Dr.Victator Presents: Demolition

Showing posts with label Demolition. Show all posts

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Untitled Demolition Project

Monday, February 28, 2011

Untitled Demolition Day 32

Demolition © vs British Bulldogs - MSG - 7/25/88

British Bulldogs vs. Demolition Pt.1
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Untitled Demolition Project Aftermath

MD: So we're going to wrap things up a bit. Ironically, I just saw the Killer Bees 2/3 falls match yesterday and it's worthy of inclusion, if only for Ax's selling, so we'll have that and more Strike Force and some Islanders and some of the singles matches and Survivor Series matches and what have you, here and there, over the months to come. Today, we've got a couple of things.

First off, a new tribute video by Vic.

VR: Well the project is over. It could be restarted in a few months. But right now I am beyond burnt out and my tires are just rims. I came into this thinking Demolition was one of the greatest tag teams ever. That has not changed. Except I think they are the greatest tag team ever. I think you could put them into any environment and they would have great matches. I can picture them wrecking thing in AJPW or going to Mexico or WCW or ECW.

Now I think some people will try to dismiss them because they did not have **** matches with the Young Stallions and Bolsheviks. By other standards I could say Powers of Pain. But Barbarian was always good. With all the wrestling I have saw I think the idea of the carry job is at best a partial myth. In any promotion all the great tag teams were great because they had good support. If you were to list the best Midnight Express, Rock and Roll Express or Kawada and Taue's top matches it would be against other great teams.

My biggest surprise is Bill Eadie never worked in a major promotion again.

Also credit to Matt for cranking these out when I was busy with other less fun things.

MD: And here's my top ten favorite Demolition matches that we went over in this project. It's a little like you'd expect, of course. Of the matches we watched, there were only a few that I didn't think were pretty good, at the very least. The biggest surprise (past Smash's cool stun gun) was the non-formula of the matches. The one big similarity about Demolition matches was that Ax and Smash (especially Ax) made the opponents work for every little thing. What that ended up meaning was that stories almost HAD to exist in the matches. They were FORCED onto the matches by the fact that if you just did whatever, without rhyme or reason, it simply wouldn't register. It wouldn't work. There had to be some semblance of a string of offense and logic for the Demos to let themselves get beat down for any length of time. In the end, it made both teams look better 9 times out of 10, because it made the match better.

So here's my list. We'll get Vic's later.

10. Demolition & Fuji vs British Bulldogs & Ultimate Warrior - MLG - 7-24-88 (PTW 8-1-88): This is one of the most enjoyable matches we covered on the blog. About 60% of that is because of Warrior's antics. The camera's on him, unlike the other 88 six man, and he's not nearly as developed as a character as he is in the 90 six man. No, here he's just a crazed bull full of energy and random hand motions. And then Demos have to deal with him which leads to a lot of the fun in the match, that and the Bulldogs having to keep a straight face. There are other interesting things like Fuji matching up well against broken down Dynamite and the rollicking finishing segment.

9. Demolition vs Rougeau Brothers - Boston - 3/5/88: We've said a bunch of times that we really would have wanted to see heel Rogs vs face Demos. This is a really good match to watch for the project, however. The reason why is that it really highlights the Demolition motto: "make them work for it." Actually, the Demolition motto is probably "Carpe Clubber!" but you get the idea. The Rogs try a whole bunch of stuff and none of it works because Ax and Smash don't let up. It's heel Demolition in a nutshell.

8. Demolition© vs Twin Towers - Boston - 4/22/89: The MLG match has more character. This, however, is a little big longer and they make use of the time to give it a better structural build. Honestly, you should watch both of them and compare/contrast. If I saw this in the arena I'd definitely want to see the return match.

7. Demolition© vs Brainbusters 2/3 Falls - Worcester, MA - 7/18/89 (Aired SNME #22 - 7/29/89): The first two falls are great but the last fall just feels a bit too rushed for this to be higher. The first fall really builds off of the last match with the Demos wanting their hands on the Busters, and the Busters knowing not to underestimate the Demos. The second fall ends with a callback to the previous match. It's just such smart, high-end stuff.

6. Colossal Connection © vs Demolition - 12/28/89 - MSG: They do such a good job working around Andre's physical limitations. Demos would tag out after every little hit from him, when he was on the ground. That's how you make an immobile giant (with great timing) look like a million bucks. This is a match that does not look like much on paper, but everything works so well down to the solid story about Haku and Andre not working well as a unit and it still not really mattering since they're such a force.

5. Demolition© vs Twin Towers - Boston - 6/3/89: So many things work well in this match. It feels like a return match. Garvin works great as the ref. Ax is King Ax, god of killer babyfaces with his hot tag. The finish is one of the best finishes I've ever seen in that you have no idea what just happened until you see the replay and then you cheer big for it. There's payoff and emotion and everything else.

4. Demolition © vs BrainBusters - Des Moines, IA - 4/25/89 (Aired SNME #21 5/27/89): This is one of my favorite "match as angles" ever. I put it up there with stuff like the Bruno/Larry Z exhibition. It's just that cool to me. Busters come in confident. Demos counter them at every turn. Busters cheat like maniacs. Demos counter them. Busters cheat even harder. Finally Smash gets furious and the Busters pick up the DQ win and get to make the rematch on their terms. Artists at work.

3. Demolition © vs Rockers - MSG - 10/1988: I'll admit, it's been a while since I've seen this one now, since we started the project off with it, but this match is pure excitement and at such a pace. I read that Shawn didn't think the Demos sold enough for them, but that's crazy. Look at the first come of minutes and the way they were keeping up with the Rockers and their offense, selling it like the Flash beating up Gorilla Grodd or something. Really exciting finishing sequence too. You really think that the Rockers are going to win for a minute there, even decades later when you know better.

2. Demolition © vs Hart Foundation - MSG - 8/29/88 - Summerslam: I'm usually not someone to care much about "big match feel," but this has it in droves. The Harts are so over and they have this real presence that makes them seem larger than life. This is Godzilla vs King Kong and they're fighting in a jungle in the middle of Tokyo. It's a great mix of the two styles, with the Demos so frustrated by the Harts that they have to capitalize on an injury, but once they do, they never let up. Big spots. Big stakes. Hot crowd. Great stuff.

1. Brainbusters © vs Demolition - MSG - 9-30-89: This is personal preference right here. #2 or #3 could be in this spot just as easy. Arn and Tully wrestle a perfect match. They do everything right and Demolition just fights back at every turn. It's never about no-selling with Demolition. It's always about toughness and fighting back. I think that's something people don't understand without watching a lot of these matches. It's not hulking up and it's not unstoppable no-selling. This match is portrayed as two teams at the very top of their game giving it their all and it's totally believable and it absolutely works.

VR: Now my top ten Demolition matches.

10.Demolition vs Legion of Doom and the Ultimate Warrior - MSG - 9/21/90 This match had a big time main event vibe. Once it got cooking it was really good, Also its Demolition vs the Road Warriors.

9. Demolition © vs Colossal Connection - Huntsville, AL - 12/13/89 This match tells a really clear story and is very unique in wrestling. The good guys get their asses kicked cleanly. No manager interfering, no weapons. They just get beat fairly in the middle of the ring.

8. Demolition vs Rougeau Brothers - Boston - 3/5/88

One of my favorite heel Demos matches. Its like a mugging. Rougeaus did a great job playing two guys in over their head and swinging blind.

7. Demolition© vs Brainbusters 2/3 Falls - Worcester, MA - 7/18/89 This is the big title change and a really well put together 2 out of 3 falls match. Tully and Arn are great. Nobody could sell as much as they do and look credible. But they manage to do it. They make you think "Demolition is really tough. These guys must be super tough to even stay in the ring with them."

6. Demolition© vs Twin Towers - Boston - 4/22/89

The first Towers match. Picked this over the MLG match because I thought the Towers looked more monstrous here. I wanted to see the rematch more.

5. Colossal Connection © vs Demolition - 12/28/89 - MSG Love this match. Again was a coin flip between this and the Towers 6/3/89 match. This has a great story that does build off the title loss. In that match Demolition lost because they had underestimated the giant. Here they adjust their strategy and its the Connection who are floundering.

4. Demolition© vs Twin Towers - Boston - 6/3/89

Best match of the Towers series. This was a great return match. Not just a random match in the series it feels like a continuation. Akeem is great in this. When AX slams him I cheered. The finish was great with Towers being foisted by their own petard.

3. Demolition vs the Hart Foundation Summerslam 1988

This match feels like the Best vs the Best. Not even so much in actual work just perception. The two top teams of the era facing off. Has my favorite hot tag ever with Neidhart destroying the Demos then watching as everyone in the arena stands up cheering.

