RF Video Shoot Interview with Demolition

This interview was filmed in 2007.

 

 

The interview starts by asking how they got started in the business. Ax said he got started by accident as he was home from college and met with his neighbor, who was the athletic commissioner of Pennsylvania. He then went to the Pittsburgh Civic Center and met up with Geeto Mongol, who asked him if he was interested in wrestling and then ended up training on his farm and within six weeks, he was wrestling in matches. Smash said that he was a bouncer at a bar in Minnesota and Eddie Sharkey was working as the bartender and asked him if he was interested in wrestling. Smash thought he was kidding but Sharkey opened up a wrestling school, which was in the basement of a church that he rented and trained there. Smash said the conditions were brutal, as it was a homemade mat that had nails sticking out from the sides. He said that Ole Anderson scouted some guys while there and took Joe Laurinaitis (Animal) to Atlanta and after that, the rest of the guys (Wayne Bloom, John Nord) got turns.

 

Next they are asked how they met. Ax said that Vince gave him a list of names as a partner and Smash was one of those names. Ax said he called Ivan Koloff, who worked with Smash in Atlanta, and gave him a good recommendation. Ax said that Randy Colley didn’t work out as all the fans knew that he was Moondog Rex and the same thing would happen to the other WWF guys Vince suggested. Ax did not want to mention the names of the other guys.

 

Both guys thought the gimmick worked and they had good matches but stated it was bad to essentially kill them off when they brought in the Legion of Doom. Ax said that they were not knock-offs of LOD as they, along with the Powers of Pain, all had their own distinct style. Ax said that always knew the Demolition gimmick would work.

 

Smash is asked what his initial impression was of Ax. Smash said that when he quit working in Charlotte, he was considering going to Japan but Vince called him about teaming with Ax. Smash also asked Ivan Koloff about Ax and was told that Ax would teach him how to work up there, as just about everything was different between the WWF and NWA.

 

They are then asked about the first match they worked together. Ax then recalls how there was animosity towards them from a few teams in the locker room, stating some of them were jealous but did not want to mention names. He then said that Vince told them they would be pushed hard. He then talks about how you have to know your craft and if you do, you should be able to adjust so work in front of any crowd in any territory. He recalls how on time in the locker room, Big John Studd joked that Ax was here to “blow up the babyfaces,” referencing how they worked a non-stop style that blew up a majority of their opponents.

 

They said that there was an immediate chemistry that developed between them and adding Mr. Fuji helped make it a total team effort, as he would give them advice from outside the ring.

 

The interviewer talks to Ax about the style change within the WWF from when he was the Masked Superstar until he came back as part of Demolition. Ax said that when he broke in, guys would make fun of the then WWWF as it was filled with slow and lumbering guys, unlike the Southern territories who had guys wrestle longer matches at a faster pace. Ax said that adding teams like the British Bulldogs and Hart Foundation helped them wrestle at a quicker pace.

 

They are then asked if there was a captain of the team. Smash said that it was Ax, then notes how they both listened to each other. Ax said it was not a dictatorship and that they never tried to take advantage of each other. He doesn’t mention names but brings up how one particular team split up because one of the guys got the focus for himself and not his partner.

 

They are asked about notoriety as they got popular and Ax said that the makeup they wore in the ring helped them when they were out in public but when Fuji was with them, everyone could immediately tell. Ax said that he enjoyed being a celebrity in the ring and being able to go out in public with his family without being hassled. He recalls one time, while wrestling as the Masked Superstar, he was in a restaurant when Flair and Wahoo McDaniel arrived and saw them get mobbed by the other patrons while he got to remain hassle free. Smash said when he was Krusher Khruschev, he couldn’t go anywhere as the fans wanted to kill him and would do things such as slash his tires.

 

When asked about their memories of Hogan and Savage around this time, Ax said they were usually focused on the other tag-teams they were facing and just had cordial conversations with them.  He then goes on to state how Savage struggled to find his own identity and started to copy Hogan in order to get a rub? Smash adds that he liked to work the same cards as Hogan due to the bigger paychecks.

 

They are then asked memories about working with certain teams. They both put over the British Bulldogs, stating how it was impossible to have a bad match with them. Ax adds that it was easy to forget how small they were due to the powerful style they wrestled. They liked their matches with Strike Force but Ax said that the team did not get over as well as the Can-Am Connection did, noting how it was tough to replace the original act. Smash jokes how Tom Zenk was a quitter.

