Barry Darsow’s Memoir has been officially released. Here is the official press release:
Titan Insider Press is proud to announce the release of Sickles, Studs and Stolen Cars, the memoir of wrestling legend, Barry Darsow. Having competed and thrived in Crockett Promotions as Krusher Khruschev, won multiple titles in the WWF as part of the iconic tag team Demolition with his partner Ax, and made the Repo Man gimmick a nostalgic fan favourite for fans of early 90’s pro wrestling, Darsow has done it all and looks back on his thirty year plus career.
With a foreword by Bill Eadie, Darsow’s partner for thirty years in Demolition, Sickles, Studs and Stolen Cars is written by Darsow along with Graham Johnson, looking back at the peak of wrestling popularity in the 1980’s from his run as part of The Russians in Crockett Promotions to the story of Demolition, one of the most popular tag teams in the history of World Wrestling Federation.
This exciting memoir takes readers back to the beginning, when a kid from Minnesota goes from attending high school with other future stars like Curt Hennig and Rick Rude, to working as a bouncer with The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal. Darsow and Johnson paint a vivid picture of the territory system, Vince McMahon’s national expansion and the colorful figures who’ve starred in each. This is both a fascinating snapshot and the ultimate history of a transformational time in professional wrestling.
- Tales of going to high school with fellow future wrestling stars John Nord (The Berzerker), Richard Rood (Rick Rude) and Curt Hennig (Mr. Perfect)
- Hitting the gym, working out and training to wrestle under Eddie Sharkey with Rick Rude and The Road Warriors
- Bill Watts convincing Darsow to become a Soviet sympathiser in Mid South
- A phone call from Ric Flair that led Barry to Jim Crockett Promotions as part of The Russians
- After Moondog Rex failed as a member of Demolition, Barry Darsow found his big success, being paired with Bill Eadie as Demolition
- Brian Adams introduction as Crush to keep Demolition going after Bill Eadie almost died in hospital
- Wrestling on the back of a moving truck in WCW against Dustin Rhodes
- “Mr. Hole In One” Barry Darsow
About the Author
Barry Darsow is one of wrestling’s iconic characters from the 1980’s. His role as Smash of Demolition in the 1980’s led to the team winning championships, having VHS releases and action figures of themselves and developed a rabid fanbase that still buy retro action figures of them and visit them at fan conventions to this day.
Graham Johnson has written for Inside The Ropes Magazine for several years, usually covering the latest pay-per view offerings from All Elite Wrestling, but with a 9-5 job in the literary world, he’s been keen to help tell the story of a wrestling legend and was thrilled to do it with Barry Darsow, who he’d watched in his youth as Demolition Smash, Repo Man and even The Blacktop Bully.
Availability
Sickles, Studs & Stolen Cars is available now from Amazon and InsideTheRopesMagazine.com, in paperback and digital editions.
Barry Darsow’s journey began in his home state of Minnesota, where he attended high school with a remarkable number of future wrestling stars, including Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. After training under the legendary Eddie Sharkey, Darsow broke into the business and found his first major success in Mid-South Wrestling and later Jim Crockett Promotions as Krusher Khruschev, a Soviet sympathizer and a member of the dominant faction, The Russians, alongside Ivan and Nikita Koloff.
His most iconic role came in the World Wrestling Federation when he was chosen to portray Smash, one-half of the powerhouse tag team Demolition. Paired with Bill Eadie as Ax, Demolition, with their intimidating face paint and leather-studded gear, became one of the most popular and dominant tag teams in the company’s history. They captured the WWF Tag Team Championship three times, including a then-record-setting reign of 478 days that stood for over two decades.
The team’s dynamic evolved when health issues sidelined Eadie, leading to the introduction of Brian Adams as Crush, transforming Demolition into a formidable three-man unit. This iteration of the team allowed the popular act to continue its run, eventually leading to an infamous feud between the original members, Ax and Smash, and the newer team of Smash and Crush, before the faction ultimately disbanded.
Following the end of Demolition, Darsow was repackaged with another memorable gimmick, The Repo Man. As a sneaky villain who delighted in repossessing items from other superstars, often tying them up with his tow rope, Darsow created a character that has remained a fan-favorite for its unique and entertaining antics during the WWF’s “New Generation” era. He would later move on to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he performed under several other personas, including The Blacktop Bully and “Mr. Hole in One” Barry Darsow, showcasing his remarkable versatility.
Passages from The Book:
Drinking with Andre The Giant
“It wasn’t my intention to out-drink “The Eighth Wonder of the World”,
because I knew I’d be fighting a losing battle. But I figured I, at about 300
pounds, could hold my own for a while.”
Barry and Bill Eadie’s Approach To Working As Demolition
“Bill and I did everything in our power to make sure that, even though we
were going over, that none of the teams we worked with came out of the
match “less than”. And that’s how we really earned the trust of our peers.
They understood that Bill and I worked for everybody.”
On Confronting Jim Crockett Before Leaving NWA
“If Jimmy was trying to call my bluff, he learned pretty fast that I wasn’t
bluffing. My mind was made up. I got up to leave, with absolutely zero
intention of returning.”
On Barry & Nikolai Volkoff Causing A Riot Trying To Leave The Arena
“We wanted the driver to gun it, but he was afraid he was going to run
someone over. So he tried creeping through this gauntlet of angry humanity,
some of whom tried prying open the back doors! … The fans were pulling on
the door, while others hammered the outside with makeshift weapons, as
well as their own fists! I just yelled, “We gotta go! Go!”