2. Brainbusters © vs Demolition - MSG - 9-30-89:

I could of flipped a coin between 1 and 2. This is a great match too and I can't stress how great Tully and Arn were. These were too great tag teams allowed to put together a great tag team match.

1. Demolition © vs Rockers - MSG - 10/1988

I watched this back in 2006 and thought it was really good. Rewatching it for this Project and was blown away by how great it was. I think its the best WWF tag team match ever. I would put it up against any match and thinK it would fare well. Just twelve minutes of full throttle kick ass tag team wrestling. Demos were perfect as ass kickers and Rockers were perfect as underdogs.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Unitled Demolition Project Day 31

Day 31. Yeah, day 31. And this is the end for now. We'll be back now and again to fill in the gaps. There are Islanders matches and a lot more Strike Force and things that we don't have available yet and a really heated SNME match or two. And we'll be wrapping things up early next week. For now, let's get on to the last match. Hopefully some of you have been following along or will be catching up as the days and weeks go on. If so, chime in with your thoughts. But we'll talk more about that later. We're ending with a great match, so enjoy.

Demolition © vs Hart Foundation - MSG - 8/29/88 - Summerslam

MD: This is a match right here. I don't even see how people can compare the Summerslam 90 match to this. This is just so much more. It's still got the big match feel. In fact, it's got as big a "big match feel" as any of the initial heel run Demolition matches, and unlike the 90 match, it's both a Demolition match AND a Harts match. It's this awesome uber-hybrid.

Backstory is simple. Demolition has run over every team since crushing Patera/Boone/BJH in late 87. They took Strike Force's belts and put Martel out of action. They are the irresistible object. The Harts turned face after WM IV and for this match Jimmy Hart (who still owns the Foundation's contracts) is in Demolition's corner. The fans are hugely behind them and they are unlike any team Demolition has faced up to this point. They are the unstoppable force.

Demos come in confident. It's Ax pushing around Bret to start. The clubbering looks nasty in this match as does Ax's slam. He misses a big elbow drop and it's shine time for the Harts (though it doesn't feel that like formula here at all). Bret takes Smash's head off with a punch on the apron. Two punches to the gut off the ropes and a roll-up. Bret goes flying as Ax kicks out and Ax draws back, slowing things down and making the tag, no longer underestimating anyone. It's a good opening segment. Lots of energy and character. Neidhart tags in and tries to control Smash with the arm. Smash keeps finding a way to reverse it and go for an impact move, but Neidhart turns it back around. Smart, logical back and forth stuff here that ends when Ax kicks Neidhart's back from the apron. Demos take over, clubbering and using quick tags, cutting off the ring, and you think Neidhart is going to be the FIP but he nails Ax off a back body drop attempt and makes a tag. So far, Harts are matching Demolition. Just like the Demos make their opponents work for everything, the Harts are doing the same thing. It's very different stylistically than the Brainbusters matches where the Busters were doing everything under the sun or the Towers matches where it was about superior size. This is Tag Team Toughness vs Tag Team Toughness right here.

And the Demolition react to it. When Bret comes in, Ax, in 1988, at the height of Demos heel power, BEGS OFF, to BRET, not even Neidhart. That is AMAZING to me. Demolition don't beg off to anyone. And it's so smart, and it's part of this awesome story being told here. Such a different reaction than the push and taunting that started the match. Smash comes in and Bret punches a few times and dropkicks him before trying a whip in the corner. Smash reverses it and Bret goes shoulder first into the pole. At the same time Neidhart is temporarily drawn away by Jimmy Hart. Thus starts something you don't see in almost any other Demolition match, opportunistic attacking of a bodypart after an injury spot. But it's warranted here. Demolition realize that their normal tactics just might not be enough against the Harts. They sense blood and they'll go outside of their normal strategy to capitalize on it. And for the next few minutes the are going to just destroy Bret's shoulder. Stomps. Double-team clubbering. Twisting it over the rope. Punches. Illegal attacks from the apron. A great bum's rush into the corner. Ax slamming it into Smash's boot. A killer shoulder-breaker. A freaking Pat O'Connor spinning armhold. An armbar where Ax just grinds his boot into the shoulder. Clotheslining it over the top rope. And a bum's rush into the ringpost on the outside. It's all quick and effective offense and none of it even resembles a resthold. Quick shifts. Quick changes. The pure unbridled offensive power of Demolition.

Finally, Ax goes to clothesline Bret's head off and Bret ducks it and hits the Hart Attack clothesline (sans bearhug of course) and the crowd goes crazy. But this is a Demolition match and that's not enough in itself. Smash distracts the ref and he misses the tag and then when Neidhart complains Smash switches with Ax (and the crowd gets hostile). Smash slams Bret's shoulder into two turnbuckles, but then runs into a Bret boot and Smash Flops. Bret makes the hot tag and the crowd goes nuts. Neidhart comes in with killer forearms, a dropkick, spinning slams, and the best collision I've seen out of the Demos. A big clothesline takes Smash outside, and then the Harts do the Neidhart-slingshot spot, but all the way to the Outside and the crowd goes NUTS. Great spot. Neidhart rolls him back in and hits a powerslam for 2, then tags Bret and hits the assisted cannonball shoulder thrust into the corner for two. Bret hits a good backbreaker but Ax is there to pull him off. This draws Neidhart in and we go towards the finish. Fuji draws neidhart back to his corner. The ref comes along. Anvil smashes Fuji, but Jimmy Hart's out there too and he throws Ax the megaphone. Bret puts up Smash for the piledriver. Ax clobbers him with the megaphone. Smash gets the pin.

It's a really great match and a perfect combination of the Harts presence and energy and Demolition's structure and logic and force. The fact that it only has 10:00 or so of actual match time actually helps keep it controlled and focused and it's really great. Yeah, I could have used Bret selling the shoulder towards the end a bit more but I'm not sure that would have added too much to the match and I know the fans sure didn't care. They were molten throughout. It's a great match and very different than the Busters and Connection and Towers matches. And it's different than the Rockers and Rogueaus and Bulldogs and BJH matches. The one thing that's constant in all of them? The overwhelming logic and realism of Demolition. With this match, though, the Harts have the presence, instinct, and momentum to believably meet that head-on in meaningful ways, and the end result is something that's not just sound, smart, and even great, but that is downright spectacular.

VR: Now this is the great Demolition/Hart Foundation match. This a Evelventy Gajillion times better than the 90 match.

This is a really significant match for me. Hart Foundation is one of my favorite teams. Maybe tied with Demolition. Anyway Demolition has run roughshod over the WWF for nearly two years. They have ran thru the Rougeaus, The Killer Bees, the British Bulldogs and Strike Force for the titles. But to me the Hart Foundation are like Hulk Hogan and the WWF championship. Until you beat Hulk you are just renting the title.

Angle wise my favorite thing is Jimmy Hart joining Demolition and Fuji for one night. He still has the Hart Foundation under contract and gets a percentage of their earnings. So he is so mad at Bret and Anvil he is willing to sacrifice tag team title money. Of course not thirty minutes before Honky Tonk Man got crushed by the Ultimate Warrior. That has no bearing on this match just fun to think about.

Match starts with Ax and Bret and Ax waste no time in beating Hart down. Ax misses the elbow and Bret lights him up. He then pops Smash one for good measure. Bret tries to rollup Ax but he quickly kicks out. Smash comes in and Bret hits him with two armdrags. Neidhart is tagged in and he comes off the second with an ax handle on Smash.

He hits Smash with a forearm and starts pummeling him. Anvil runs off the ropes and Ax kicks him in the back of his head. AX is tagged in and he beats down Neidhart. Smash comes back in and he starts clubbering. But now AX is quickly tagged back in. Anvil catches him with a forearm and tags out.

Ax begs off from Bret which is super rare from Ax. He has only done that for the Ultimate Warrior. Bret knocks Ax out of the ring and catches Smash with a great looking dropkick. Nobody does a dropkick like Bret. It looks really unique. Starts from a running position but then does a kind of flipping dropkick.

He goes to irish whip Smash but Smash reverses and Bret runs into the post. Now the real heat section of the match starts. Smash starts stomping Bret's shoulder. Meanwhile Jim Neidhart has had enough of being berated by Jimmy Hart and runs him to the back.

Ax is working over Bret's shouldber by wrapping it in the rops and pulling. Really nice painful looking armwork. Great section with Bret's arm stuck in the ropes. Ax hits him the ref starts counting and at five Ax stops. But while the ref is admonishing him. Smash starts punching Bret in the shoulder. This continues for another minute or two.

