Smash (wrestler)
| Barry Darsow | |
|---|---|
| File:Barry Darsow G.jpg | |
| Born | October 6, 1959 Minneapolis, MN |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Demolition Smash Krusher Khruschev Repo Man "Mr. Hole in One" Blacktop Bully |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey |
| Debut | 1984 |
Barry Darsow is an American former professional wrestler who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Overview
He is best known for his portrayal of Smash in the popular 1980s WWF tag team, "Demolition". Under this character, he won the WWF World Tag Team title three times from 1988-1990. After the breakup of Demolition, he was retooled as Repo Man a wrestling repossession expert, portrayed as a shifty, suspicious figure complete with a black bandit mask.
He also wrestled in WCW in the late 1990s as the Blacktop Bully and "Hole in One" Barry Darsow, a professional golfer gimmick which gained a cult following among Internet wrestling fans.
Career
On the Indy Circuit
Barry Darsow started wrestling in 1984 for Mid-South Wrestling as Krusher Darsow, a turncoat American who was now a Soviet sympathizer. He won the Mid-South Television Title from Terry Taylor on May 2, 1984 but lost it back to Taylor on June 16, 1984. Darsow moved on to Florida Championship Wrestling where he teamed with Jim Neidhart as Krusher Khruschev. They won the Florida United States Tag Team Titles on October 11, 1984 from Hector Guerrero and Cocoa Samoa. They held them until December 1984, when they lost them to Mark and Jay Youngblood.
Krusher moved on to the National Wrestling Alliance to work for Jim Crockett Jr. in December 1984. He was awarded a third of the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff. The Koloff's had already won the NWA World Tag Team Championship and Ivan declared that any two of them could defend the titles.
They feuded with the Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) and the Road Warriors. On July 9, 1985, he and Ivan lost the NWA Tag Titles to the Rock 'N Roll Express.
At StarrCade, on November 28, 1985, Krusher won the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sam Houston. On January 11, 1986, Krusher was wrestling Houston on TBS and severely injured his knee. He lost the title to Houston and had to take almost six months off to recover.
When Krusher returned, Nikita was in a hot feud with Magnum T.A. for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. On August 17, 1986, Krusher helped Nikita win the title in the final match of a best of 7 series by holding the referee while Nikita used his "Russian" chain on Magnum.
After helping Nikita defeat Magnum, Krusher and Ivan targeted the new NWA United States Tag Team Championship, which was to be awarded to the winners of a tournament. They reached the finals, held on September 26, 1986, and defeated the "Kansas Jayhawks" (Dutch Mantel and Bobby Jaggers) with Nikita's help to become the first US Tag Team Champions.
In October 1986, Magnum T.A. endured a car accident that ended his career, and after admitting that he respected his one-time rival, Nikita turned on Ivan and Krusher to team with Magnum's good friend, Dusty Rhodes.
Krusher and Ivan briefly feuded with Nikita and Rhodes but primarily defended their titles in rematches against Mantel and Jaggers. On December 9, 1986, they lost the US Tag Titles to Ron Garvin and Barry Windham.
Darsow's contract ran out and he left Jim Crockett Promotions.
World Wrestling Federation
Darsow next went to World Wrestling Entertainment, then known as the WWF. He became Smash (though the Smash character was first briefly portrayed by Randy Colley) and teamed with Ax. Together they were the team known as Demolition. At first, they were managed by Johnny Valiant, but he was soon replaced by Mr. Fuji. Their initial feuds involved the team of Ken Patera and Billy Jack Haynes, and "Strike Force," comprised of Tito Santana and Rick Martel. On March 27, 1988 at Wrestlemania IV, they defeated Strike Force to win their first WWF World Tag Team Titles. They soon lost Mr. Fuji as he left to manage their newest rivals, the Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord). The double turn at Survivor Series 1988 was the solution to the massive popularity being enjoyed by Demolition, who were designed to be the heels in their rivalry with the face Powers of Pain.
They lost the WWF Tag Team Titles to Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, known as The Brain Busters, on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event on July 18, 1989. They regained the titles on October 2, 1989, but lost them to The Colossal Connection, Haku and André the Giant, on December 13, 1989. They defeated the Connection at WrestleMania VI on April 1, 1990 to become the first three-time tag team champions in WWF history. Individual wrestlers had previously won 3 titles, but Demolition was the first team to achieve the feat. The duo was joined by Crush later in 1990, making them a 3-man tag team. Ax took a reduced role due to recurring heart problems. Demolition lost the titles to The Hart Foundation at SummerSlam 1990,
In 1991, after Adams briefly left the WWF, Darsow changed his gimmick to The Repo Man, a sneaky heel character who delighted in repossessing items such as cars from people when they were late on (or unable to make) their payments. During this run, he had feuds with Tito Santana, Virgil, the returning Crush and Tatanka.
Post WWF
In 1993, Darsow left for the IAW promotion where he teamed with Paul Roma to win the IAW Tag Team Title on February 4, 1993. They held them until July 24, 1993, when they lost them to Iron Sheik and Brian Costello.
Darsow went to WCW in 1994 and was always seen in the front row with a blowhorn making noise and berating the faces while they wrestled. He was soon "arrested" for pushing Dustin Rhodes. Col. Rob Parker bailed him out and he became The Blacktop Bully, with Parker as his manager. He feuded with Runnels but was fired after the Uncensored PPV when he and Runnels bladed (cut themselves to appear busted open) after they were told by management not to.
From there, he went to Pro Wrestling America in Minnesota to feud with Wahoo McDaniel and Tom Zenk. He next appeared in the AWF, Tito Santana's promotion. He had Jimmy Valiant's wife Big Mama, as his valet. The AWF folded at the beginning of 1997 and Darsow disappeared until October 1997, when he returned to WCW wrestling under his own name, and then repackaged as "Mr. Hole-In-One" Barry Darsow. He feuded with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Chris Adams during this time. His golfing gimmick was able to keep him in WCW until the end of 1999, when he left for the WXO promotion run by Ted DiBiase. He feuded with Mike Enos until it folded shortly after.
Darsow made one last appearance at WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001 for the gimmick battle royal as the Repo Man.
Championships/Accomplishments
World Wrestling Federation
- 3-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with Ax three times; defended title during his last reign with Ax and Crush)
National Wrestling Alliance
- 2-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Ivan Koloff)
- 1-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Ivan & Nikita Koloff)
- 1-Time NWA United States Tag Team Champion (with Ivan Koloff)
- 1-Time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
Other titles
- 1-Time Mid-South Television Champion
- 1-Time Florida United States Tag Team Champions (with Jim Neidhart)
- 1-Time IAW Tag Team Champion (with Paul Roma)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 297 of the best 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was also ranked # 59 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Ax as Demolition.
Miscellaneous
Darsow attended high school in Minneapolis with six other future wrestlers: Curt Hennig, Richard Rood (Rick Rude), Brady Boone, Tom Zenk, John Nord, and Nelson Simpson (Nikita Koloff).
Darsow has been a part of two teams whose reigns operated under the Freebird Rule where three members could defend the tag team titles at any time.
He also worked as a bouncer with the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal.
Darsow played football with Simpson in high school.
Darsow's "Hole in One" golfer character was originally going to be named Stewart Pain, but the name was changed following the death of Payne Stewart.