The Demolition Debate

[King310]

I was recently scanning through another thread about the greatest tag teams and Demolition keep coming up. As a child Demolition was my favorite tag team in the WWF and I definitely feel that they should one day be in the WWE HoF.
But I always hear people comparing Demolition to The Road Warriors and I've always felt that The Powers of Pain where more of a L.O.D. rip off then Ax and Smash. Minus the spikes The Powers of Pain had the same hair cuts, wore the same in ring tights and even used a variation of the same finisher. So why is it that Demolition has always been billed as the L.O.D. ripoffs?

[RatedDAL]

Becuz they were vince's creating during the road warriors days.. Powers of Pain and LOD were not vince's doings, therefore demolition gets the nod as LOD ripoffs cuz vince made em to be his version basically.

[TeamFarrell]

Really though, any tag team of two big guys (APA, Demolition, PoP, Harris Bros) are ripoffs of LoD. They might now dress the same or paint their faces, but they all employed the same formula that made LoD popular.

[The End]

Demolition was a great tag team in it's own regard, no matter where they got their gimmick from. Tons of wrestlers/tag teams can be called rip-offs. They were a relatively athletic power tag team, cut good promos, had killer theme music and a memorable face turn, and were involved in the break up of Strikeforce (which doesn't sound like much, but it was one of my favorite angles in WWF at the time). Plus, they were one of the top teams in an era in WWF when tag team wrestling was excellent and rife with talent.

[Rod1918]

I agree, Demolition was The team during 88-91. 3 world titles, lots of high profile matches. But, they aren't getting in as long as Ax is still battling over the rights with Vince. Maybe they can strike a deal now that DVD sets are coming out left and right. A Demolition set could be good.

Matches with Strike Force, PoP, LOD, Hart Foundation, Haku/Andre, Brainbusters, etc.

Plus the Survivor Series with Hogan, and the ten team tag match.

Do it Vince

[PEN15]

While Demolition is truly a legendary WWF team, they couldn't fill a single disc with great matches. Memorable ones, maybe. But honestly no more than 5 matches come to mind as special in any way. They were a force, I would agree with Hall of Fame worthy... but a DVD is not in the cards.

As for why they were rip offs, just because the Powers of Pain were closer to ripping them off, Demolition came first and from the exact mold. They even knew each other. LOD started a new trend in tag teams, of brute monsters. Demolition was the WWF's first version at the time, but not the last.

[Section ( 8 )]

LOD might have been better in the ring than Demolition, but there is no denying that Demolition had the best theme music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8rxGq6lnJ8

[Phineas McLintock]

Legion Of Doom are probably still the best tag team ever.

Demolition became very watered down with the arrival of Crush.

[Neko girl]

Demoliton where good but why did they have to look like domanatrexes

[Section ( 8 )]

Originally Posted by Neko girl

Demoliton where good but why did they have to look like domanatrexes

Their look was based on Lord Humungus from The Road Warrior (ironic or intentional, I'm not sure).

[Matt01]

I'll just say I was a huge fan of their action figures. I think it was only the Smash/Crush box that came with the removable masks though.

[OldSkoolBob]

Those were my boys back in the day! I loved them with or without Fuji but Crush was the end of the gravy train for the Demos. The Freebirds are the only ones that could pull off a three-man tag team IMO.

Bill Eadie was a great talker and a heckuva mat technician. Barry Darsow was no slouch but I think Ax carried the team.

[McFly937]

Originally Posted by The End

Demolition was a great tag team in it's own regard, no matter where they got their gimmick from. Tons of wrestlers/tag teams can be called rip-offs. They were a relatively athletic power tag team, cut good promos, had killer theme music and a memorable face turn, and were involved in the break up of Strikeforce (which doesn't sound like much, but it was one of my favorite angles in WWF at the time). Plus, they were one of the top teams in an era in WWF when tag team wrestling was excellent and rife with talent.

Took the words right outta my mouth. The Strike Force angle was huge for me when i was a kid. I dunno why, maybe because i was still just a mark and actually thought at the time that Martel really was leaving ole Chico Santana high and dry. While Demolition had one of if not the greatest theme ever, Strike Force however, did not. Man I hated(and still hate) that theme.

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Matt01

I'll just say I was a huge fan of their action figures. I think it was only the Smash/Crush box that came with the removable masks though.

My brother had the Ax figure with the overhead press slam/drop motion. Damn I wish we kept all of our old toys.

[Mentoch the Mindtaker]

Originally Posted by PEN15

While Demolition is truly a legendary WWF team, they couldn't fill a single disc with great matches. Memorable ones, maybe. But honestly no more than 5 matches come to mind as special in any way. They were a force, I would agree with Hall of Fame worthy... but a DVD is not in the cards.

I totally agree with this. Demolition is a significant tag team, but their quality in the ring really wasnt that strong.