Ax removes Bret and drives his shoulder into the turnbuckle. Followed by Ax stomping him down. Bret is fantastic as he looks like he is dying. Smash is back in and he hits the rare shoulderbreaker. Smash then puts him in a arm submission.

Ax comes back in and he puts his foot on Bret's shoulder and pulls. Bret gets thrown to the outside and Smash throws him into the steel post. Followed by Ax kicking him from the apron.

Ax whips Bret into the ropes but Bret ducks the clotheslne and hits his own Hart attack clothesline. This where you would expect the tag but Demos cut him off. Smash charges Bret in the corner and Bret boots him in the face.

Now the Anvil is tagged in. He hits Smash with two forearms hits Ax with a dropkick. Hits these nice looking body slams on both Demos. Then clotheslines Smash out of the ring. Neidhart is in the ring alone and the fans all stand up, cheering and applauding and it's a great visual.

Now the highlight of the match. Bret slingshots JJim Neidhart over the top rope on to Smash!!!!! How is this not talked about more. This is a near 300 pound man doing a dive to the floor in 1988!!!!!!

According to the Harts they had to talk to Demolition for a week to get them to agree to this.

Neidhart tosses him back in and hits the powerslam for 2. I love how happy Neidhart looks as he is pinning Smash as he just knows they are champs again. Then his look of shock then disappointment.

Bret is tagged and they do the reverse Irish Whip shoulderblock in the corner. Love how Anvil just springs backward to his stomach. Goes for the pin and fans are counting along. When Smash kicks out fans just yell. Bret hits the backbreaker but Ax is on the apron now and breaks it up. This brings back in Anvil who starts forearming Ax in the corner.

Fuji climbs up on the apron and Neidhart starts hitting him. Bret is hitting Smash and gets ready to hit the piledriver. Jimmy Hart comes back tosses Ax the megaphone who clocks Bret giving Demolition the win.

Whew that was something. Love the match as much now as I did the first time. That finishing sequence from Neidhart coming out to the end was great.

This is the last write up of the project. Monday we are doing a afterword and giving our top ten Demolition matches from the project. If you have been keeping up, feel free to participate.

Friday, May 07, 2010

Unitled Demolition Project Day 30

Demolition © vs Colossal Connection - Huntsville, AL - 12/13/89 (Aired Superstars 12/30/89)

VR: Now this I can write about. As I said on Day 2, I Remember this match vividly. It was just a ordinary episode of Superstars. Maybe it was announced the week before, I can't remember. Anyway its announced that Demolition will defend the belts against Bobby Heenan's new team the Colossal Connection consisting of Haku and Heenan Family cornerstone Andre the Giant.

The Brainbusters had imploded weeks before with Demolition destroying them to win back the belts. Then a few days later things melt down between Tully and Bobby on Saturday Nights Main Event. So the Connection is really the Demolition Revenge Squad.

Demolition comes to the ring. Fans lose it once their theme song starts. But they get to the ring and it ends suddenly. Demos rush Andre and Haku. Smash gets the best of Haku but Andre destroys Ax with a few headbutts.

Demolition never recovers from this. Haku gets on Ax and beats him down with chops. He takes Ax and drives his head into Andre's skull. Andre having the hardest skull in all of wrestling. Then Andre takes a cheapshot kicking AX in the gut.

Smash gets frustrated and runs in the ring. Allowing Andre to choke AX. This is a brand new world for Demolition. Heels might cheat to keep them contained but they do not flat out get their asses kicked. Not by the Powers of Pain not even the Twin Towers.

Andre kicks AX in the back. AX tries to fight back but Haku rakes his eyes. AX does a big kick out after a back breaker. Andre is finally tagged in and pops AX between the eyes. He takes the straps from AX's gear and chokes him. Then starts shoulder blocking him in the gut. Andre goes and tags back in Haku. AX tries to sneak away but Andre throws him back in the corner.

Haku goes for the three point stance and charges AX but AX moves. Andre thinks it worked and walks over to taunt Smash. At this point you would expect the hot tag. But Haku stops him. Haku charges AX again and AX hits a back elbow. Again you would expect the hot tag, but Haku stops him again.

AX hits Haku with an atomic drop but Haku gets the blind tag. Andre comes in and headbutts AX twice and starts choking him. Thats all Smash can stands and he can stands no more. He runs in and starts hitting Andre ho shrugs it off. Haku attacks Smash but Smash starts beating Haku in the corner. Referee forces Smash out allowing Haku to hit the thrust kick into AX followed by the Andre elbow for 3. New tag team champions.

Now this match really really upset me as a kid. I was 8 years old and could not understand why Demolition were beaten so easily. How AX never tagged once. Demolition got destroyed. This would be upsetting in any promotion but in WWF world it was devastating.

MD: This is a pretty strange match. I've said it before but I didn't start watching wrestling until Spring/Summer 1990, so I didn't see it as a kid. It's okay, though. I wouldn't have been a Demolition fan anyway so I wouldn't be traumatized. I would have probably been annoyed that two "slow" teams were fighting for the titles when the Rockers and the Harts were RIGHT THERE. But hey, I was 8 in 1989, so deal with it.

At 28, what do I think? Well, it's a squash where Smash never even gets into the ring. Compared to literally every other Demolition match we've looked at, that's insane, right? It shouldn't make any logical sense. The reasoning behind it is simple. Tully Blanchard got the boot. Arn was leaving shortly thereafter. They had to set something up for Wrestlemania and hey, this way Andre gets a legitimate title win and gets to go out a face when Heenan berates him later on. That's that, though. Let's see what the heck the story is here and if it makes sense.

Smash goes after Haku and Ax immediately goes after Andre at the bell. Let's take a look at this because it's so pivotal for the match. Andre cost the Demos the belts vs Brainbusters back in the summer. They got some measure of revenge in the Summerslam six-man tag and then when they won the belts back, certainly, but there was little actual Andre/Demolition interaction in the match. It was more of a Towers/Demos thing. Moreover, they went up against the Towers for the brunt of the summer and the key against Bossman and Akeem was to take it right to them. Were this a Towers match, Ax's strategy would work and they could start working on the big guy's arm and controlling him and all would be well.

Andre is not Akeem. Andre is not Bossman. Andre is a force of nature. Ax charges him. Andre catches him a few hits later with a choke and nails two King Ghidrah sized headbutts and it's all but academic at this point. Still, Ax is Ax and he shall fight back to the end. Of course Haku immediately going for the throat doesn't help matters. Nor does the fact he's HAKU and can realistically stand up to Ax's strikes as well as anyone. There's a nasty spot where he brings Ax into his own corner and slams Ax's head onto Andre's. The Connection keep Ax in their corner, with Haku (or Smash) distracting the ref allowing Andre to get plenty of choking in. Smash even gets distracted by chasing Heenan (who was a non-factor in the Brainbusters loss where Demos regained the title) around the ring. They hone in on Ax's back, including a good backbreaker by Haku. Whenever he fights back, Haku is quick to go to the eyes or something similar.

Andre gets tagged in and everything he does is just devastating. A punch, shoulders in the corner. Finally, he pins Ax against the corner with his body and Haku hits the 3-Point Stance and goes for a charge, but Ax gets out of the way? Hot Tag? This easy in a Demolition match? Of course not. Andre, thinking Haku hit it, taunts Smash(and it's great) as Ax makes it towards the corner, but Haku cuts him off. He pummels Ax in the corner a bit before an irish whip and another charge in. Ax nails him with a back elbow and THIS is probably where the hot tag would come in a normal Demolition match. But Haku gets in the way and pushes him back towards the Colossal Corner. Ax ducks a chop and hits an Atomic Drop and THIS is where the tag would finally have to come. But while Ax had Haku up in the air, Andre slapped his partner with a blind tag, so as Ax crawls towards his corner, he's unaware that Andre is on his way. Andre chokes him from behind and hits machine gun headbutts. Smash gets angry and comes in. Haku meets him. The ref pulls Smash back. Andre holds Ax so that Haku can hit the thrust kick. Andre drops the elbow and Smash comes in but is unable to move the big man, so that's the match.

