Tag: Demolition

Demolition explains how relationship with WWE changed

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Demolition have waited 36 years to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. And if Vince McMahon were still in charge of the company, they might be waiting even longer.

Bill “Ax” Eadie and Barry “Smash” Darsow discussed their upcoming Hall of Fame induction with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray on the Busted Open Podcast. Without using anyone’s name, Eadie said they might not be welcome in WWE had their not been a regime change at the top of the company.

“I think that, and Barry and I have both talked about it, if it wasn’t for the fans, I really believe the pressure over the years, and a lot of our peers mentioned it, we really never thought we would be inducted,” he said. “And I don’t think we would have been under a different administration. But that’s changed and our relationship with the company has changed drastically.”

That change, according to Darsow, began when they signed a WWE legends contract last year. “We debated, do we want to really get into this or what we’re going to do? So, finally, we decided, well, let’s let’s sign the Legends contract and see what happens.”

The two were then invited to the Hall of Fame ceremonies last year. Darsow said they were treated very well, specifically mentioning CM Punk, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker among those who welcomed them.

Demolition won three World Tag Team Championships in the WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their first reign lasted 478 days, and they spent 698 total days as champion. Those are both records for those sets of tag team titles, which were retired in 2010.

Their last WWF match as Demolition was at Survivor Series in 1990 (though Darsow continued to use the gimmick, teaming with Bryan “Crush” Adams). Eadie would later sue the promotion over the rights to the Demolition gimmick; that lawsuit was settled out of court in 1997.

Demolition on their WWE success, favorite opponents

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Professionalism was a key ingredient in Demolition’s WWE success.

It was announced last week that Demolition — Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow — will finally be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 42 weekend. They spoke with Bill Apter about the news and addressed how their team was able to maintain its success while other tag teams broke apart.

“We were both easy-going guys,” Eadie said. “I mean, we both knew that it was a job. We were enjoying it, we were getting paid well, and we knew it was going to be successful. So why not ride the wave?”

“I think both Bill and I had — our job as Demolition was our number one thing on the road,” Darsow added. “We didn’t go out and party and do everything. It was the gym, then wrestling, and finish the tour and go home with our families. And I think that’s what made it last so long.”

When asked to name their favorite opponents, Demolition said it would be too difficult to narrow it down that much since they had fun every single night they were in the ring. They did list The British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation, Killer Bees, Brainbusters, The Warlord & Barbarian, Tito Santana & Rick Martel, and The Rockers as some of the teams they enjoyed facing most.

Demolition were three-time WWF Tag Team Champions in the 1980s-1990s. For a long time, they held the record as the longest-reigning champions in history until that was eventually surpassed by The New Day.

A Hall of Fame induction did not happen for Demolition until now due to them being on the outs with the company over lawsuits they had been involved in against WWE. But after Vince McMahon’s exit, they were brought back into the fold and signed to WWE Legends contracts.

The 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas on Friday, April 17 and will also include AJ Styles and Stephanie McMahon being inducted. More inductees are still to be announced in the coming weeks.

Demolition thank fans, legends for helping them reach WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Since their WWE Hall of Fame induction was announced, Demolition have received an outpouring of love from fans and their pro wrestling peers.

Demolition (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) put out a new episode of their DemoPod today thanking everyone who contributed to getting them into the Hall of Fame. They believe fan support played a big role — as did the support of wrestling legends like Kevin Nash and Bret Hart.

“We really do gotta say, you brought up Kevin Nash, he’s a great guy. And he’s been pushing for us getting into the Hall of Fame for years. We need to thank him,” Darsow said. “Bret Hart, there’s so many guys. Ric Flair called me up last year and said, ‘Congratulations, you’re getting into the Hall of Fame.’ I said, ‘Ric, no, not yet, we’re not there.’ [Flair said], ‘Oh, I thought you were going in.'”

They noted that Typhoon, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudleyz, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, The Warlord, and The Barbarian are some of the people who have reached out since news of the induction broke.

“It just keeps going on. You try to answer all of these because you want to, and it’s all day on there,” Darsow said. “So thank you to everybody.”

Demolition were one of WWE’s most memorable acts of the 1980s and early 1990s. Their HOF induction was long-awaited and comes after they signed WWE Legends contracts last year. Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s ascension into power brought Demolition back into the fold after they had been on the outs with Vince McMahon over lawsuits they were involved in against the company.