[Super Troy Prime]

Sorry but I always thought that Demolition sucked. They looked like fat out of shape versions of the Road Warriors. Powers of Pain were way better than Demolitions IMHO and I think they were solely created for the Road Warriors to have another big team to fight against. Demolition was created so Vince could have his own version of the Road Warriors. Their ring attire was awful, they looked like the biker from The Village People and would have been more at home in Blue Oyster Bar than in a wrestling ring

[King310]

While Demolition is truly a legendary WWF team, they couldn't fill a single disc with great matches. Memorable ones, maybe. But honestly no more than 5 matches come to mind as special in any way. They were a force, I would agree with Hall of Fame worthy... but a DVD is not in the cards.

I think Demolition could fill at least a 12 match DVD and the back story would be interesting, esspecally if they can get Randy Colley to participate with the project.

Demolition vs Strike Force Wrestlemania IV

Demolition vs The Hart Foundation SummerSlam 88

1988 Survivor Series that saw the heel/face switch

Royal Rumble 89 (Ax vs Smash drew #1 & #2)

Demolition vs The Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji Wrestlemania V

Demolition vs The Brain Busters Saturday Night's Main Event May 27, 1989

Demolition & Jim Duggan vs Andre, Bossman & Akeem SummerSlam 89

Demolition vs The Brain Busters WWF Superstars November 4, 1989

The Hulkamaniacs vs The Million $ Team Survivor Series 89

Demolition vs Colossal Connection WWF Superstars December 30, 1989

Demolition vs Colossal Connection Wrestlemania VI

Demolition vs The Rockers Saturday Night's Main Event July 28 1990 (Crush's Debut)

Demolition vs The Hart Foundation Best 2 out of 3 Falls SummerSlam 90

The Warriors vs The Perfect Team Survivor Series 90

Demolition (Smash & Crush) vs Genichiro Tenryu & Koji Kitao Wrestlemaina VII

[PEN15]

Nope, sorry. I see 4-5 matches I'm interested in seeing. The rest is filler at its worst. An entire Royal Rumble match because they were #1 and 2? Try again guy.

[King310]

I don't think that the whole match should be shown, I was just listing some stand out matches from Demolition. Lets be honest, they were NOT the greatest tag team ever by any means, but they were the top tag team for the WWF for a long time.

I've seen WWE induct wrestlers into the Hall of Fame that were not near as big as Demolition, if there going to celebrate the carriers of Koko B Ware, Bob Orton, Nick Bockwinkel, Peter Mavia and Rocky Johnson then they should also do so for Demolition.

[PEN15]

I agreed with the Hall of Fame. But no DVD.

[Dr. CMV1]

That Demolition DVD looks like it'd sell about 100 copies. No offense...that's just not a marketable product.

HOF? Absolutely...

DVD? Citing the Koko, Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, Nick Bockwinkel, etc. examples...they were all HOF worthy in some way, but a DVD of their best matches would set record lows for the WWE DVD department...much like one for Demolition

[King_of_Kings]

I'd suggest never using Koko B. Ware as a reason why anyone should be in the Hall of Fame, it's one of the things that makes the WWE's Hall of Fame more of a joke than it should be.

I do not think Demolition should be put into the Hall of Fame. The Road Warriors aren't even in and, in my opinion, very few tag teams are as deserving as the Road Warriors (none who deserve it more if I take my personal feelings out - I'm a huge fan of the Steiners and Harlem Heat because I was brought up on old school NWA and then WCW). Once the Road Warriors get in, I think it's just like once they got into the World Wrestling Federation back in the day, once you have the real deal, there's no need to put effort into Demolition.

They were Vince's cheap knockoff and just like they shouldn't put good cover bands into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they shouldn't do it in the WWE's Hall of Fame. (If they had any real success beyond the Warriors' arrival, I wouldn't be as against it, but the fact of the matter is they didn't.)

[King310]

I was a Demolition mark as a kid so I'd buy a dvd, but I do understand business and know that today's fan base would not have the interest in Demolition that fans from the late 80's early 90's would. WWE released dvds a few years back that were geared directly towards the 80's and putting Demolition in those would have made a lot of senses.

I think my point was that they deserve more respect then what they have been shown in the past... They might have been Vince's version of The Road Warriors but there charters developed far beyond that.

[Super Troy Prime]

Originally Posted by King_of_Kings

I'd suggest never using Koko B. Ware as a reason why anyone should be in the Hall of Fame, it's one of the things that makes the WWE's Hall of Fame more of a joke than it should be.

I do not think Demolition should be put into the Hall of Fame. The Road Warriors aren't even in and, in my opinion, very few tag teams are as deserving as the Road Warriors (none who deserve it more if I take my personal feelings out - I'm a huge fan of the Steiners and Harlem Heat because I was brought up on old school NWA and then WCW). Once the Road Warriors get in, I think it's just like once they got into the World Wrestling Federation back in the day, once you have the real deal, there's no need to put effort into Demolition.

They were Vince's cheap knockoff and just like they shouldn't put good cover bands into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they shouldn't do it in the WWE's Hall of Fame. (If they had any real success beyond the Warriors' arrival, I wouldn't be as against it, but the fact of the matter is they didn't.)

Very well said