It's logical, well built and very different than how the Brainbusters won the title. You still want Demolition to get revenge, but they'll come into the next match as underdogs which is a very strange place for them to be. This match set it up believably though. It's undoubtedly a "Demolition match," despite the fact that they lose so soundly.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Unitled Demolition Project Day 29

This is a very weird match. It comes a month before Survivor Series 88, so Demolition are still heels. They were feuding with the Powers of Pain and heck, the British Bulldogs TV angle where Davey and DK save some jobbers from Demos aired on 10/8. Mike McGuirk announces them coming out with Fuji but he's nowhere to be found. They interrupt the Bolsheviks' singing (and the camera cut in real close to Nikolai because there was a guy behind him in the crowd saluting). They get face pops. The fans had wanted to cheer them for the better part of the year. Now they get their wish.

This is off of the Demolition CV tape, as a way to show how formidable Demos were without Fuji. Pre-Match, Ax and Smash introduce the match (and the match after it which seems to be WM V) talking about how they don't need Fuji anymore. Tony and Lord Alfred are the announcers and they mention the break almost immediately, with Alfred saying it was probably a good thing. Though Alfred also says that the Bolsheviks are the #1 contenders so his credibility wavers here.

Bols attack at the bell but Ax hits Boris off the ropes in the gut with a punch and he does the Bad Bull sell all the way out of the ring. Clubbering on Nikolai and then immediately onto the arm. This match is all about control, controlling the ring, controlling the arm, controlling the body. Demolition dominates. Quick tags. Wrenching the arm. Using the rope. Using an armbar with the neckvice. Some over the shoulder arm-breakers. Goading Zukov so they can illegally doubleteam. Ax hits a great head chop too. This lasts until Smash gets overzealous and loses focus, snapmaring Nikolai into the center of the ring. He tries to cut the ring back off but Volkoff is one spry dude and hops around to make the tag.

This is Demolition and a Demolition showcase at that, so it's not so easy. Zukov gets outpunched in the corner and Ax tags in, hitting a slam, shouting to the receptive crowd, and nailing a big clothesline. Smash tosses him out an then distracts the ref allowing Ax to attack him on the outside. Demos are wrestling as nasty as ever. They see their opponents as the same generally. I'll say this. Smash goes back to the arm a little too much at this point, even after Ax had already moved on. Kayfabe, I'll blame his mistakes on the match on Fuji not being there. Non-kayfabe, I'm not sure. Do I lose street cred if I point out how Zukov really does look like a giant Hornswaggle? Nevermind then. Right about here Smash makes loud disparaging remarks about Commies which is ironic in its own way. I guess he'd know, right? Anyway, his arm offense on Zukov looks really good, at least. He's wrenching away and even grinding his knuckles into the shoulder as part of the hold. Zukov had tried to pull Ax's hair, in a hold before, but Ax went right to his eyes. Now, Zukov goes right for Smash's eyes but Smash immediately makes the tag, preventing Boris from making the tag. It's never easy with Demolition. still, Nik's had enough and comes into kick Ax... and all that gets his partner for for his trouble is a phantom Demos tag.

FINALLY Boris gets his foot up and tags Nikolai. Boris does this cool blocking with his body to keep Smash on their side of the ring as Nik kicks him. It's all for naught though. They double-clubber Smash and Ax just isn't having any of it in this match. He charges into the ring and pandamonium ensues. Really good double collision by the Bols. Nik tosses his shoulder into it hard. Ax takes a bump to the outside but then pulls the rope down as Volkoff went off for a double team. Nikolai does the Wilhelm scream on the way out. No lie. Both bumps are pretty good. Smash slams Boris with ease and then sets up the Decapitation for the win. The crowd is happy about this.

First time I saw this match, I liked it. Second time, I really didn't, and this time, I sort of did, so I'm not sure what to tell you. It's a squash. It involves Boris Zukov. And just like in early 87 when the team was coming together, you could get the sense that the Demos were still working out their babyface feel. That said, it was very effective at doing what it was supposed to do, gauging how over the Demos would be as faces and presenting them as a dominant force.

VR: This match is about a week before Demolition is turned face at Survivor Series 88. I guess its a dry run to see how it goes.

Bolsheviks are in the ring singing the Soviet national anthem when the Demolition theme interupts them. Smash is wearing cool looking road uniform face paint. One thing I wanna say about the Bolsheviks is I do not think Nicolai is a bad worker. He is not spectacular but he gets things done. Also has my favorite back breaker in wrestling. I imagine he was pretty good at one point.

Boris looks like a giant Hornswaggle it is just uncanny.

This is a very strange match. Its a heel Demolition match with the Bolsheviks as underdog faces. Bols attack them from the start. Demos get the advantage quickly. Boris gets popped in the gut and keeps running. Then Demos double clubber Volkoff into the mat.

The match now is mainly Demolition working over the arm. I like Volkoffs selling of the arm wringer. I do like Smash going on these commie rants "I'll break your stinking commie arm!!!!!!"

Boris tries his luck and he is quickly beaten down. Crowd is dead here because they do not know how to react. Only think they respond to is the clubbering. Is odd they got more support beating up Tito and Martel.

"STAY DOWN YOU STINKING COMMIE!!!!" gets a good response.

AX really does some nice arm work. Love the rarely seen pump handle arm breaker.

Eventually Bris catches Smash with a boot in the corner and makes the hot tag. Which is a weird thing to see. Nicolai and Boris double team Smash. Thi brings in Ax. They whip the Commies into each other. Smash clotheslines Nicolai and double clothesline Boris and hit the Decapitation for the win even though Volkoff was the legal man.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Unitled Demolition Project Day 28

Demolition and King Duggan vs Twin Towers and Andre the Giant - East Rutherford, NJ - 8/28/89 - Summerslam

MD: It's been a while since I saw the Superstars and Wrestling Challenges leading up to this so I'm not 100% on the story. Busters fought the Harts at Summerslam. Demos had been feuding with the Towers earlier in the summer as we've documented. Andre had obviously intervened to help the Busters win the belts.

While it's cool to see Andre come out to Jive Soul Brother, the fact he didn't dance along with Akeem was sort of disappointing. Yes, the little crown on the 2x4 was absurd but Hacksaw's goofy pirate face when taking the mask off more than made up for it.

The opening banter/conference between Akeem and Duggan is pretty funny. Hacksaw blocks a punch and takes the advantage and Akeem sells huge for him. Then the arm-assisted controlled clubbering begins. Duggan tries to play along but he's a bit addled. First he brings Akeem out to the center of the ring and then he tosses him to a neutral corner instead of the Demos'. Finally he manages to bring him back over. An eye rake gives Akeem a temporary advantage, but transitions are often not so easy with Ax. It takes a cheapshot throat shot half a minute later for Akeem to get Bossman in there. Even then, Ax is ready for him and starts on the arm, allowing Smash to tag in and put BBM in one of the nicer looking wristlocks I've seen in a while. It's to no avail as Bossman powers him in the corner and hits a bunch of cheapshots. Smash fights back but Bossman goes to the eyes and finally gets the adva... nope, nevermind. Smash strikes back at the eyes and Duggan tags in. Demolition/Duggan are just too much here. You just can't imagine much at this point that could put them down for long.

And that's when Ax ends up in the wrong corner and Andre comes lumbering in. He hits one kick and four butt drops an the entire match changes. Andre is a WMD in tag matches. Terrifying. He was particularly immobile on this night but every single thing he did looked like it was just destroying poor Ax. Yes, I just said "Poor Ax." So is the power of Andre. Finally he tags in Bossman and it's almost an act of mercy. Bossman tags in Akeem who goes for an avalanche in the corner, but Ax hits the turnbuckle and acts like it's the ropes, bouncing off it and lunging towards his corner. Smash comes in for the hot tag and he slams BBM and he slams Akeem, and for a second, as Andre comes in you half think he's going to slam him too! Then Andre swats him like a fly.

Chaos erupts with Ax taking Bossman out using the ringpost on the outside and Andre hitting the big headbutt to Duggan. Akeem (as this is the blowoff to the feud) hits the 747 off the second rope onto Smash, but Duggan clobbers him with the 2x4 as the ref is distracted by Andre and Smash picks up the win for his team. Duggan looks so happy.

Anyway, this is a perfectly fine match. Enjoyable, with a big feel. It also doesn't begin to hold a candle to the three House Show matches we have between the Towers and the Demos. This is just another sign that if you really want to look at the work a team did, you have to go away from the big PPV and TV matches and look at everything available.

VR: Here we are the final final chapter of the Twin Towers/Demolition series. But we have Jim Duggan and Andre the Giant. Was cool watching Andre walk out to Jive Soul Bro.

This was in that brief period when Hacksaw was king before losing the crown to Macho Man. He is wearing a black hockey mask. Though the effect is lost with his two by four wearing a baby crown.

I know it was not planned but its cool how this foreshadows the Demolition vs Andre feud.