“It’s nice to be back in the frat house. We were in the fraternity for years, but we weren’t allowed in the frat house for some reason,” Eadie said. “But now we’re back in the house.”

Darsow said they’ve been in conversations with WWE over who will be inducting them into the Hall of Fame. They can’t reveal any information yet but have gone over names and are going through the process.

The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class also includes Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, and more names to be announced. The ceremony will take place in Las Vegas on Friday, April 17 during WrestleMania week. Eadie and Darsow said their families are already making plans for everything they want to do during their few days in Vegas.

Daily Update: WWE notes, Jeff Jarrett documentary, Mickie James

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered in this issue:

  • A detailed look at the WBD/Paramount/Netflix situation, what the latest decision of WBD to Paramount entails, the keys to why this is happening, business notes, how this affects AEW and can it get approved.
  • A look at the UFC and WWE business in 2025 and in the final quarter of this past year. We look at the numbers, what they mean, why WWE was more profitable in 2025 than UFC and the key thing that can change that in 2026, Mark Shapiro talks ESPN value to WWE, lots of news about the business of the White House show, UFC fighters upset over pay, why WWE wrestlers are so underpaid but not publicly upset over, and business initiatives going forward
  • The violence in Mexico and tons of wrestling shows canceled this past week
  • We look in depth at the Janel Grant speech from last week, what we learned, what she said, and where everything stands.
  • Update on the build for WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, business notes, ticket sales and favorites for the weekend.
  • An updated look at AEW Revolution and business notes
  • The retirement of AJ Styles looked at
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings from the past week, including comparisons with a year ago, competition, demos and much more.
  • Notes from Arena Mexico
  • CMLL attempts to break a North American record next week
  • Cinderalla tournament in Stardom
  • Fantastica Mania notes
  • The life and times of former Olympic wrestler Bobby Douglas, his coaching career, his beating Dan Gable, and two notable pro wrestlers he coached
  • College wrestling sets an attendance mark already this season
  • Who had the most top ten matches of the year over a career according to Cage match.
  • City builds a bust memorializing top 80s star
  • WrestleMania week schedule
  • Former MMA fighter and pro wrestler running for Governor
  • Robbery of the ring truck for an indie group
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next two months.
  • How many subscribers does Paramount need to make up for UFC expenses
  • More talk on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
  • Stand & Deliver moves and why
  • When Roman Reigns and Brock Ldesnar are booked for TV in the Mania build
  • Pro wrestler who is active in Japan competes this weekend for the U.S.national team in anther sport
  • Notes on a newcomer to WWE who started this week
  • More notes on value of Dwayne Johnson’s TKO stock

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Ricky Saints/Joe Hendry segment that closed NXT last night.
  • Brock Lesnar has recorded an interview for an upcoming episode of the Barstool Sports podcast Spittin Chiclets.
  • While speaking with Undisputed, Bill Eadie (Demolition Ax) credited the fans for playing a big role in Demolition’s WWE Hall of Fame induction:
    • We owe our career to the fans and to the unselfish sacrifice of our families. As for fan support, we have always said that without their support, there is no drive to excel.
    • The fans drive the sport. They give you a reason to do your best. They drive you to do your best. After all these years of support, we truly believe they were a great part of the decision making to induct us into the Hall of Fame.
  • Rey Fenix congratulated his brother Penta on winning the Intercontinental title: “Congrats brother, you will always be my favorite luchador, i love you @penta_zero_miedo I miss sharing the ring with you, but now I think; would it be good to relive old times?”
  • The Undertaker revealed the official poster for AAA Rey de Reyes 2026.
  • Busted Open Radio has an interview with Bayley.
  • Bayley noted that she’s received an “insane” amount of applicants for her upcoming Lodestone women’s wrestling seminar in Las Vegas:
    • Insane response to this. I wish I didn’t have to make a cut off, but unfortunately space is limited in the building. And I want to ensure that everyone attending gets an equal experience. Thank you for your understanding.  Going through emails this week!
  • TV Insider asked Xavier Woods how it feels to now have been in WWE for more than 15 years:
    • I’m 22 years in wrestling, and that is shocking to me. I’ve very much enjoyed myself. I think I’ve had the chance to show what I can do in a lot of situations and with different opportunities. It has given me the chance to go and perform in places like Japan, Australia, the U.K., and South America, and other places I may have never got to have been in my life. We were able to build what we were able to build with the New Day and inspire a generation to be themselves. We have shown wrestling doesn’t have to be seen in one specific way. It can be fun at the end of the day. That’s what we are here to do at the end of the day, have a good time. It feels great.
  • Charlotte Flair made an appearance at last night’s Anaheim Ducks vs. Colorado Avalanche NHL game.
  • WWE Vault uploaded the “WWF Desire” music video from 2001.

