's back, hit a clothesline on Michaels as Michaels had Smash rolled up, and scored the pin; after the bout, both the Hart Foundation and the Legion of Doom came to the ring to dispute the decision
Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition (Crush & Smash) at 14:24 in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match to win the titles; fall #1: Bret was pinned at 6:09 after sustaining the Decapitation; fall #2: the champions were disqualified at 10:06 after Crush physically prevented the referee from counting a pinfall on Smash after Smash sustained the Hart Attack; fall #3: Bret pinned Crush with a school boy roll up after Neidhart hit a slingshot shoulderblock into the ring, moments after the Legion of Doom came ringside and began brawling with Smash and an interfering Ax; pre-match stipulations stated that only two of the three members of Demolition was allowed at ringside, but Ax came down mid-way through the contest and hid underneath the ring, eventually switching places with Smash without the referee noticing
Crush def. Repo Man
No. 7: Demolition Decapitation (Demolition)