Demos and Hacksaw remove their mask and Hacksaw has the American flag painted on his face. Jesse Ventura suggest a constitutional amendment banning it.

Things start off with Akeem and his majesty. They are staring each other town and trash talking. Duggan lays in some punches and Akeem does a big bump off of one Hacksaw punch. He tags in Ax and Hacksaw is an after though for the rest of the match. Ax chops him down and Smash joins in with clubbering. Loved how Smash stuck his tongue out in the ref's face. Smash goes "YEEEAHHHH" getting a big response.

Akeem thumbs Ax in the throat to tag in Bossman. Ax starts chopping Bossman. He tags in Smash and Bossman beats him down in the corner. Fans are chanting USA in support of Duggan. We have Smash fighting back the Demos/Duggan team tagging in and out.

Bossman beats Ax down and the Giant has finally been tagged in. Andre kicks him and hits three big butt drops on him. Love Ax's expression as Andre is choking him. Looks like an old cartoon.

Beating continues til Akeem misses the Avalance and Ax tags in Smash. Smash comes in and slams both Towers to a big ovation. Andre comes in and takes down Smash with a single chop. Bossman goes to attack AX but is pulled from the ring. Duggan breaks up the pin on Smash but Andre takes him down with one headbutt.

Akeem goes to the second rope and he actually hits the 747. I always thought he would kill somebody if he hit that. Ref is distracted and AX clobbers him with the two by four. Giving Demos the win. That's a strange finish with the faces cheating with no provocation. Not that its out of character for Demolition of even Duggan.

Unitled Demolition Project Day 27

Demolition vs Orient Express (Akio Sato and Pat Tanaka) - 3/19/90 - MSG

VR: Been putting off watching this for awhile. Watched it in March during my first bout of tooth trouble this year and had difficulty getting into it.

There is history here with Demolition being Fuji's old team and the Express being the team he bought with his Powers of Pain money. Powers of Pain being the team he betrayed Demolition for.

I enjoyed the wolf/sheepdog section of the match. Tanaka gets knocked around the ring. Doing a 350 sell on a clothesline, which was probably too early in the match. Smash goes to punch him but Tanaka ducks only to be double clothelined. Smash lays him on the top rope and they start clubbering.

Tanaka tags in Sato. The only thing I can say about Sato is he is no Paul Diamond. I would rather seen Tarzan Goto as Tanaka's partner. Its not even that Sato is bad. Its just he incredibly bland. You could watch a 100 Sato matches and see one thing that makes you notice him.

AX takes to the mat with a headlock here. Something I have not see out of him in Demolition matches. Gets him up and hip tosses Sato while mocking Fuji. It seems like Ax knows that they are not meshing with these guys and starts taunting Fuji to rile the crowd. Starting a Fuuj the Stooge chant. Sato tries to whip AX into the corner but AX catches him with a back elbow.

Tanaka tags back in and he starts hitting AZ in the corner. Does not last and AX throws him into Smash's boot. Demolition maintains control with wristlocks, and arm wringers. They even hit a big double back drop. Smash gets thumbed in the eye and Express takes control.

Smash starts fighting out of the corner and starts hitting Sato with ax handles after a hip toss. The referee is distracted by AX for some reason. The camera misses Tanaka hitting a flying dropkick or a spinning heel kick.

Im just going to go into things that do not work for me. Demos are trying to wrestle a slightly even match with Tanaka and Sato. By that I mean they are trying to do something similar to the Brainbusters series. Where Demolition overwhelms them but they keep the advantage thru cheating, cunning and team work.

But Tanaka and Sato just do not have the teamwork or credibility to make this work. So I was having a hard time buying it when Smash was suppose to be face in peril. Even when Fuji hits him with the cane the Express are all out of place. With Tully and Arn or the Towers you see great tag teams that know how to control the match. Im not seeing this from the Express or at least Sato.

The Express look good when they are swarming Smash. Its the only time you buy them credibly keeping Smash down. Smash lifts up Sato and carries him across the ring but Tanaka clips him. Like the chops Tanaka hits on Smash including this claw type chop. Sato is tagged back in and he seems lost and quickly tags back in Tanaka. Smash hits a big clothesline on Tanaka who does the 350 bump. AX gets tagged and he lays into Tanaka.

Demos get ready to finish Tanaka with the Decapitator. But Fuji stops them. AX follows him outside but before he can get him Sato throws salt in his eyes giving the Orient Express the upset win by count out.

It was too early to squash the Express or even have them lose and Demolition losing to them by pinfall would be ridiculous. So we get this. I just wish this could of been Kato and Tanaka instead. That would been a great match. This was not bad. But its definitely low end Demolition.

MD: Early 90s WWF booking is relatively minimalist, but there were a lot of things happening between the cracks if you took the time to work them out. Our story begins with Jake Roberts and the Million Dollar Man. Dibiase had taken Roberts out in mid-late 1989 and Roberts, as revenge, stole the Million Dollar Belt and put it in the bag with Damien. Dibiase worked out a deal with Slick so that Bossman would retrieve the bag. He does but immediately turns on Slick and Dibiase when Ted insinuates that it wasn't about the law at all, but about Bossman being bought. Dibiase then immediately puts a bounty on Bossman's head which Slick tries to claim with Akeem. Suffice to say, Slick made out well in all of this. He took that money and bought the contract of one half of the Powers of Pain, Warlord, from Mr. Fuji, who in turn sold the other half, Barbarian off to Heenan. FUJI then used that money to bring together his Orient Express: Akio Sato and Pat Tanaka. They debuted in February 1990 and here they are in their very first marque match in the WWF at MSG vs Demolition. Generally, it was a bit of a trade down for Fuji but I think he came out with quite a profit from the whole deal which mattered to him as much as anything else.

The pre-match, pre-taped promos are good. Fuji seems to single out Ax which I find amusing for some reason. The Demos go on about Fooj the Stooge. There's obviously a lot of history here and it's somehow fitting that Fuji tests his new team first against Demolition.

Pat and Smash to begin. Tanaka gets outpowered and tries to outquick Smash, following a duck of a clothesline with a bow to the crowd. That gets him clobbered and Smash follows it up with his own bow and a revved up arm pump. Tanaka ducks another punch and bows once again only to get a double clothesline for his trouble and it's all a lot of fun. Yes, Demolition can do well timed comedy spots too. Another tag into Ax, a lift of Tanaka sideways onto the top turnbuckle and the double clubber. Basically, it's not looking good for the Express in the early going. A Fuji distraction allows for the tag. There's a ton of interaction between the Demos and Fuji. Lots of history there and they play up on it. Anyway, Sato fares no better against Ax and takes a powder. Ax uses this time to clap along to some disparaging chant from the MSG crowd about Fuji, including a great shot of one guy really into it. A cheapshot kick to the back as Ax comes off the ropes turns the tide for a moment with Tanaka swarming in upon him in the corner with a bunch of great strikes, but he can't outpunch Demolition and Ax rallies back and makes the tag. Smash hits a great scoop slam backbreaker on Tanaka followed up by a big double back body drop on him, but Tanaka comes back with an eyepoke and the swarming finally begins.

The story thus far has been that the Express has a game plan but they've just been unable to execute it in the face of Demolitions superior force. The plan? The swarm. Akio keeps on Smash. Smash tries to fight back but gets corralled into the Express' corner. Smash tries to fight back but he's hit by a sneak attack doubleteam. They continue the swarm attack, eventually throwing him out so Fuji can get the cane sneak shot in. More double teaming leading to Smash attempting to walk Akio over to his corner only to get a chop block from Tanaka cutting it off. That finally brings in an irate Ax but after pummelling Tanaka a bit, the ref keeps him out. More double-teaming. Another cut off. I thought the Express were working like a well-oiled machine at this point and Smash is doing a great job playing the wounded animal trying to do anything to escape. Ax is great at this point, swatting and kicking at anyone who comes near his corner. He wants in bad. All it does is allow for more doubleteaming by the Express though, who continue to make quick tags and swarm Smash at every opportunity with strikes. Finally Smash hits the clothesline out of the corner (with Tanaka doing the trademark Orient Express 360 sell) and makes the REAL hot tag. Demos were, and yes, we've said this a bunch, so good at knowing when to finally pull off the tag.

Ax comes in and just destroys Tanaka, finally setting up for the Decapitation. Fuji hooks the leg with the cane. Ax chases him around the ring, eats a facefull of salt and gets counted out. Yes Demolition loses to the Orient Express. I definitely found myself buying this match more than Vic did. Good comedy at the start. Then it took a while for the Express to get on offense and once they did they kept it in fairly believable ways.

