TheEvilDoink1987
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Mar 31, 2013 23:35:39 GMT -5
I was watching WrestleMania VII and it was so sad to see Demolition. Not only were they just thrown on the card in a filler role, but they were legit squashed by two guys who weren't even regulars on the roster.
Rewind back to 1990. Not even a full year. Demolition nearly blew the roof off the Skydome when they made their entrance at WrestleMania VI. They might have gotten the loudest pop of the night. One of the other loudest came when they won the tag belts. These "ripoffs" had succeeded and became one of the companies hottest properties.
I know that Vince wanted to bring in the Road Warriors years before they eventually debuted in the WWF. He created his own version when they refused to accept his offer. By the time Animal and Hawk decided to join the company, Demolition was one of the most popular tag teams in pro wrestling. Knowing Vince's reputation for under-utilizing talent established outside of the WWF, it has always baffled me that he threw his incarnation under the bus and opted to get behind the "outsider" team.
Any info or insight into the fall of Demolition is welcome. In less than a year, they went from super popular tag team champions to a job squad. Sad.
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Post by Mr. Old School™ on Mar 31, 2013 23:48:36 GMT -5
Yeah, I would like to forget that squash to Tenryu & Kitao even happened. However, I can rest a bit knowing it wasn't Ax & Smash to get beat. It was Smash & Crush. They clearly didn't work as well as the original Demolition. And what was with the stupid masks?? I never understood that one.
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Post by slappy on Apr 1, 2013 1:25:34 GMT -5
I have actually been wanting to see Bill Eadie's shoot where he is tasked with breaking up Demolition.
I agree with Old School, Ax and Smash were infinitely times better than Smash and Crush.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 8:18:32 GMT -5
Demolition worked better with Ax and Smash, obviously. But I absolutely detest Bill Eadie and like Crush so part of me prefers the lineup of Crush/Smash.
Crush and Smash could have still been a great team with Fuji as their manager.
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Raine
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Post by Raine on Apr 1, 2013 8:22:09 GMT -5
I believe the masks were originally used by Demo's as L.O.D & Warrior were also using face paint and they didnt want so many people to be using it so invented the leather masks. I think they were uncomfortable to wear from Demo's point of view so had to go back to paint.
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koreygunz
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Post by koreygunz on Apr 1, 2013 10:02:05 GMT -5
I always thought they still could have built up a big LOD vs Demolition match for Mania 7. After LOD helps Hart Foundation take the titles, that should have reintroduced Fuji as the manager and "reinvigorated" Demolition to go on another dominating run leading into WM7 and face and lose to LOD, sending Demo off into the sunset in a more appropriate way rather than jobbing to two japanese stars no one had heard of. I think the lineup of Smash/Crush with Fuji as manager still could have worked.
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Post by Prophet of Ash on Apr 1, 2013 10:16:00 GMT -5
they were jobbed out to Tenryu & Kitao because WWF had a working relationship with SWS at the time and there was a lot of talent being exchanged back and forth. It's where Haku eventually ended up entirely, to end his WWF run. Demolition were still big names to put over the Japanese talent. Unfortunately, the entire card was overbooked and to cut time, they cut the Demos/SWS match down, since in the WWF POV, it was a pretty meaningless match. So The Demos didn't get much offense in and it BECAME a squash but I have to assume it wasn't booked that way.
Demolition weren't pushed aside as soon as Ax was worked out. They were still really heavily featured. Smash & Crush were one of Hasbro's first 2 packs, they were featured in the iconic WrestleFest game, and there was a lot of other Smash/Crush themed merch. When someone is pushed to the side and made to a JTTS, they generally received almost no merch. How much Tito Santana (not El Matador) merch do you see around? Koko B Ware merch from the 90s? Virgil merch? None of these guys were featured in video games or such. Demolition's downfall was because Bryan Adams was too green and no one would accept Demolition as anything but Smash & Ax
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Raine
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Post by Raine on Apr 1, 2013 12:27:16 GMT -5
Perhaps if they had brought in a seasoned veteran instead of a rookie like Adams to replace Ax it may have worked better, Vince probably thought Crush's size would compensate for lack of experience. Someone like a Matt Borne perhaps could have done better, he was experienced, big & burly rather than muscular and could wrestle too.
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Post by mikey1974 on Apr 1, 2013 13:48:12 GMT -5
Holy Christ! my angry push button topic!
I loved Demolition,and it gutted me to my core to see Vince chop them down and destroy them. an argument could be made that Demolition was WAY more popular than the Road Warriors from 1988-1990 due to the better national presence the WWF had.
supposedly the original plan was for Crush & Smash to regain the Tag Team Belts from the Hart foundation in either the fall or winter of 1990,then build towards a WM VII match against LOD where Hawk and Animal would take the Titles. but Vince soured on the new Demo team by that point and decided to scrap the whole team.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 7:12:37 GMT -5
I belive Survivors Series 1990 played a part in Demos fall too.Vince was said to be livid over the way that match played out(KVE & Crush being the major culprits).
IMO the Demolition vs Roadies match was still on the cards for WM until this debacle.
but yeah from their heel turn outta the blue to disappearing it was weird booking.
as pointed out above they were easily the 2nd most popular act at WM6 after Hogan.
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Road Warriors
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"When we get done with you, we're going after family members boys!"
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Post by Road Warriors on Apr 4, 2013 9:30:21 GMT -5
Demolition lost it's heart when Bill Eadie couldn't do it anymore because of health problems at first then a falling out with Vince later on. I don't know how Anvil fan could hate someone I don't think he has never met or I don't believe he has. I have meet Mr Eadie and he is nothing but a gentleman in every sense of the word. I will always look to him with his greatest success as The Masked Superstar and not as AX from a team only built because Vince could get The Road Warriors.