Other Wrestling

Demolition react to WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Demolition are excited to finally take their place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

It was revealed this week that Demolition (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during the Friday of WrestleMania 42 weekend. After the news was announced, Eadie & Darsow appeared on the Edlow Podcast and opened up about how much this means to them.

“It’s a little overwhelming, to be honest with you. I mean, we just got word of it the other day. And it’s an honor because to be involved with something in our profession and be accepted in that fraternity with all the talent that’s in the Hall, it’s humbling,” Eadie said. “There’s a great amount of talent there. To be considered worthy to be in the Hall is a very, very big thing for us.”

They were informed of their induction during a Zoom call this past Saturday. Eadie and Darsow thought the call would just be to discuss new merchandise items, but The Undertaker then jumped on and surprised them with the news that they’re going into the Hall of Fame.

Darsow noted that, when they’ve appeared at conventions over the years, fans would always ask when Demolition would be inducted. They’re humbled to now have a spot alongside all of the great tag teams that have been honored.

“There’s so many great tag teams. They ask us, ‘Who’s your favorite tag team?’ Well, it’s so hard to say because they’re all of our favorites. We love it,” Darsow said. “So to all of a sudden to get inducted into this Hall of Fame is just a huge, huge thing. So we’re very excited about it.”

This induction comes after Demolition signed WWE Legends contracts in 2025. There was previously some heat over lawsuits Eadie and Darsow were involved with against the company, but Paul “Triple H” Levesque coming into power paved the way for Demolition to be brought back into the fold.

“We’ve always got along great with everybody, but I think there was a little heat before,” Darsow said. “And now there’s not, and we’re just excited to be with the WWE again.”

Demolition — known individually as Ax & Smash — were three-time Tag Team Champions for WWE in the 1980s/1990s and are still considered among the most memorable teams in company history.

Stephanie McMahon and AJ Styles have also been confirmed for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class, with more inductees to be revealed in the coming weeks. The ceremony is being held at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas on April 17.

Demolition to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One of the most memorable tag teams in WWE history is finally being inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame.

It was revealed today that Demolition (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas. They join AJ Styles and Stephanie McMahon as members of the 2026 class. Like with Styles and McMahon, Demolition were informed of their induction by a surprise announcement from The Undertaker.

Demolition — who individually went by the names Ax & Smash — were three-time WWF Tag Team Champions in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their first reign, which spanned for 478 days, was the longest in WWE history until it was broken by The New Day in 2015-2016.

A Hall of Fame induction did not materialize until now due to Demolition and WWE being on poor terms. In the 1990s, Eadie filed a lawsuit against the company over the rights to the Demolition gimmick. He and Darsow were later part of a class-action concussion lawsuit against WWE.

In 2025, Demolition signed Legends contracts with WWE. They now have a better relationship with the company under its new regime with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Nick Khan leading the way.

WWE has yet to announce the venue or exact date for the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony. It traditionally happens on the Friday of WrestleMania week.

Wrestling legends talk ‘new’ relationship with WWE: ‘Bygones be bygones’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Wrestling legends and WWE veterans Bill “Ax” Eadie and Barry “Smash” Darsow, also known as Demolition, have opened up about their new relationship with WWE after years of sharing a sour one.

Appearing on the Wrestling Life with Ben Veal podcast to accept an induction into the show’s own Hall of Fame, the two men opened up in detail about their legacy and new WWE Legends deals.

When asked about a possible WWE Hall of Fame induction, Darsow said, “That’s probably the number one thing that we hear: ‘When are you going to get in the Hall of Fame?’ kind of a deal.”

Eadie opened up about their team’s current relationship with WWE.

