Demolition (professional wrestling)

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Demolition
Tag Team
Members Ax[1]
Smash[1]
Crush[1]
Name(s) Demolition
Heights Ax[1]:
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2][3]
Smash[1]:
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[4][5]
Crush[1]:
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[6]
Combined weight Varied depending on combination
Former member(s) Smash (I)[1][7]
Debut January 17, 1987[1][8]
Promotions WWF

Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominant during the late 1980s / early 1990s in World Wrestling Federation (WWF) made up of Ax (Bill Eadie), Smash (Barry Darsow), and later Crush (Brian Adams).[1] In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions.[9]

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] World Wrestling Federation (1987-1991)

[edit] Formation (1987)

Randy Colley and Bill Eadie created the Demolition gimmick and worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF). They debuted as a heel tag team on January 17, 1987 edition of Superstars, alongside manager Lucious Johnny V, defeating the team of Salvatore Bellomo and Mario Mancini.[8] After only a few matches, however, Colley was replaced with Barry Darsow for reasons which vary depending on the source (either he was recognizable as the former Moondog Rex or there was a contract dispute with the WWF which led to his leaving the company). In an RF shoot interview with Eadie and Darsow Eadie claimed it was because Colley was recognizable to the fans. The WWF pitched a few other names to him, but Eadie wouldn't talk to them because fans would recognize them as well. Darsow came into the picture via Eadie's friend Ivan Koloff and he was having a dispute with Jim Crockett Promotions. Eadie saw him as a face fans in the WWF hadn't seen before and thus wouldn't be recognized so he became Smash.[1][4][5][7]

[edit] The Beginning of Domination (1987)

On March 14 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Demolition participated in a battle royal, won by Hercules Hernandez.[10] 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 of Ken Patera and Billy Jack Haynes, which started after Ax & Smash brutalized WWF jobber Brady Boone (cousin of Billy Jack Haynes) during a televised match. Demolition claimed victories over all of the established face tag teams in the WWF at the time, including the Killer Bees (Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair), The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond), British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith),[11] The Young Stallions (Paul Roma and Jim Powers),[8] The Islanders (Haku and Tama)[8] and Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk).[11]

Around that same period, they took on Mr. Fuji as their manager. Demolition made their pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series 1987 in a 10 team tag team match where 5 babyface teams faced 5 heel teams. Demolition were part of the heel group and the face team went on to win the match.[12]

[edit] Demolition Domination (1988-1990)

Demolition proved to be a dominant tag team since their debut. At WrestleMania IV, Ax and Smash defeated Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana) to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship, thus starting their domination as champions.[1][13][14] As champions, they easily 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 British Bulldogs[15][1] and Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart).[16][17][1]

Their first big challenge came in the summer of 1988, when Powers of Pain (the Warlord and the Barbarian) entered the WWF and challenged them for the Tag Team Championship. Sensing that his team could not defeat these new challengers, Mr. Fuji turned on Demolition at Survivor Series 1988 and began to manage the Powers of Pain.[18][19] Demolition turned babyfaces as a result of this betrayal by Mr. Fuji and defeated the Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji in a tag team handicap match at WrestleMania V to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.[20] Prior to this, Ax and Smash also memorably squared off against each other as entrants #1 and #2 in the Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble 1989 before being joined in the ring by André the Giant.[21]

After WrestleMania, Demolition started a feud with The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), who were the members of the heel stable The Heenan Family. On May 27, 1989 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Demolition defended the titles against Brain Busters and retained the titles by getting disqualified.[22] Demolition became the longest reigning WWF Tag Team Champions after breaking the record of The Valiant Brothers (Jimmy and Johnny), and lasting a reign of 478 days.[23] They finally dropped the titles to Brain Busters in a two-out-of-three-falls match on July 18 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event.[1][24] Demolition started a feud with André the Giant and The Twin Towers (Akeem and Big Bossman). At SummerSlam 1989, Jim Duggan and Demolition defeated André and Twin Towers in a six man tag team match.[25] Demolition focused on regaining the tag titles and restarted their feud with Brain Busters. On November 4 edition of Superstars (taped on October 2), Demolition defeated Brain Busters to regain their tag titles back and win their second WWF Tag Team Championship.[1][8][26]

Demolition next feuded with new team of Heenan Family, known as The Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku). On December 30 edition of Superstars (taped on December 13), Demolition lost the tag titles to Colossal Connection.[1][8] At WrestleMania VI, Demolition defeated Colossal Connection to regain the titles and win their third and final WWF Tag Team Championship, and finally putting an end to their feud with the Heenan Family.[1][27][28]

[edit] Demolition trio (1990-1991)