Demolition was popular for a WWF team, they had no credability on the world wide scale like The Road Warriors did. I always judge on what you do on a World scale and not from what you do in the WWF as to me the WWF up to Late 90's was just another company and not ever the best one.
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Post by marino13 on Apr 4, 2013 10:21:42 GMT -5
To be honest, as a kid I never really thought of Demolition as Road Warrior rip offs. I just saw them as the WWF counterparts and one hell of a dream match. So in my eyes they could have coexisted in the same company. Much the way Hogan and Flair did. I LOVED Demolition (even Crush) as a kid, so it hurt to see Demolition's fall from grace. Wish WWE had kept them face with LOD for awhile and slow build their heel turn. And our dream feud would culminate at a WM with LOD going over. Hate Repo man though.  |
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Post by T R W on Apr 4, 2013 10:24:15 GMT -5
I never liked Demolition very much as they always seemed like what they were, which was Road Warrior rip offs. Despite that, Axe and Smash grew on me and I kind of got used to them in the WWF. But once Axe was gone, and the Warriors showed up, it was over for me. Didn't like crush at all.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 12:14:50 GMT -5
To be honest, as a kid I never really thought of Demolition as Road Warrior rip offs. I just saw them as the WWF counterparts and one hell of a dream match. So in my eyes they could have coexisted in the same company. Much the way Hogan and Flair did. I LOVED Demolition (even Crush) as a kid, so it hurt to see Demolition's fall from grace. Wish WWE had kept them face with LOD for awhile and slow build their heel turn. And our dream feud would culminate at a WM with LOD going over. same here man!!also that scenario would have been great. |
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Raine
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Post by Raine on Apr 4, 2013 15:06:52 GMT -5
marino13 I did this the other week, bit of fantasy booking on wat you said:
If L.O.D joined in August 1989 instead, oh boy this feud could have been huge! Imagine this:
Instead of turning Demo's heel straight away, they could have L.O.D & Demo's as sort of friends, like a mini faction, teaming up in 8 man's and saving each other when they get ganged up on by others (Heenan Family, etc) with a slow burn heel turn.
Summerslam 89 would be L.O.D/Demolition vs Twin Towers/Haku/Andre. LOD/Demo's win
SNME: L.O.D beat Brain Busters fo belts, Demo's come out and celebrate with Hawk/Animal
Survivors 89: L.O.D/Demolition vs Powers of Pain/Brain Busters
(start of heel turn by Demolition, Ax causes Hawk to get pinned accidently, Demo's & Animal survive)
SNME: L.O.D loses belts to Andre/Haku (Heenan family/Demos all get involved, Smash/Ax clotheslines Andre from behind, who squashes Hawk and pins him. Again seemingly accidental
Royal Rumble 90: L.O.D in Rumble match. Tag Title Match: Demo's vs Andre/Haku, Demo's win the titles. After the match Demo say the want to give shot to L.O.D as they cost them the titles originally but are told Harts are No.1 contenders.
SNME: Tag Titles No.1 contenders match Hart Foundation vs L.O.D, Demo's come out and turn full heel, nailing Hawk behind ref's back and Harts unknowingly get the win. Demo cut promo backstage about "stupid L.O.D, fell for it all along" and "will never get a shot at their titles, ha ha"
Harts promo saying they dont want cheap victory and challenge L.O.D to No.1 contender rematch later in show, Demo's banned from ringside, if they interfere will be stripped. L.O.D win clean, shake the Harts hands.
Wrestlemania 6: Legion of Doom vs Demolition for belts, L.O.D go over and win belts for 2nd time.
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Post by marino13 on Apr 5, 2013 8:10:45 GMT -5
marino13 I did this the other week, bit of fantasy booking on wat you said: If L.O.D joined in August 1989 instead, oh boy this feud could have been huge! Imagine this: Instead of turning Demo's heel straight away, they could have L.O.D & Demo's as sort of friends, like a mini faction, teaming up in 8 man's and saving each other when they get ganged up on by others (Heenan Family, etc) with a slow burn heel turn. Summerslam 89 would be L.O.D/Demolition vs Twin Towers/Haku/Andre. LOD/Demo's win SNME: L.O.D beat Brain Busters fo belts, Demo's come out and celebrate with Hawk/Animal Survivors 89: L.O.D/Demolition vs Powers of Pain/Brain Busters (start of heel turn by Demolition, Ax causes Hawk to get pinned accidently, Demo's & Animal survive) SNME: L.O.D loses belts to Andre/Haku (Heenan family/Demos all get involved, Smash/Ax clotheslines Andre from behind, who squashes Hawk and pins him. Again seemingly accidental Royal Rumble 90: L.O.D in Rumble match. Tag Title Match: Demo's vs Andre/Haku, Demo's win the titles. After the match Demo say the want to give shot to L.O.D as they cost them the titles originally but are told Harts are No.1 contenders. SNME: Tag Titles No.1 contenders match Hart Foundation vs L.O.D, Demo's come out and turn full heel, nailing Hawk behind ref's back and Harts unknowingly get the win. Demo cut promo backstage about "stupid L.O.D, fell for it all along" and "will never get a shot at their titles, ha ha" Harts promo saying they dont want cheap victory and challenge L.O.D to No.1 contender rematch later in show, Demo's banned from ringside, if they interfere will be stripped. L.O.D win clean, shake the Harts hands. Wrestlemania 6: Legion of Doom vs Demolition for belts, L.O.D go over and win belts for 2nd time. I like it! |
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