“Hopefully, our new relationship with them will be better and so far, it has been. So., bygones be bygones. Let’s start fresh,” he said.

Eadie and Darsow also opened up about their past issues with WWE.

“As far as mine was concerned, there was a number of promises made and never kept. I didn’t take it personal because you got a window of expectation. I have just wished they had been honest and told me what was going to be, he said, adding that his pay was reduced as was his role.

“It just wasn’t right at the end. For a couple of guys that are three-time Tag Team Champions, longest reigning deal, they really treated us like crap at the end,” Darsow said.

WOL: Hogan lawsuit, TNA, AEW Dynamite recap

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

Mike Sempervive and Filthy Tom Lawlor are back with a new edition of the show, taking a look at all of the news. Last night’s AEW Dynamite, an Ohio woman’s lawsuit against Hulk Hogan, TNA, and more. It’s a fun show as always, so check it out~!

Click here for the commercial-free download (subscription required)

Demolition sign WWE Legends deals

Posted on by Josh Nason

Legendary late-1980s tag team Demolition are reportedly under WWE Legends/Nostalgia contracts, first reported by PWInsider.

The original members (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) revealed last fall that they were invited to attend the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony for WrestleMania 40 but were unable to attend due to prior commitments. The two are not in the Hall of Fame, adding to speculation this could be the precursor to being named to this year’s class.

The 77-year-old Eadie (Demolition Ax) and 65-year-old Darsow (Demolition Smash) made their WWE debut as a team in January 1987, eventually winning the then-WWF Tag Team titles three times. Their 478-day reign from March 1988 to July 1989 still stands as the third-longest in main roster history behind The Usos and the New Day.

Eadie, who competed for WWE as far back as 1983 as the Masked Superstar, last wrestled for WWE at the 1990 Survivor Series. Darsow, who continued to team with Crush (Bryan Adams) in Demolition, eventually changed his character to Repo Man, ending his run in March 1993.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Marathon: Power and Paint

Posted on by Karl Stern

Apparently, post-nuclear war, mankind will take off their shirts, dawn old football shoulder pads, and paint their faces. They may or may not have weird haircuts. Hockey masks may or may not be included. We will run around the planet chasing gasoline, but above all, else we will look really, really bad ass. 

In the early 1980s the Mad Max movie sequel “The Road Warrior” spawned a huge number of dystopian renegade characters in wrestling.

First were Hawk and Animal as the Road Warriors, then Jimmy Hart introduced the lead heel in the movie, the Lord Humongous, then from there almost every territory introduced their clone or knock off version. As the Road Warriors gained more popularity the numbers grew. 

The Road Warriors, Demolition, Lord Humongous, Sting, the Ultimate Warrior, the Powers of Pain, Madd Maxx & Super Maxx, the Terminator, the Black Assassin, and many more. Today, host Karl Stern takes a look at the weird gimmick of Power and Paint!

There are only 11 days left to get the 16gb Stern Stick Flashdrive full of wrestling history.  Over 500 podcasts dealing with pro wrestling history and over 500 text and pdf files about wrestling including newsletters and more.  Click here before it is too late.  Free shipping world wide.

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DragonKingKarl Show: Mail bag! Free! Pioneer era, plus Demolition, WWE HOF

Posted on by Karl Stern

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show: FREE EDITION! Tell your friends! Today is a mailbag show with a wide range of questions and topics including:

  • The pioneers of wrestling what referees were in the days of Frank Gotch, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, and Joe Stecher.  The conversation also includes how state atheletic commissions played into things during the pioneer era and how wrestling pioneer William Muldoon figured into things.
  • Why is Demolition not in the WWE Hall of Fame?  Despite being one of the longest reigning tag teams in WWF/WWE history, Demolition has been all but erased from the record books.  They are viritually never mentioned.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  Demoltion Smash (Barry Darsaw) has been brought back for a few projects and even an appearance as the Repo Man so I tell you why that might be and how it probably also includes a member of the Moondogs.
  • There is a great and super informative email about the drawing power of Jim Londos defending him as legitimately one of the biggest draws in wrestling history.  I learned a lot myself from this one.

This is a free show today so tell your friends to give it a listen!  If you would like to order a Super Stern Stick Flashdrive please check out my website http://www.dragonkingkarl.com

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