Shortly after WrestleMania, Brian Adams debuted in WWF and joined the team as Crush.[1][6][29] In kayfabe, this was related to their new "(heel)" attitude, but it was actually because Eadie had developed an allergy to shellfish (which he attributes to his constant trips to Japan) which hospitalized him, and WWF owner and head booker Vince 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.[30]

Crush soon took a more active role, teaming with Smash while Ax faded into the background, becoming more of a manager. At this time Demolition used the so-called "Freebird rule" to allow any two members to wrestle the matches. Smash and Crush defended the titles in the summer of 1990. On July 28, 1990 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Smash and Crush defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) to retain the titles[1][31] after Ax interfered on their behalf and attacked Michaels.[32] However, the next month at SummerSlam 1990, Demolition lost the titles to Hart Foundation in a historic two-out-of-three falls match after interference by Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal),[1][33][34] who had signed with the WWF a month earlier. They never recaptured the titles after this loss.

Soon after, due to Legion of Doom (L.O.D.) now being on the WWF roster, Demolition's popularity began to decline, despite regaining the managerial services of Mr. Fuji in the fall of 1990. As a result of the interference by LOD, Demolition began feuding with Ultimate Warrior and LOD. On October 13 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Ax, Smash and Crush lost to Ultimate Warrior and LOD.[1][35] At Survivor Series 1990, Perfect Team (Demolition and Mr. Perfect) were defeated by Ultimate Warriors (The Ultimate Warrior, The Texas Tornado, and The Legion of Doom).[1][36] Shortly after, Ax left the WWF, with the on-air explanation being an order from kayfabe WWF President Jack 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 final match to Genichiro Tenryu and Koji Kitao at WrestleMania VII in March 1991 before they broke up and the members went their separate ways.[37] As Crush went on a leave of absence from the WWF, Smash wrestled in singles matches (usually on the losing end) for several months before becoming Repo Man, a sneaky thief claiming to be a repossessor, in the fall of 1991. Crush would return in the spring of 1992 as a face, beginning a run as the popular "Kona Crush" (a surfer type). The two ended up facing off at SummerSlam 1992, with Crush getting the victory.[38]

[edit] Post WWF

After leaving the WWF, Eadie began using the name Axis the Demolisher on the independent circuit and took in original "Smash" gimmick owner Randy Colley as well as Carmine Azzato under the name of Demolition Blast in an attempt to resurrect the Demolition name and gimmick.[39][40] They were sent a cease and desist letter by the WWF once they found out.

In the mid 1990s, Bill Eadie filed a lawsuit against the WWF for the rights of the "Demolition" name and gimmick but lost. Smash recently inked a deal with Jakks Pacific to make a Demolition Legends action figure.

The team was referenced at SummerSlam 2006 when The McMahons performed their finishing move, The Demolition Decapitation, on Shawn Michaels during their tag match against D Generation X.

On April 1, 2007, Darsow and Eadie reunited for the first time in 16 years at a "Meet the Legends" event in Windsor, Ontario, Canada[41].

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. [42][43]

On September 29, 2007, Darsow and Eadie reunited as the tag team Demolition for the first time in 16 years in Orlando, Florida at a United States Xtreme Wrestling event. They once again became tag team champions, defeating the Christopher Street Connection (Buff-E and Mace) to win the UXW Tag Team Championship. [44].

Demolition teamed with One Man Gang in the 28-team King of Trios tournament held by CHIKARA during the weekend of February 29, and March 1 and 2, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While losing the three man tournament they did win the Tag Team gauntlet.[45]

[edit] In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature maneuvers
  • Managers
Demolition had one of the most distinctive pieces of theme music in the late 80s WWF. "Demolition" was a piece of hard-driven rock music by Rick Derringer, whose lyrics introduced both members of the team ("Here comes the Ax, and here comes the Smasher"). The song was eventually released on Piledriver - The Wrestling Album 2. During the fall of 1990, the song was replaced with a dark, brooding instrumental track.

