Demolition Smash Talks Formation Of The Team, WCW Vs. WWF, Tag Wrestling Today
Wrestling101 recently conducted an interview with "Demolition Smash" Barry Darsow. Here are some highlights:
Replacing Randy Colley as Smash in Demolition alongside Ax: "The reason why I left Jim Crockett Promotions was because they screwed me out of some money. When I quit there I didn't have a job and I called up Earl Hebner who I was good friends with and his brother David was a referee with the WWE at the time and he talked to Vince McMahon and told him there was a guy that's available to come up here if you want to take a look at him and Vince agreed because it was right at the time when it wasn't working out for Randy.
"Vince then asked Bill Eadie if I would fit in as his partner and he said yes, so Vince called me up and they flew me up there, but I didn't have a clue what was going on and they had me sign a non-compete contract, and I was given six months off with pay to go and train to get ready ? but it was a really exciting time and it felt as though I had really made it in the big leagues."
Winning the tag team championship at WrestleMania IV: "To win the tag team titles at WrestleMania, that was the biggest thing that could have happened in my career. We hold the record for a single reign and also our combined reign of all three title runs we had. I don't know if it will ever be broken because they really don't have tag teams anymore, so those records might stand for a long time to come. I don't know if Vince will ever have two guys that can be the tag team champions for that long any more."
Tag team wrestling today: "It seems like tag team wrestling isn't as big a deal to the companies any more. When Ax and I were the champs it really meant something and we were one of the main events on the card on every show and PPV and there were about eight or nine really good teams. Now it's like they just throw together two main single acts and make them a tag team.
"I think one of the main reasons for this is down to money, because it can't be because it wasn't exciting, I thought the tag matches were more exciting than all of the singles matches apart from a main event they had been building for two or three months and I think fans really miss good tag team wrestling.
"When you have two wrestlers in the ring you're only paying two guys, but when you have a tag team you have four guys you're paying plus usually a manager, so it probably cost the companies more money to pay for the tag teams. WWE and TNA are still drawing the crowds without the tag teams, so why have them."
Going to WCW after his WWF stint: "It was like going from the biggest grocery store to a little corner shop. WCW had everything and they paid all of the money but the show just wasn't the same as the WWF.
"Eric Bischoff came up with such good ideas with the NWO but what was hard is that if you weren't an NWO guy you were really nothing in WCW. Everybody else was opening matches except 'those' guys and there was no way to break into a top spot with Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage and all of the NWO guys. It was great for ratings but for the rest of the guys in the locker room it became just a job and it didn't feel like you were a part of the organization.
"Eric and Vince were running their companies in different ways. Vince and the WWE were drawing people at the house shows, whilst Eric with WCW was more focused on the TV ratings. When you went to the WCW house shows there weren't as many people there, so one was a TV company and the other was a house show company and it makes a big difference. Eric wanted every show to be the best show on TV whilst Vince was using his TV to build the show and draw more money at the house shows."
Darsow also discussed Demolition's look, how he broke into the business, reuniting with Ax on the independent scene, his son Dakota wresting for TNA and more. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.
Source: Wrestling 101