demolition
Photo Credit: WWE

WZ Retrospective: Demolition’s Final Tag Title Reign Ended By The Hart Foundation At Summerslam ’90

With middle names like pain and destruction, Demolition was sure to bring both every time they stepped in the ring.

Consisting of members Ax, Smash (and later Crush), the team would be a prominent fixture in the tag team division during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Winning the WWF World Tag Team Championship on three separate occasions, the team would capture the belts for the final time at Wrestlemania VI against The Colossal Connection.

Following their victory at Wrestlemania, the tag team would turn heel by adding Crush to the mix, putting their opponents at a disadvantage by not knowing who they’d face on a nightly basis. The team would use wrestling’s famous “Freebird Rule”, allowing for different combinations each night. This would benefit the team throughout the summer of 1990, helping them retain the titles against The Rockers at Saturday Night’s Main Event XXVII thanks to interference from Ax.

However, the team would see their luck run out in a huge two-out-of-three falls match at that year’s Summerslam, taking on the Hart Foundation. A rematch of their championship match at the 1988 edition of Summerslam, Demolition was forced to only have two members at ringside, opting to go with Crush and Smash for the title defense.

In the first fall, the champions would find themselves with the early advantage, taking the lead by pinning Bret Hart after hitting the Demolition Decapitation. The Hart Foundation would even up the score, hitting Smash with the Hart Attack, causing Crush to jump on the referee for a disqualification. Ax would come down and hide under the ring before switching with Smash for the final, decisive fall.

The ref never noticed the switch, allowing the heels to take control. Ax and Smash would continue to switch things up before the Legion of Doom would come down to even the odds, allowing the Hart Foundation to pin Crush for the win, ending the heels’ title reign. Demolition would continue to feud with the Legion of Doom, including being involved in a Survivor Series elimination match at that year’s pay-per-view before breaking up at the end of 1991.

Demolition will always be regarded as one of the greatest tag teams in the business, holding the record for the most combined days with the World Tag Team Championships. For wrestling fans, when “Here comes the Ax and here comes the Smasher” played throughout the arena, everyone knew that business was about to pick up.

Read More: Legion Of Doom’s 5 Greatest Moments In WWE


The next signing in the 80’s Wrestling Virtual Signing Series takes place on Monday, November 16th from 7-10 PM ET with former WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition. Not only will Ax and Smash be signing your photos and items, but they will also be answering your questions.

Photos and own item opportunities for this signing are available now on 80sWrestlingCon.com.

80sWrestlingCon.com also has photo and own item opportunities on sale now for our upcoming signings for The Dream Team Reunion (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) on Monday, December 14th. We are also already working on our 2021 schedule. On Monday, January 11th we will have “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and former WWF announcer Craig DeGeorge joins us for a super rare signing on Monday, February 15th. Tickets will be on sale for these two events in the upcoming weeks.

For further information on ordering photos or to send your items in to be signed, please email: 80sWrestlingPics@gmail.com.

TRENDING