 

Ax said that he requested Mr. Fuji as a manager. They first had Johnny Valiant, who Ax thought was a nice guy but was too much of a goof on-screen and he could not grasp what the team was supposed to be, which was a couple of bad-ass guy. Ax also liked Fuji because he wouldn’t take the focus away from the wrestlers as opposed to guys like Jimmy Hart and Jim Cornette. Ax said Fuji never ribbed them but had a motto of be on time, eat and sleep good, and work out.

 

When it came to the road schedule, mash talked about how one day you would be in New York then go to California then back to New Jersey. He said at one point they went to a pattern of working three weeks then having ten days off after there was an argument started from a lot of burned-out wrestlers. He says that he traveled a lot in Charlotte but got to be home in his own bed a majority of the time.

 

They are asked about working with some other teams. They liked the Powers of Pain but noted that the Barbarian was a much better worker than his partner. They said that the Warlord was a nice guy and tried hard but was too mechanical in the ring.  When asked why their feud ended so abruptly, Ax said they never found out why. He also adds how they were turned face about two years too soon then talk some more about the LOD. Smash claims the fans would b emad if they were brought in earlier and says that the LOD was jealous that they were more over than them in the WWF. Ax adds that Vince never realized, because he wanted LOD for so long, that Demolition was more over than them by the time they arrived.  

 

On the subject of other teams, they both loved the Hart Foundation. They only recall having  a few matches with the Rockers and said that they were easy but there was a bit of a style clash. They loved working with the Brainbusters, as they always made them look good. Smash reaclls how the crowd deflated when they dropped the belt to them on Saturday’s Night Main Event.

 

They are asked about Andre the Giant and recall how he was fun in the locker room but generally miserable outside of the ring. Smash said that when they were out with Andre, he never let them pay for anything. They recall how they once took Andre out for his birthday when they were in Paris and went on a tour of his favorite winery where they proceeded to drink a shitload.

 

They are asked about their first Wrestlemania match, which was against the Strike Force at Wresltemania IV. Ax notes how long of a day it was during Wrestlemania, saying you did interviews from 10am to about 6pm with a short break for lunch in-between. Smash notes how he signed his first contract just before Wrestlemania III.

 

They are asked about a few other workers. They always got along with the Ultimate Warrior but note how others were jealous of him then add how he was thrown into a spot that he was not ready for. They both liked Jake Roberts but said that promoters couldn’t trust him due to his demons. They say that he was a master of in-ring psychology.

 

When asked about drug use, both men state they were not a part of that and traveled with Fuji. They said the guys who took drugs traveled together and some of them became so paranoid that they believed the wrestlers who didn’t take anything would rat on them. Ax notes how he was on the road away from his family and would rather come home with money for them instead of blowing it on drugs. They both go on to state how they never ratted guys out to the office and took pride in not backstabbing or intentionally trying to hurt others. Ax said he wasn’t shocked that Dusty came to the WWF but was surprised that he allowed Vince to give him the polka dots and everything else about his character.

 

Both said it is not hard to stay in shape on the road. They add that you need to keep a routine. Ax notes how he once brought his wife and daughter on the plane with him and when the plane took off, the other wrestlers went asleep and Ax told his daughter, who asked, that this is the only time that some of them get to sleep. On the subject of steroids, Ax says no one tells you that you need them but he was prescribed them at one point and they helped him.

 

Up next is how Crush became part of the team. Ax notes how shortly before Wrestlemania VI, he developed an allergic reaction to shellfish. He went out for Chinese food with his wife before going to the movies and said that he felt a burning feeling but thought it was just bad food. While at the movies,  he had to go outside to get fresh air then collapsed after going into anaphylactic shock. Vince thought he had a heart problem and went looking for a replacement and they spoke with Len Denton (The Grappler) in Oregon about Crush, who said he was a great guy. Ax says that he was thrown into a tough situation and was rough on interviews but did try and listened but couldn’t replace the original.

 

Up next is when the LOD came to the WWF. They are asked if they heard about them coming in before they did and both said others told them the LOD were pissed at them about their gimmick but the LOD never said that to them. Ax said even if they were, what would happen, they try to fight them. Ax said he always got along well with Hawk but hints at some animosity between him and Animal. Smash said that their matches were not good because they never wanted to sell any offense. Ax notes how they were just as big as LOD, if not bigger, then say if someone as big as Andre can sell, everyone should be able too.

