Demolition – Witness The Power: The Team Of The 80s
Demolition: Witness The Power
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Billy Graham, Tony Schiavone, Lord Alfred Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Vince McMahon
Hosts: Demolition
We’ll continue looking at the tag team offerings with a Coliseum Video on one of the best tag teams in the WWF’s history. Demolition were absolute monsters and deserve the attention, though I’m curious to see what we’re going to get to fill in an hour and a half. If nothing else, hopefully it includes a lot of the theme song. Let’s get to it.
This appears to be from mid 1989.
Demolition welcomes us to the tape and we get something of a music video on the team.
We hear about how Demolition won the titles and now they’re ready to face all challengers, including the Hart Foundation. First up though, this.
From Wrestlemania IV.
Tag Team Titles: Demolition vs. Strike Force
Demolition, with Mr. Fuji, is challenging. Smash and Martel start things off with Smash ax handling away to limited avail. Everything breaks down and Ax is sent outside, allowing the champs to hit a double clothesline. Ax comes in and gets his arm cranked, which is broken up with a shot to Martel’s face. Smash comes in and catches a charging Santana, who is leaned back into a clothesline from Ax (kind of a standing still Hart Attack).
The slow beating begins in the corner, which is quite normal for Demolition. A suplex gives Smash two but Santana manages a quick flying forearm to Ax for the much needed breather. Martel comes in to clean house, including some running dropkicks. Everything breaks down and Martel gets the Boston crab on Smash. Fuji offers a distraction though and Ax gets in a cane shot to Martel, giving Smash the pin and the titles at 8:02 shown (of about 12:30).
Rating: C+. They did a good job with the editing here, as you wouldn’t realize that about a third of the match was missing. It’s the only choice for the first match here as it showed that Demolition had arrived, which would be quite the beginning for the team. They weren’t a complicated idea and that’s part of what made them work. Just have them go out there and wreck people, with Fuji helping them cheat. It’s a simple formula and it was a success.
From Summerslam 1988.
Tag Team Titles: Demolition vs. Hart Foundation
Demolition, with Mr. Fuji and Jimmy Hart (who has split with the Harts), is defend and the Harts are already in the ring to give you an idea of what this is going to be. The Harts start on Smash’s arm with Neidhart coming in for a middle rope ax handle. Ax gets in a boot from the apron to cut Neidhart down though and it’s time to start the rapid ax handles to the back.
That doesn’t last long as Neidhart gets over to Hart for the house cleaning, including a dropkick to Smash, who came in without a tag. Hart misses a charge into the corner and goes through Fuji’s cane, which cracks in half for a great visual. The banged up arm is tied in the ropes and then sent into the buckle.
Smash wraps the arm around his own leg, followed by a posting to keep Hart down. Back in and Hart hits a running clothesline but the referee doesn’t see the tag to Neidhart so the beating continues. Hart gets in another shot though and NOW the tag brings in Neidhart to clean house. A slingshot sends Neidhart over the top to take Smash out, followed by a powerslam for two back inside. Everything breaks down and it’s back to Hart, who gets dropped with a megaphone shot to give Smash the retaining pin at 10:49.
Rating: B-. You could see the Harts figuring it out as good guys here but the magic was still coming. They certainly had the chemistry that would carry them a long way, though it took time for that to come together in their new roles. Demolition gets to go through another top team though, further establishing their title reign.
Demolition says they’re ready for every team. Like what they had to do here.
From Survivor Series 1988.
Team Demolition vs. Team Powers Of Pain
We’re joined VERY far into the match with the British Bulldogs/Powers Of Pain vs. Demolition/Los Conquistadors. Dynamite crucifixes Smash for two and Barbarian gets in a shot from the apron. Smith comes in for a vertical suplex and hands it off to Barbarian, who allows #1 to get over for a tag without much effort (and commentary rightfully blisters him for it).
Dynamite comes in for a snap suplex on #2 but doesn’t hook the leg, earning him a tongue lashing of his own. Warlord drops a big leg but picks #2 up, with Dynamite coming in to allow the tag off to Smash. Dynamite misses a top rope headbutt and gets clotheslined for the fast pin. Warlord comes back in and misses a charge into the post, allowing Ax to hammer away.
Fuji gets on the apron, yells a lot, and then drops back to the floor, leaving commentary confused. The armbar goes on and Fuji gets on the apron AGAIN, with commentary having no idea what he’s doing. Warlord fights up and sends Smash into the ropes…which Fuji pulls down to send Smash crashing. Demolition is countered out and Ax yells at Fuji, who says he’s the boss and then HITS AX WITH THE CANE. You know, because that’s smart.
The beatdown is immediate and Demolition leaves, with the Powers picking Fuji up and dusting him off. The Conquistadors go after Barbarian, only for Fuji to trip #2. A headbutt gives Barbarian the pin at about 13:00 shown out of 42:12. No rating, but this was the important part of one of the most star studded matches in WWF history.