Unitled Demolition Project Day 26

VR: We are nearing the end and this is the final chapter in the Brainbusters/Demolition feud. But its also the first step in Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson being run out of town on a rail. I remember as a kid, Demos winning the belts back felt sudden.

Match starts with Arn and Smash. Arn knees Smash in the gut and puts him in the Busters coner. Now the Brainbusters are clubbering Smash. Smash fights out of it. Since this match is shorter than the other match, Brainbusters are getting much more offense than normal.

Ax comes in and all four men are brawling. Busters are knocked out of the ring by back elbows. Tully comes back in too soon and takes a double back elbow. Smash charges Tully and catches a nice looking knee to the gut. Tully leaps off the top and Smash catches him carries him over to the Demos corner and gets clubbered across the turnbuckle.

This brings in Arn and all four are in the ring fighting again. Ax chucks Tully over the top leaving Arn and Smash. Arn elbows Smash in the back of the head.

Smash goes for a suplex and Tully clips his knee. Tully is tagged in drives Smash's face into the mat and he starts punching Smash in the back of the head. Now we just have good, smart solid tag team wrestling. Smash is kept in the Busters corner and worked over.

Arn hits the spinebuster sits there for a moment then pins Smash. Finally closure on this running thread of Arn not pinning guys after the spinebuster. Ax comes in and breaks it up anyway.

Tully sneaks in and attempts to suplex Smash but its reversed. Mentioned this in the Rougeaus write up but I love when a suplex reversal looks like a struggle. Smash tags in Ax and Ax cleans house. Taking on both Busters til Smash can come back in. Smash hits the stun gun on Arn. While Ax sets up Tully for the Demo Decapitator. Its over and Demos are tag champions for the second time.

This was a great series with a satisfying conclusion. Only thing that could of made this better was it happening at Wrestlemania VI like it was suppose to.

MD: Obviously I wish that Arn and Tully had stayed so that this feud could have gotten blown off at Mania. I'm not entirely sure what they would have done with Demolition at Survivor Series and over the next few months, mind you but it would have been interesting whatever it was. Granted, we would have lost the December Colossal Connection MSG match and that would have been a shame since I think it's an honestly important match. Anyways, this is a Superstars match, so obviously it's got no time at all. It's just amazing, however, what they manage to do with the time they do have. It's a hell of a sprint.

Arn seems professional and almost jolly, shaking hands with Heenan and showing off before the match, even though he's about to get steamrolled and run out of town. Arn takes the fight RIGHT to Smash, trying desperately to get him and keep him in the Busters corner. Smash just as desperately fights out. This is serious business and it's obvious from the opening moments. A moment later, Ax comes in to counter the potential double-team and Demos clear the ring. Tully makes it right back in and eats a double-back-elbow for his trouble. Smash whips him into the corner and charges in. Tully gets a foot up and quickly tries a second rope double ax-handle. Smash catches him beautifully in a bearhug and walks him over to the Demos corner. Typical Busters/Demos fare here. Busters try EVERYTHING and Demos stand up to it making both teams look like a million bucks. I suppose it makes the Busters look like a million bucks and the Demos look like a force of nature.

Corner turnbuckle double-clubber (they sure did like doing that to Tully). Neither here nor there but I heard an interview from Darsow where he blamed Tully for not protecting him at all in the chairshot at the SNME title change and doing that on purpose, causing a serious injury. I'm not sure those feelings come through in the work at all. Anyway, Arn comes in here and Tully gets thrown anyway, making AA the de facto legal man. He tries to hit a knee drop on Smash, but Smash catches it and hits the bit atomic drop into Demos corner and Ax's foot, but not until Arn does some awesome stooging like only he can. Smash picks him up for a suplex but Tully zooms in from off camera with a chop block and takes out Smash's leg. Nice looking spot.

Tully tags in quickly and face plants Smash before going and pummeling the back of his head, where he had clobbered him with the chair in the title change. Ouch. At this point, the Busters do their best to keep on top of Smash, keeping him in their corner and choking and kneeing and going after the head and throat best they can. Tully goes for a pin and gets knocked off all the way to Demos corner where Ax almost tags his skull. Tully's reaction is great. Smash reverses an irish whip so that Tully ends up into Arn's outstretched knee, but this is a Demos match so that's just a hope spot and not the hot tag. Arn comes in quickly and hits the spinebuster, but takes too long to pin (though at least he does. Heenan's yelling at him here). Ax breaks it up. Tully sneaks in but Smash reverses a suplex and we get a hot tag. This was only a couple of minutes, but the pace is so quick that it feels like a longer heat period.

Great camera angle on the hot tag. Ax comes in and clears house. Smash gets the hotshot on Arn which puts him out of commission and Tully eats a decapitation. Demos win the title and the crowd is SHOCKED since you don't go to a Superstars taping expecting a title change. Great six minute match. All it could have used was a little more Heenan since he was such a big part of the feud. All he did here was shake Arn's hand and complain after the match.

Unitled Demolition Project Day 25

Demolition vs Andre the Giant/Giant Baba - Tokyo Dome - 4/13/90

This is a great Demolition performance. It's obviously not a great match, but it's a great performance. Eadie and Darsow are hugely giving for Baba/Andre, and that in itself makes this worth watching in any sort of comprehensive look at Demolition.

So, they're at the Tokyo Dome for the an All Japan/New Japan/WWF summit, I think. We're outside my general knowledge base here, so bare with me. My guess is that the Japanese crowd knew little about Demolition, but they sure did like the theme music. A big chunk of the crowd seems to be clapping along for it. We shoot to the back where they interview Baba and Andre, except for Andre wants no part of it and the interviewer can't physically get himself into the right position around the two giants to interview him. Funny stuff.

Smash and Baba to start. Smash gets in a few blows before getting whipped off the ropes and eating a chop. He goes down, flips three times, gets up, realizes he's in Andre's corner, and let's loose this awesome facial expression before stumbling back as Andre just stands there bemused. Baba goes for the arm on the rope, hits a bit head chop, and amazingly, Smash is fighting back. This, despite the setting, is still a Demolition match, and they're going to make Baba and Andre work for it, at least to an extent. Smash is in Andre/Baba corner, fighting back. And it's all for naught as Andre tags in. A headbutt and a spasm sell. Stepping on Smash. A big punch. But Andre misses the butt drop (again) and Smash rolls over quickly to Ax.

Ax clubbers and Andre does a great bit of selling like he can't get up. He hits Ax in the throat, and Ax stumbles back to his corner and tags Smash. Smash clubbers. Gets kicked. Tags. This is awesome. Everytime Andre touches them, they tag. It's a more extreme version of the MSG Colossal Connection tag match. It's just brilliant. It gets over Andre as being godlike as forcing a tag with a touch. It gets over Demos as being brilliant for not taking even one hit from the giant for granted. It's just fun and unique and it lasts 4-5 tags before Ax hits an elbow drop but then Andre doesn't let go of him, rolling them over so he can make the tag.

Baba steps all over Ax's stomach and he sells it great, only to fight back in the corner, and yes, Demolition is attempting to control the ring against Giant Baba, with tags and double clubbering and cheating behind the ref's back. Classic Ax right here. It doesn't last long, though. Baba manages to knock Ax off the apron, ending the possibility of a double-team and allowing him to escape and make the tag. It's subtle and logical and Demolition in droves.Anyway, Baba hits a neckbreaker on Smash and the crowd goes nuts, before he tags in Andre. Smash tries to hit him but Andre's not down this time, and he just laughs and punches Smash who does a spiraling sell. Ax gets tagged in and Andre chokes him, before moving him around the ring with the costume strap. Andre chokes Ax in the corner, causing Smash to come in, but Baba responds. Still, it's enough to allow Ax to tag Smash who hits a big clothesline, staggering Andre. Smash keeps working on him in the ropes, causing Baba to come back in. This brings Ax in and we have the slowest pandemonium you shall ever see. A pretty good looking "Demolition whipped into each other spot," better than usual, leading to the finish.

Andre headbutts Ax and he rolls out. Baba tosses Smash off the ropes and hits a kick. Andre hits the big elbow drop. Baba stands in the middle of the ring like the world's biggest pitbull blocking off a whole side of the ring with his size, and there's the match. It's actually a really good Demolition showcase that shows off both men's strength. Smash hams and sells big and uses his energy. Ax does things smartly and logically and gives the match story and meaning. Everything he does adds to the logic of the match. They fight back at every turn and give when they should be giving. Worth watching in the midst of a lot of other Demos matches. It really is.