 

The interviewer then brings up Ax’s shoot interview (as the Masked Superstar) and how he felt betrayed by Smash then wanted to know how they patched things up between them. Ax said they were supposed to have a match that ended up having a screwy finish but Smash no-showed and he and Crush went out and lost. Smash said he was home hunting ducks and quit. They both thought they were leaving together for WCW. Before this, Vince met with both guys and proposed an idea of both guys changing their gimmicks to wear cloth masks. Anyway, some of the agents stirred things up backstage, telling Ax and Crush that Smash made another agreement with Vince to do another gimmick, which pissed them both off. It turns out that WCW gave them a much worse deal than the initially proposed and they were not going back there. For a long time, Smash had no idea that Ax was mad at him.   

 

They are asked what ideas WCW proposed to them. They said there were two options. First, since WWF did not own the Demolition name, they could use that or the other idea was for Ax to return as the Masked Superstar and work with Vader and have Smash and Crush continue as Demolition.

 

They are asked about how they are feeling physically at the moment. Smash said that his back and neck are in constant pain but he just took a shot and feels okay today. Ax said he has arthritis in his hands and wrists but works out a few times a week and feels good most of the time.

 

When asked about the lack of kayfabe today, Smash said that it is no longer wrestling but entertainment today. Ax notes how older fans come up to him and say how it is not liked it used to be anymore. Ax thinks that back then, they were not trying to insult the fans and might have been more believable and notes how psychology is a lost art nowadays.

 

When asked about overrated and underrated guys, Ax notes how Terry Taylor was underappreciated and brings up the awful Red Rooster gimmick. He then tells a story of how his daughter was with him and asked why he came down to the ring acting like a Rooster. He said that he didn’t know then she asked if it was because someone didn’t like him. Smash states how he wants everyone to know that the LOD was not overrated, just that they didn’t have good matches in the WWF due to the different style.

 

Their favorite teams to work against are the Bulldogs, Hart Foundation and Strike Force. Smash also loved working against Andre and Haku, as they were friends. Both then state how the WWF should have paired up Haku and the Barbarian.

 

Today, Smash owns his own printing shop and sells real estate. Ax went back to teaching, he taught for five years prior to wrestling, and teaches special education, primarily kids that come out of juvenile detention and does work in a psychiatric hospital for kids who were sexually abused. Both men do nor miss the hassle of traveling on the road but do miss the hefty paychecks.

 

They are then asked about what makes a great angle. Smash said something believable and having the guys who can make it work. Ax adds that you have to become the person and adds that once he was asked to be a cowboy and didn’t feel comfortable as he knew nothing about being a cowboy and felt the fans would see right through him.  They note how they could have had a good angle wih the Road Warriors but it wasn’t done correctly. He notes that they should have been kept separate for a while, winning matches, then started to feud. Smash adds that this would have gotten the LOD over more in the WWF.

 

 

 

Smash states how different and cold the wrestling business is compared to others, noting how he received Christmas calls and cards from old bosses but never had that happen once from a wrestling promoter. He then tells a story of how he recently talked to John Laurinaitis and asked about a job working as an agent. He helped him break in the business and thought he would put in a good word for him, after he was told there were a few openings but Laurinaitis ended up laughing at him. Smash called back a few weeks later and they pretended like they did not know who he was at the offices. Ax says that wrestling is nothing more than a meat factory and you need to realize that so you don’t take offense to being let go.

 

 

 

They are asked about road stories and just add that they had fun and gave it their all. Ax notes how wrestling provided for his family and sent his daughters to school, which makes him proud. Smash is sad that a lot of his friends in the business are starting to pass away.

 

They close by thanking their fans.

 

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this interview. If you do like gossip and road stories, you will not find that here but both guys were well spoken and agenda-free. Also, it is nice to see them being successful after the careers have ended and not struggling to make a living on the Indy circuit. I will say that I have no idea what Ax was talking about when he stated Savage did not have an identity and they mentioned the Road Warriors an awful lot, frequently mentioning how they did not work in the WWF and he did come off a tad self-righteous at times when discussing how he  generally refrained from partying on the road but did seem like a likable guy overall. Still, it was interesting to see how they were split up and even though Ax spoke more than his partner, they were not cutting each other off or speaking over each other, which can happen during these shoots. I recommend this shoot, especially if you are a fan of this era of tag-team wrestling.