[edit] Championships/Accomplishments

  • Ranked #59 of the 100 best tag teams during the PWI Years in 2003.
  • United States Xtreme Wrestling
  • UXW Tag Team Championship (1 time, current)[44]
  • Ranked them #6 of the greatest tag teams in Sports Entertainment history.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Demolition Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  2. ^ Bill Eadie's Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  3. ^ Demolition Ax Bio. Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  4. ^ a b Barry Darsow's Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  5. ^ a b Barry Darsow Bio. Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  6. ^ a b Brian Adams Bio. Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  7. ^ a b Randy Colley's Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  8. ^ a b c d e f WWF Superstars of Wrestling Results (1986-1997). Angelfire. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  9. ^ a b World Tag Team Championship official title history. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
  10. ^ WWF Show Results 1987. Angelfire (1987-03-14). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “Hercules won a 20-man battle royal by last eliminating Billy Jack Haynes when Haynes was distracted by Bobby Heenan on the ring apron; other participants included: Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ron Bass, B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell, Demolition, the Islanders, Billy Jack Haynes, Hillbilly Jim, the Honkytonk Man, Blackjack Mulligan, Paul Orndorff, Lanny Poffo, Butch Reed, Sika, Nikolai Volkoff, & Koko B. Ware”
  11. ^ a b WWF Prime Time Wrestling Results (1985-1996). Angelfire. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  12. ^ Survivor Series 1987 official results. WWE (1987-11-26). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “The Killer Bees, The Young Stallions, Strike Force, The British Bulldogs & The Rougeau Brothers def. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Dino Bravo, Demolition, The Hart Foundation, The Islanders & The Bolsheviks”
  13. ^ WrestleMania IV official results. WWE (1988-03-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “World Tag Team Championship: Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji def. Strike Force to become new champions”
  14. ^ a b Demolition's first World Tag Team Championship reign. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  15. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - April 30, 1988. WWE (1988-04-30). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “World Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition (champions) def. British Bulldogs by DQ”
  16. ^ SummerSlam 1988 official results. WWE (1988-08-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “World Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition def. The Hart Foundation to retain”
  17. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - October 29, 1988. WWE (1988-10-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “World Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition (champions) def. the Hart Foundation by disqualification”
  18. ^ Survivor Series 1988 official results. WWE (1988-11-24). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “Powers of Pain, The Rockers, The Young Stallions, The Hart Foundation & The British Bulldogs def. Demolition, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, Los Conquistadores, The Bolsheviks & The Brain Busters”
  19. ^ WWF Show Results 1988. Angelfire (1988-11-24). Retrieved on 2008-04-11. “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”
  20. ^ WrestleMania V official results. WWE (1989-04-02). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “World Tag Team Championship Handicap Match: Demolition def. Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji to retain”
  21. ^ Big John Studd (spot No. 27) wins the Royal Rumble Match. WWE (1989-01-15). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Ax and Smash of Demolition drew Nos. 1 and 2 - then went at it - proving that it's every man for himself in the Royal Rumble Match”
  22. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - May 27, 1989. WWE (1989-05-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “World Tag Team Championship Match: The Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) def. Demolition (champions) by disqualification”
  23. ^ WWE World Tag Team Championship History. Hoffco-Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
  24. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - July 18, 1989. WWE (1989-07-18). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Best 2-out-of-3 World Tag Team Championship Match: The Brain Busters def. Demolition (new champions)”
  25. ^ SummerSlam 1989 official results. WWE (1989-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Demolition & Hacksaw Jim Duggan def. Andre the Giant, Akeem & Big Bossman”
  26. ^ a b Demolition's second World Tag Team Championship reign. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
  27. ^ WrestleMania VI official results. WWE (1990-04-01). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “World Tag Team Championship: Demolition def. Colossal Connection w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan to become new champions”
  28. ^ a b Demolition's third World Tag Team Championship reign. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
  29. ^ WWE World Tag Team Championship History. Complete WWE. Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Ax & Smash regained the titles, but Crush joined and defended the titles with Smash.”
  30. ^ Bill Eadie, Barry Darsow. (2007). Shoot Interview with Demolition (documentary) [DVD]. RF Video.
  31. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - July 28, 1990. WWE (1990-07-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “World Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition (champions) def. the Rockers”
  32. ^ WWF Show Results 1990. Angelfire (1990-07-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “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”
  33. ^ SummerSlam 1990 official results. WWE (1990-08-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “2/3 Falls World Tag Team Champiosnhip Match: The Hart Foundation def. Demolition to become new champions”
  34. ^ WWF Show Results 1990. WWE (1990-08-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “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 were 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”
  35. ^ Saturday Night's Main Event results - October 13, 1990. WWE (1990-10-13). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Ultimate Warrior & L.O.D. def. Demolition (Ax, Smash & Crush)”
  36. ^ Survivor Series 1990 official results. WWE (1990-11-22). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “The Warriors: Ultimate Warrior, "The Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich & The Legion of Doom def. The Perfect Team: Mr. Perfect & Demolition. Sole Survivor: Ultimate Warrior”
  37. ^ WrestleMania VII official results. WWE (1991-03-24). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Genichiro Tenryu & Koji Kitao def. Demolition”
  38. ^ SummerSlam 1989 official results. WWE (1992-08-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-12. “Crush def. Repo Man”
  39. ^ Demolition Online Onslaught article. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  40. ^ 1 wrestling article. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  41. ^ Fans mingle with legends on 'Mania Day. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  42. ^ Brian "Crush" Adams passes away; WWE; 2007-08-13; accessed 2007-08-13
  43. ^ Cops: Wrestler's Wife Discovered Body
  44. ^ a b Fans mingle with legends on 'Mania Day. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  45. ^ CHIKARA King of Trios. CHIKARA. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.

[edit] External links

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