Demolition talks about beating up the Bolsheviks and then the Powers Of Pain/Mr. Fuji at Wrestlemania.
From Salisbury, Maryland, October 26, 1988.
Tag Team Titles: Demolition vs. Bolsheviks
Demolition is defending of course and this was taped before the turn at Survivor Series, though there’s no explanation for Fuji not being there. The Russians jump them to start but Smash starts cranking on Volkoff’s arm. Ax comes in to do the same before Smash is back in to do the same. More arm cranking ensues with Ax keeping Volkoff in trouble, allowing Smash to come back in and work on the arm in the corner.
Zhukov comes in and is sent straight outside, followed by another armbar back inside. Smash talks a lot of trash, likely giving proper instructions on how to play a fake Russian. Demolition takes turns with chinlocks (no tags of course) but Zhukov manages an elbow out of the corner. Everything breaks down and Volkoff is sent outside. That leaves Zhukov to take the Demolition Decapitator to retain the titles at 8:04.
Rating: C-. Pretty dull stuff here but you don’t put the Bolsheviks out there to tear the house down. Granted it helps that this was aired on Prime Time in September of the following year, so the calendar aspect is kind of thrown out the window. Either way, pretty much just a long squash.
From Des Moines, Iowa, April 25, 1989.
Demolition vs. Honky Tonk Man/Greg Valentine
Non-title and Jimmy Hart is here with Valentine and Honky Tonk Man (who aren’t yet Rhythm & Blues). We’re firmly into the face run now so the fans are free to cheer Demolition for a change. Valentine shoves Smash to start and that goes about as poorly as you would expect. A cheap shot puts Smash down though and Valentine tries the Figure Four, which is countered with a small package.
Honky Tonk Man comes in and gets knocked down just as fast. The villains actually take over by getting Ax into the corner but the referee gets bumped. Everything breaks down and Ronnie Garvin comes out as another referee. Honky Tonk Man hits Ax with the megaphone (not even knocking him down) and Garvin calls for the DQ at 5:04.
Rating: D+. Yeah what were you expecting here? Honky Tonk Man and Valentine were hardly some kind of all time team in the ring so putting them out there was going to bring the quality down. At the same time, it’s not a great sign when Demolition can’t beat these two schnooks.
From Saturday Night’s Main Event XXI (taped the same night as the Honky Tonk Man/Valentine match).
Tag Team Titles: Demolition vs. Brainbusters
Demolition is defending and the Busters have Bobby Heenan with them. Anderson gets in a cheap shot to Smash, who shrugs it off and hits some clotheslines. Smash grinds away on a headlock but doesn’t seem phased by a belly to back suplex. Blanchard comes in and gets slammed out to the floor as it’s time for a breather. Back in and Blanchard gets knocked over the top to land on Heenan, who tries to get in and go after Demolition.
This earns him a trip up the aisle, allowing Ax to pull Blanchard back inside for a shot to the ribs. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Anderson comes in to take Smash down. Blanchard drops a top rope seated senton on Smash and the spinebuster gets two. Ax gets drawn in so Smash can be sent outside, allowing Anderson to get in a shot from the apron. Anderson draws Ax in again and everything breaks down, with Ax knocking the referee down for the DQ at 9:16.
Rating: B. Now this is more like it, as you have the Busters doing every classic heel move to drive Demolition nuts. That set up the story of the match and believe it or not, the Busters knew how to do this to near perfection. As usual, Demotion was more than capable of hanging in there with just about anyone, especially a team this good.
The Brainbusters would win the titles in the rematch so we’ll jump back to Wrestlemania V instead.
Tag Team Titles: Demolition vs. Powers Of Pain/Mr. Fuji
Demolition is defending in a handicap match. Warlord and Ax start things off with Ax hammering him down and handing it off to Smash. Some forearms have Warlord in more trouble and it’s back to Ax for more of the same. Smash comes back in but gets powered into the corner, which doesn’t last long.
It’s already back to Ax for a double back elbow to Barbarian, who chops the heck out of Smash to get out of trouble. Fuji comes in for a chop and a falling headbutt and it’s back to Warlord. Fuji’s top rope elbow misses, allowing Warlord to get dropped with a clothesline. Smash comes back in to make the comeback, including a bunch of clotheslines. Everything breaks down and Fuji’s salt hits Warlord by mistake. The Decapitator retains the titles at 8:58.
Rating: C. The match was dull, but was anyone going to buy the Powers as a real threat to the titles? Fuji being involved made sense too, as he turned on Demolition back in November and it was time for revenge. I wasn’t quite buying the titles being in jeopardy, but there is nothing wrong with putting the champs against a bit of adversity on a big show.
Demolition talks about how tough it is to be champions but promise to beat up all challengers to wrap it up.
Overall Rating: B-. This was pretty much exactly as advertised, with a look at about thirteen months of Demolition at the peak of their talents. You get to see them face a bunch of opponents in some pretty big matches, so this is more than good enough. Demolition is still one of the most successful teams in the company’s history and it’s nice to see them getting this kind of recognition.
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