Barry Darsow Opens Up About Possible WWE Hall Of Fame Induction For The Demolition, Recent CM Punk Interaction

Former WWE Superstar Barry Darsow recently engaged in a freewheeling chat with The A2theK Wrestling Show.

Barry Darsow (AKA Smash) and Bill Eadie (FKA Ax) are regarded as one of the greatest duos in the world of professional wrestling. Collectively known as The Demolition, the duo went on to win the WWF World Tag Team Championship thrice during their legendary stint in the late 80s and the early 1990s.

Darsow recently talked about a whole host of things during an interaction with The A2theK Wrestling Show, delving into his career-threatening injury during the late 1980s, the lost art of tag team wrestling in the modern era, a recent chat with CM Punk, and more.

Below are the highlights:

Barry Darsow on his career-threatening injury in the late 1980s

“When that happened, the doctors said, ‘You’re done!’ It was devastating because at that point, wrestling was my whole life. My goal was to get to the WWF at the time. And when that happened in Crockett’s territory, it was almost like, you know, ‘I can’t reach my dream,’ and I was just starting to make some good money, and when that happened, you don’t make money. It just comes out of your pocket. So, it was a tough situation. But the guys I was around were incredible. They all pitched in out of their paychecks. They all took money out so I could have a paycheck. I mean, it was an incredible place.” [10:52 onward]

On whether Demolition should have been heel throughout

“You know, it didn’t really matter to me or Bill. We still worked like heels, but every once in a while, we would do something, and we’d acknowledge the crowd a little bit or whatever. But I would have rather stayed heel all the time, because I think we were better at that. And I think the crowd likes us better as heels.” [12:19 onward]

On his WrestleMania 17 gimmick battle royal

“Well, at that time, it was really kind of the start of when there weren’t fun gimmicks anymore. So, when we had that gimmick battle royal, to a lot of the new fans, it was like, ‘Well, that’s how wrestling used to be.’ I think it was a surprise to the new fans, whereas the old fans loved it because they were into all the gimmicks. So I guess the biggest change was more of that.” [27:25 onward]

On the lost art of tag team wrestling:

“I really think it’s all a money issue. Say if you have five matches, and they are all singles matches, that’s only 10 people. If you have three (singles) matches and two tag teams, now you’re adding four extra guys out there. That’s, you know, four extra plane tickets; that’s less money that everybody makes. I think that’s a big thing about it. And yeah, it’s a shame because I knew Eric Bischoff; he said he hated tag teams, and later on, Vince (McMahon) got rid of all the tag teams. But I think back in the day that tag teams were a major part of wrestling. I think it was a little more exciting. The crowd got into it, you know, differently than a singles match. So, I would think that, maybe, one day they’re going to come back to where they got tag teams again.” [28:30 onward]

On possible WWE Hall of Fame induction for The Demolition

“You know, not from the office or anything, but you know, fans every day, that’s all they talk about. You’re pretty humbled when people want you in the Hall of Fame; it’s a big honor. Two years ago, we were invited to go to the Hall of Fame and WrestleMania, and we already had our schedule fixed and everything, so we couldn’t go. But then, you know, Vince left, and then Triple H came in, and when they asked us to go to the Hall of Fame, to, you know, to see it, we right away said, ‘Yeah, for sure!’ because it was, you know, Triple H was in there, and The Undertaker had a lot to do with it. So, we were excited to go there. We get in there, and the first person that comes and greets us is Stone Cold Steve Austin, and then Bruce Pritchard comes right up and hugs us, and he sat [sic] and talked to us for 15 minutes. He really, kind of, set the tone and made us comfortable.” [30:27 onward]

On his recent conversation with CM Punk

“I was never a CM Punk-fan or anything, but I tell you what, after I sat and talked to him, he was a gentleman, he was incredible, and it was like, ‘What a man!’

Please credit The A2theK Wrestling Show and give an H/T to 411Mania if you use quotes from this article.