Unitled Demolition Project Day 24

Demolition vs George "the Animal" Steele and The Junkyard Dog. MSG 8/22/87

MD: I know the look you're giving me right now. Why would I want you people to watch this match? Why would I be reviewing and showcasing something that looks so dire on paper (if that paper was an old Observer, I guess). It's simple. The point of this project isn't to cherry pick the best possible matches and ignore the rest. It's to try to convince people that Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow were a first-rate and highly underrated tag team. So yes, I AM going to take a look at this match which, on paper, seems like it's a disaster waiting to happen. Let's see if it tells a good story. Let's see if the Demos work holds up in the face of what they're up against. Let's see if they can entertain and keep the MSG crowd. Let's see if they can show a whole different side of their work dealing with Steele.

The match footage starts out with a pre-taped interview with Lord Alfred where the Demos seem to be having fun talking about how they'll take the Animal back to Fuji and what have you. The Fink gets a cool drop-down Mic. And we're off. Lots of posing and goofiness with Steele's tongue to begin with. Mind games, Monsoon calls it. If the Demos return the Gene Simmons tongue, we don't see it. And NOW we're off. Ax clubbering back and forth with JYD to begin. Stands toe to toe with him. The announcers mention that JYD's put on some weight as of late and how that'll help him in this match. I refrain from comment.

The moment of the match comes early. JYD corrals Ax into his corner and Steele bites his face. He takes a whole bunch of Ax's facepaint with him and I have to admit, it's really quite funny. Given Ax' larger than life selling of it (which may or may not be him cracking up), it probably wasn't intended either. They milk it for all its worth though, giving heel Demolition more of a chance to stooge than they get against guys like the Bees or the Rogs. The stooging leads to Ax distracting Steele so that Smash can get him from behind. The match calls for Demolition to go way over the top with the heel tactics, and that's exactly what they're doing.

After more cheap heel tactics, Steele catches a Smash clothesline with his teeth and makes the tag to JYD. He and Smash do everything big. Smash's selling is big and exaggerated, playing to the crowd. Finally, they get JYD into the corner and take over on him, making quick, visually well-timed tags, clubbering and cutting off comebacks. What Demolition does best. The double-teaming, legal and otherwise, is in full force, and Steele is getting enraged on the outside. After a double-clothesline, JYD makes it in for the hot tag, but Ax has the referee distracted. Steele loses it. Demos double-team him and he gets tossed. He comes back with a chair, gets caught hitting Smash, and the Demolition pick up the DQ win.

The match itself wasn't great, but really it could have been surprisingly decent if they just gave a few more minutes to the heat segment on JYD. As it was, the match stands out because it shows another side of Demolition. They were so good at changing up their style depending on who their opponents were, both as faces and heels. Their believable range, from match to match, is really just amazing. It still surprises me so late into the project. In this match they were over the top and almost cartoony, larger than life, stooging and heeling and playing to their opponents and the crowd. Not a great match, no, (though it would have taken very little to make it a good one), but still a good performance by Demolition.

Unitled Demolition Project Day 23

MD: Of the British Bulldogs matches easily available that we haven't yet done, this is the most interesting. The Wrestlefest one has the cool outdoor setting and fun bits of commentary where Superstar tries to convince Alfred to manage the Bulldogs. The SNME one has an absurdly hot crowd and the insane Demos promo with Jesse. The 1987 Toronto Tag Tourney one has the healthiest Dynamite. I like this one more than those. That said, it's pretty much the Bulldogs formula. Davey starts out. He and Dynamite look good. Something happens. Dynamite gets beat up for a while. Davey comes in with the hot tag. Dynamite comes back in. Finish. So we'll just point out the cool stuff.

The shine period at the front is actually really good. Davey looks GREAT. Nice, nice forearms on Smash. The sunset flip out of the corner spot looks good. The back and forth arm stuff with Davey and Smash looks really good in this match. None of it is just going through the motions. The Bulldogs are spry and doing lots of phantom switches. Demos are great using their power to control the ring. Dynamite is pretty good at using his quickness and ring savvy to counter that, with a nice little leg grapevine on the armbar to add some extra leverage, with Ax looking good, reaching for the tag but being too far away. Actually a lot of neat little things from Dynamite in this match. The Bulldogs get to show a bit more than usual with their neat arm-work. Ax hits an awesome headbutt to make a tag, but Dynamite cuts it off with a quick drop toe hold. Demos are definitely getting out wrestled here which usually doesn't work for long. Still, power wins out as Smash does a pretty good arm drag reversal spot and and reverses a headscissors takedown attempt by carrying Davey all the way to the turnbuckle (with a GREAT facial too) and it looks like Davey is going to be the FIP for once, but the ref gets in the way and he hits a good shot off the ropes and the running power slam, tagging Dynamite in for the headbutt. Bulldogs are looking like a thousand bucks here.

Anyway, Smash comes in to break up the pin and that's the shine goes out. The mauling begins. Dynamite does lean into everything, bless his crippled heart. Ax has somehow lost his chest... thing which is weird as I'm not even sure how that happens. Even after dozens of matches, Demolition's gear is still a mystery to us. AH! I went back. He took the straps off and put them in his tights. I have no frigging idea why since he doesn't do this in any other match. I assume he somehow gets Lawler-power out of it though. Unlike Crush, Smash has an awesome backbreaker. Amusing in here is that Superstar doesn't know who Dave Hebner is apparently. Somewhere in here Fuji hits a KILLER cane shot to the throat on DK while Ax has him in the neck-vice, and shortly thereafter, another shot out on the floor. Big suplex from the apron in from Smash. A great DK jaw-breaker out of an Ax chinlock leads to the hot tag. It wasn't a very long heat segment but they sure made the best of the time that they had.

Anyway, we all know Davey's awesome at the House Of Fire stuff and he is here too, including some great headsplitting clotheslines. Eventually Davey eats a foot and Smash misses an elbow and we get a mini hot tag back to DK who hits the wraparound clothesline. Then Smash suplexes himself for DK and we get chaos leading to the finish. Fuji distracts Davey. DK gets Smash in the Octopus. Ax crushes his skull with an axhandle, and that's the 3-count. This is the same as the wrestlefest finish but that used the cane. I think the axhandle looks better.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this was better than most of the Bulldogs/Demos matches. It actually had a little less heat considering that the longer shine period and the shorter FIP period, but I wanted to find something that was different than the Italy match and this is at least a little bit different. It's one of the better showcases for the Bulldogs in 1988 at least and shows how the Demos could help make another team look good and still come off as devastating even with only a short period to be on top.

VR: In the dvdvr tag touney the Bulldogs/Demos poll turned semi heated. But I hope it did not seem like I hated the British Bulldogs. There was lots to love about them. Its interesting how going over these matches that Dynamite seemed more like the ring general/solid hand and Davey Boy was the spectacular dynamo with snazzy looking offense.

Anyway this match is from August 1988 and I think the last Bulldogs/Demolition match. Bulldogs are gone by November.

The tone of the match feels much more like a British Bulldogs match. Smash and Davey Boy start off. Liked Bulldog retaliating with forearm blows to Smash and Smash regaining control with a knee to the gut. They do this spot where Davey Boy avoids the corner charge and hits a sunset flip. Which looks out of place a minute into the match.

Davey Boy is controlling Smash with an arm bar. They do the switching in and out while the ref is distracted.

Ax is tagged in and he has had enough beating Dynamite into the ground with a fine set of clubbering. Really love how Dynamite was selling here. First getting up really fast the getting gradually slower and slower. Some guys just become a lump. Or don't sell til they collapse.

Dynamite regains the advantage with a arm bar. I like how Dynamite works over an arm. He does it with meaning rather than a way to kill time. Also liked how he slipped his leg around Ax's, then turns it into a hammerlock. Ref is distracted and Davey Boy switches out.

Again Davey Boy has Ax grounded and Bulldogs make this stuff look more dynamic than most.Dynamite Kid switches out but Ax headbutts him and tags out but Smash is hit with a droptoe hold.

Love this spot where Smash turns an attempted hiptoss into a armbar. There is this one spot where Davey hoist up Smash for the power slam but stops and slams him. I think he realized it was too early. So he just slams him and Dynamite headbutts Smash off the second rope. Like how Dynamite got up like a spring.

Ax is back in and he starts laying into Dynamite and chokes him with his S&M singlet. Is that thing a modified regular singlet or a custom made outfit?

Now its a Demolition match. Ax put Kid in the head vice. Smash distracts the ref and Fuji hits Dynamite with the cane. Liked Kid's sell here. He popped up then collapsed. Smash is in clubbering while Ax keeps the front face lock on. I should note Ax is wrestling without the top of his singlet. He actually loks like more of a badass now.

