On a recent edition of the “Wrestling Shoot Interviews” podcast, former WWE Superstar Barry Darsow (Smash of Demolition) recalled the early years of his career, becoming the Russian sympathizer Krusher Kruschev in Mid-South Wrestling, Demolition’s maiden tag team run in 1988, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
Smash on the tag teams of his era: “In that era, it was the greatest tag teams of all time. Every single person could have or every tag team could have had the belts for a long period of time. It seemed like every match we had with everybody was really a good match. After about a year of doing that, we kinda knew that they had to give us the belts because you could just feel it.”
On their 478-day tag team title run: “We had nothing to do with telling them what to do or asking them. Pat Patterson was the booker at the time and he knew that we were business and we would do anything with anybody, we were for the good of the match and I think that’s why we were champions for so long.”
On working as Krusher Kruschev: “It was a little scary. I just was in the business…a year and a half, and I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. When I was a babyface in that territory, I couldn’t do a promo. It was hard to do a wrestling match. Everything was hard. And when he [Watts] says ‘Barry, I’m going to make you a Russian sympathizer. You’re going to be with Nikolai Volkoff, and you’re going to hold the shovel up and you’re going to tell everybody, you’re going to bury everybody in America.’ He says ‘You’re going to have so much heat, you’re going to learn how to work.’”
On learning how to work after turning heel: “When he said that, I was so fired up, and it was like a light went on. And I learned how to work real fast, ’cause you had to. As soon as Nikolai and I got a little more heat on somebody, the crowds were in on us. And I mean…it was so easy, the wrestling business all of a sudden came to me. And…that next year, when I was there, I really learned how to work.”
Former WWE Superstar Barry Darsow, known as Smash of Demolition, recently shared some insights into his wrestling career on the “Wrestling Shoot Interviews” podcast. Darsow discussed his early years in the industry, his time as the Russian sympathizer Krusher Kruschev, and Demolition’s successful tag team run in 1988.
During the interview, Darsow reflected on the tag teams of his era and described them as the greatest of all time. He believed that every tag team had the potential to hold the belts for a long period of time. Darsow expressed his satisfaction with the matches they had against various opponents, stating that they were always exciting and well-received by the audience. As time went on, Darsow and his partner knew that they would eventually be given the tag team belts due to their consistent performances.
One of the highlights of Demolition’s career was their 478-day tag team title run. Darsow emphasized that they had no influence over the decision to hold the belts for such a long time. Pat Patterson, who was the booker at the time, recognized their dedication to the business and their willingness to work with anyone. This led to their lengthy reign as champions.
Darsow also discussed his experience working as Krusher Kruschev, a Russian sympathizer character. He admitted that it was a little scary for him because he was still relatively new to the business at that time. As a babyface (a good guy) in the territory, Darsow struggled with promos and wrestling matches. However, when he was given the opportunity to portray a heel (a bad guy) alongside Nikolai Volkoff, everything changed. Darsow recalled how Watts, the promoter, told him that he would have so much heat (negative reaction from the crowd) that he would learn how to work effectively.
The shift to a heel character ignited a fire within Darsow. He quickly learned how to work in the ring and adapt to the demands of the wrestling business. As he and Volkoff gained more heat from the crowd, Darsow found that wrestling became easier for him. This experience allowed him to develop his skills and become a better performer.
The podcast interview provided fans with a glimpse into the early years of Barry Darsow’s career, his transformation into Krusher Kruschev, and the success of Demolition as a tag team. Darsow’s story highlights the importance of character development and the impact it can have on a wrestler’s career.