The legendary tag team Demolition, consisting of Bill “Ax” Eadie and Barry “Smash” Darsow, recently addressed their current standing with WWE and the prospect of an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Appearing on the Wrestling Life with Ben Veal podcast to accept an induction into the show’s own Hall of Fame, the duo engaged in a conversation regarding their legacy, their departure from the company in the early 1990s, and their new “Legends deal.”
On the WWE Hall of Fame and Current Relationship
During the interview, host Ben Veal expressed his belief that a WWE Hall of Fame induction is approaching for the three-time Tag Team Champions. “It does feel inevitable that Demolition has to be inducted into the [WWE] Hall of Fame before much longer. I just, I just can’t see it not happening,” Veal stated.
Barry Darsow noted that this sentiment is shared by their fanbase. He mentioned that aside from questions about their match against one another in the 1989 Royal Rumble, the Hall of Fame is the most frequent topic raised by fans. “That’s probably the number one, one thing that we hear… ‘When are you going to get in the Hall of Fame?’ kind of a deal,” Darsow said.
Bill Eadie addressed the status of the team’s relationship with WWE, indicating a positive shift after years of distance. “Hopefully our new relationship with them will be better, and so far, it has been,” Eadie said. “So bygones be bygones. Let’s start fresh”.
Reflecting on Their Dominant Run
Demolition’s tenure in the late 1980s established them as one of the most dominant teams in history. Eadie explained the origins of the team’s iconic look and persona. “Randy [Colley] had come up with the idea, and I think it was basically from the Mad Max series,” Eadie recalled.
Although the original pairing with Colley did not work out due to Colley’s recognition as Moondog Rex, the chemistry between Eadie and Darsow was immediate. “We clicked probably the second match we had,” Eadie said. “Neither one of us worried about who was the strongest and who was getting over the most, it was the team first”.
Darsow echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the lack of ego in their partnership. “It was the team first,” Eadie reiterated. Darsow added, “I gotta say to you, Bill, thank you. You know you were a great partner, and I had a great time with you too… You’re, you’re like my big brother”.
Past Issues and Departure
The conversation also covered the contentious circumstances surrounding their exit from the World Wrestling Federation. Eadie detailed the breakdown in trust that occurred as his role began to diminish. “As far as mine was concerned, there was a number of promises made and never kept,” Eadie stated. “I didn’t take it personal, because you got a window of expectation… I just, I’ve just wished it had been honest and told me what was going to be”.
Eadie explained that the financial terms of his transition to a backstage role were altered repeatedly. “Road agent pay was structured to justify that. Then the next conversation was reduced. Pay was reduced,” Eadie said. “The next conversation was reduced more to the point where I said, Well, told myself, I really don’t need this position”.
Darsow expressed similar dissatisfaction with how the end of their run was handled. “It was, it just wasn’t right at the end,” Darsow said. “You know, 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 also lamented the creative direction involving the addition of Crush to the team. “It just the whole situation. There was no thought process. It was, get rid of Bill, get rid of the Demolition. That’s the end of it,” Darsow observed.
A Resurgence in Popularity
Despite the past difficulties, both members expressed gratitude for their current resurgence and the Legends deal mentioned by the host. “Demolition has a WWE legends deal, which is something that even a couple of years ago probably wouldn’t even seem like a possibility,” Veal noted.
Eadie described the current phase of their career as “really enjoyable,” noting the volume of requests they receive. “We’ve been so busy that we have to turn down a lot because we, you know, we’ve been asked to do so many things,” Eadie said. “It makes you really humble to the fact that we made some imprint on the fans”.
In closing, Eadie offered a simple message to the fans regarding Demolition’s legacy. “Just try to remember that each and every night, we tried to go out there and have the best match on the card,” Eadie said.
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