Barry Darsow

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Barry Darsow
Statistics
Ring name(s) Demolition Smash
Krusher Khruschev
Repo Man
Blacktop Bully
Barry "Hole In One" Darsow
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Billed weight 290 lb (132 kg)
Born October 6, 1959
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Trained by Eddie Sharkey
Debut 1984
Retired 2001

Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and several regional promotions in the 1980s and 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Career

Barry Darsow started wrestling in 1984 for Mid-South Wrestling as Krusher Darsow, a turncoat American who was now a Soviet sympathizer. He won the Mid-South Television Title from Terry Taylor on May 2, 1984 but lost it back to Taylor on June 16, 1984. Darsow moved on to Florida Championship Wrestling where he teamed with Jim Neidhart as Krusher Khruschev. They won the Florida United States Tag Team Titles on October 11, 1984 from Hector Guerrero and Cocoa Samoa. They held them until December 1984, when they lost them to Mark and Jay Youngblood.

[edit] Jim Crockett Promotions

Krusher moved on to the National Wrestling Alliance to work for Jim Crockett, Jr. in December 1984. He was awarded a third of the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff. The Koloff's had already won the NWA World Tag Team Championship and Ivan declared that any two of them could defend the titles.

They feuded with the Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) and the Road Warriors. On July 9, 1985, he and Ivan lost the NWA Tag Titles to the Rock 'N Roll Express.

At StarrCade, on November 28, 1985, Krusher won the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sam Houston. On January 11, 1986, Krusher was wrestling Houston on TBS and severely injured his knee. He lost the title to Houston and had to take almost six months off to recover.

When Krusher returned, Nikita was in a hot feud with Magnum T.A. for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. On August 17, 1986, Krusher helped Nikita win the title in the final match of a best of 7 series by holding the referee while Nikita used his "Russian" chain on Magnum.

After helping Nikita defeat Magnum, Krusher and Ivan targeted the new NWA United States Tag Team Championship, which was to be awarded to the winners of a tournament. They reached the finals, held on September 26, 1986, and defeated the "Kansas Jayhawks" (Dutch Mantel and Bobby Jaggers) with Nikita's help to become the first US Tag Team Champions.

In October 1986, Magnum T.A. endured a car accident that ended his career, and after admitting that he respected his one-time rival, Nikita turned on Ivan and Krusher to team with Magnum's good friend, Dusty Rhodes.

Krusher and Ivan briefly feuded with Nikita and Rhodes but primarily defended their titles in rematches against Mantel and Jaggers. On December 9, 1986, they lost the US Tag Titles to Ron Garvin and Barry Windham.

Darsow's contract ran out and he left Jim Crockett Promotions.

[edit] World Wrestling Federation

Ax & Smash of Demolition
Ax & Smash of Demolition

Darsow next went to World Wrestling Federation, where he replaced Randy Colley as Smash in the tag team Demolition, alongside Ax. At first, they were managed by Johnny Valiant, but he was soon replaced by Mr. Fuji. Their initial feuds involved the team of Ken Patera and Billy Jack Haynes, and Strike Force, comprised of Tito Santana and Rick Martel.

On March 27, 1988 at WrestleMania IV, they defeated Strike Force to win their first WWF World Tag Team Titles. They soon lost Mr. Fuji as he left to manage their newest rivals, the Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord). The double turn at Survivor Series 1988 was the solution to the massive popularity being enjoyed by Demolition, who were designed to be the heels in their rivalry with the face Powers of Pain.

They lost the WWF Tag Team Titles to Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, known as The Brain Busters, on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event on July 18, 1989. They regained the titles on October 2, 1989, but lost them to The Colossal Connection, Haku and André the Giant, on December 13, 1989. They defeated the Connection at WrestleMania VI on April 1, 1990 to become the third full-time team to win three titles in WWF history. (The first team that achieved the three-peat was Professor Tanaka and Mr. Fuji between 1972-1978 and The Wild Samoans being the second team from 1980-1983.) The duo was joined by Crush (Brian Adams) later in 1990, making them a 3-man tag team. Ax began appearing in a managerial role which was to eventually lead to the phasing out of the character. Demolition lost the titles to The Hart Foundation at SummerSlam 1990.

In 1991, after Adams briefly left the WWF, Darsow was repackaged as The Repo Man, a sneaky heel character who delighted in repossessing items such as cars from people when they were late on (or unable to make) their payments. During this run, he had feuds with Tito Santana, Virgil, the returning Crush and Tatanka.

[edit] Post WWF

In 1993, Darsow left for the IAW promotion where he teamed with Paul Roma to win the IAW Tag Team Title on February 4, 1993. They held them until July 24, 1993, when they lost them to Iron Sheik and Brian Costello.

[edit] World Championship Wrestling

Darsow went to WCW in 1994 and was always seen in the front row with a blowhorn making noise and berating the faces while they wrestled. He was soon "arrested" for pushing Dustin Rhodes. Col. Rob Parker bailed him out and he became The Blacktop Bully, with Parker as his manager. He feuded with Runnels but was fired after the Uncensored PPV when he and Runnels bladed due to miscommunication from management. It is widely believed that they were instructed to blade by some road agents, despite a strict no-blood policy in WCW as a way to cut costs by firing some wrestlers, and giving management an excuse to do such.

From there, he went to Pro Wrestling America in Minnesota to feud with Wahoo McDaniel and Tom Zenk. He next appeared in the AWF, Tito Santana's promotion. He had Jimmy Valiant's wife Big Mama as his valet. The AWF folded at the beginning of 1997 and Darsow disappeared until October 1997, when he returned to WCW wrestling under his own name, and then repackaged as "Mr. Hole-in-One" Barry Darsow (originally supposed to be called "Stewart Pain" after golfer Payne Stewart, dropped at the last second). Darsow feuded with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Chris Adams during this time, typically on WCW's "C-show" WCW Saturday Night. He often entered the ring in casual wear and a flat cap as if ready to golf and, prior to matches, would offer his opponents a victory if they could make a putt in the ring. Darsow's golf gimmick was able to keep him in WCW until the end of 1999, when he left the company.

[edit] After World Championship Wrestling

He joined the WXO promotion run by Ted DiBiase. He feuded with Mike Enos until it folded shortly after.

[edit] Wrestlemania X-Seven

Darsow made one last WWF appearance at WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001 for the gimmick battle royal as the Repo Man.

[edit] Retirement

Today, Darsow stays busy, balancing his time between his two businesses, his family, and the golf course. The former grappler owns Added Value Printing, a printing company that specializes in hard-hats and medical supplies, and also sells real estate on the side.

[edit] Finishing and signature moves

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

  • National
  • Regional
  • PWI ranked him # 297 of the best 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • Ranked # 59 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Ax as Demolition.
  • Other Titles
  • IAW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Paul Roma

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • Darsow attended high school in Minneapolis with six other future wrestlers: Curt Hennig, Richard Rood (Rick Rude), Brady Boone, Tom Zenk, John Nord, and Nelson Simpson (Nikita Koloff).
  • Darsow has been a part of two teams whose reigns operated under the Freebird Rule where any two of three or more members could defend the tag team titles.
  • He also worked as a bouncer with the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal.
  • Darsow played football with Simpson in high school.
  • Japanese band Aural Vampire produced a song called "The Repoman" and use video footage of Darsow and other wrestlers in live performances.

[edit] References

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