Dynamite is on the floor and Fuji nails him in the gut again. Dynamite is really good at selling. Then again I heard he refused to sell if a guy did not lay it in.

Big suplex from Smash. Love Dynamite's spazam selling. Ax locks on a chin lock. Really like the way its done. With the hand on the wrist pulling back.

Davey Boy gets the hot tag and he goes thru Demolition.After slamming both Demos, Davey Boy screams and the crowds goes nut. He gets the visual pin on Ax. After a bodypress Ax kicks Davey Boy in the face.

We get another brief heat section on Davey Boy. Til he tags Dynamite. Who goes after both Demos. Hits the snap suplex on Smash but Ax breaks up the pin. This brings in Davey Boy and its broken down. Dynamite locks on the Octopus hold. This brings Fuji up on the apron. Davey Boy gets off of Ax to attack Fuuj. This allows Ax to clobber Dynamite for 3.

This was a good match. Though it felt like the cliff notes version of a longer match.

MD: There is a 20 minute Demos/Bulldogs match that we haven't seen. Anyone see it?

Unitled Demolition Project Day 22

VR: This is the first big Crush match on tv and they are defending against the Rockers. I said that the Summerslam 90 match was more of a Hart Foundation match than a Demolition match. This match is more of a Rockers match than a Demolition match. This is definitely because of Ax being replaced. Ax was a ring general and he always controlled the match. If it was a fast tempo he was allowing it. If you disagree check out the matches and we'll argue some more.

With Crush the dynamic changed. Ax is now the coach on the outside. Ax is in the role Fuji played in Demos matches as the third man. Interfering on he outside.I think he was giving Crush pointers because he is better here than at Summerslam.

Smash is now in Ax's role as team captain. The veteran of the team. The credibility of the team. He controls the pace of the match. I do not think he was as good as AX was in this role but he does a good job.

Crush is the Powerhouse and the young upstart. I like that Crush was not a generic Smash clone. Instead being different from any previous Demo. He is really powerful and has a few flying moves. Which I have no memory of. He looks a lot like Mike Awesome. I only say this because Mike Awesome looks like a potential Demolition member.

Onto the match. Things start with Marty and Smash. Smash knees him in the gut and beats him down. I noticed Smash did not play to the crowd like he use to in 88. I guess to avoid doing anything that fans would cheer. Now Marty out wrestles Smash using his quickness and dropkicks him out of the ring. Both Demos come in the ring and the Rockers take them down with stereo headscissors and stereo dropkicks them out of the ring.

Smash comes back in and their is this odd sequence. That ends with a dropkick monkey flip combo. Crush runs over Shawn with a clothesline. I don't think anybody took a clotheline better than Shawn Micheals.

Smash tags Crush in and he starts working over Shawn. I like those Karate chop punches Crush would pop guys in the gut with. Rockers hit Crush with a double hip toss stereo fist drop. Crush put Marty on the top rope but Marty hits him and lands a flying sunset flip for 2.

Rockers stay in control with quick tags til Crush lures Marty into a trap where he avoids Smash but gets clotheslined by Ax on the floor. The story of the match is that Demolition are unbeatable with three members.

Back from commercial and Smash is clubbering Marty. Smash tosses him out and Crush press slams him back in. The type of power move you never saw from Ax and Smash. Crush comes flying off the top with a nice looking axhandle on Marty. Big tilt a whirl backbreaker. Good looking one too. Impressive how it looked like he used one arm. He continues dominating with power moves. Hits that Side Chokeslam he used on Bret at Summerslam.

Like how Marty was fighting back from the ground with punches and kicks. Smash comes in and slaps on a bear hug. Like how Shawn was cheering Marty on as he fought out of it.

One thing I noticed was how Crush and Smash keep whipping Marty into the Rockers side of the ring. Its one of those things you never saw prime Demolition do.

Marty hits this flying head slam on Crush and gets the hot tag to Shawn. Shawn attacks both Demos. Love when Smash starts swinging blind with Shawn ducking. Whips Smash into Crush Then they double dropkick Crush over the top rope. Then double dropkick Smash followed by the double superkick and the double flying fist drop. Before they get three, Crush breaks it up.

Ref is tied up with Marty and Crush. Shawn rolls up Smash, but AX hits a great looking clothesline on Shawn and pins him. Loved how AX kept his head covered then got out of the ring fast. Now Hart Foundation and LOD are at ringside bitching about cheating.

This was a good match. I don't think its a top Demos or Rockers match. But still a good match that sets up Summerslam 90.

MD: Marty and Smash to begin. Jannetty's great at outquicking Smash and Smash is great at the teeter-totter selling and taking a nice little bump through the ropes off a dropkick. Both Demos come in and eat stereo headscissors and then dropkicks (Marty's is looking particularly high tonight). Smash comes back on in and the Rockers hit a nice quick tag off the ropes giving us this sort of weird spot where Marty climbs all over Smash to distract him before Michaels can get him in a monkey-flip (assisted by a Marty dropkick). It's a little awkward, but it works almost through sheer persistence. As Michaels turns around after the move, Crush comes from off-camera and takes his head off with a clothesline. If you want someone bumping for you in your big match debut, you could do a lot worse than the Rockers. The ref goes over and yells at Ax for some reason and Ax points to show how the Rockers were double-teaming and how it was just fair. Vic has noted before that Demolition as heels in mid 90 were just treating the Rockers and the Harts the same way they treated the Brainbusters and the Connection. There's something to that.

Crush tags in and the camera work is good and Michaels selling is good, but there's really something quite skittish about his offense. Ax and Smash are smooth and fluid. Crush is big and powerful but there are lots of starts and stops and it's a bit unnerving, which isn't necessarily a bad thing on its own. Michaels reverses an irish whip into the corner and Crush bounces back right into a double arm drag/elbow/kip up combo. The nice part is just like earlier in the match with Crush, Jannetty shows up out of NOWHERE, the camera not catching him come in. Marty gets Crush in a headlock and Crush gets to show off the strength, lifting him up and bringing him to the turnbuckle, goozling him. This leads to Marty jumping off with a really sloppy sunset flip. The story right now is a real strength vs speed feeling out process between Crush and the Rockers. They start working on the arm to contain and wear down Crush with a few quick tags before the big guy signals for Smash to get on the middle of the apron. It takes forever to set this up, and you're starting to think it's a flub, but when Crush sends Jannetty across, he slips between Smash's legs and lands on the floor. Crush distracts the ref and Marty eats an Ax clothesline. Good spot. Ax dismissively taunts Shawn and we go to break.

When we come back, Demos are undeniably on top (Smash is clubbering Marty). The it factor here has been Ax on the outside. The Rockers can outquick the still developing Crush/Smash teamwork, but they have to overcome Ax's presence as well. Smash gives Marty a bum's rush through the second and third ropes just so Crush can toss him back into the ring. Smash then holds Marty so that Crush can hit a HUGE axhandle off the top to the back, followed by the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker as Ax claps from the outside. Crush really gave Demolition some impressive size and power. There's no questioning that. Unfortunately his normal back/rib breaker is still pretty crappy. He hits the Bossman chokeslam off the ropes and then Smash and Crush have a big high five, which leads to a funny bit of Vince trying to say that should have been a tag. The extra time bought with the high five allows Marty to get his wind back and do some great kicks to Crush from the ground, but Smash tags in and they're right back on him. Smash with a big bear hug, which makes sense considering Crush was working on Marty's back. Shawn's a great heat-generating face on the outside, up on the second rope. They cut off a comeback and Crush comes in. Ax seems to be really directing traffic on the outside at this point. Big whip into the corner but then on another whip, Marty rides Crush down leading to the well timed hot tag.

Shawn's a firecracker here, doing these great forward motion punches to a retreating Smash and hitting an awesome shoulder block and ducking punches. Anything but the usual "same move to one-guy then the next" hot tag offense. Smash and Crush do the collision spot well, with Crush bouncing back off the ropes. Double dropkicks abound. Then the double superkick. Then the stereo firstdrop and you buy the title change is about to happen but Crush (perfectly timed this time) breaks up the pin. Jannetty fights with him, distracting the ref, as Shawn rolls up Smash. Ax comes in and just takes Shawn's head off with the nastiest clothesline you've seen in a while and covers Shawn for the sneaky, sneaky pin. The Harts and LOD come in to dispute things later in the match.

All in all, it's a really good match that showed off Crush's strengths. I could have used a few more minutes of getting heat on Marty but it was a SNME match with time limitations so what are you going to do?