One of the most popular tag teams in WWE history will finally be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was revealed this morning that Demolition will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 17, at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, the night before WrestleMania. Ax and Smash (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) will join Stephanie McMahon and AJ Styles as members of the 2026 class.
The Undertaker informed Demolition of their Hall of Fame induction with a surprise announcement on social media, just as he did for Stephanie McMahon at Wrestlepalooza and for AJ Styles on Raw.
The iconic team made their WWE debut in early 1987. The team was originally managed by Lucious Johnny V, with Bill Eadie as Ax and Randy Colley (Moondog Rex) as the original Smash and creator of the Demolition gimmick. Barry Darsow soon replaced Colley as Smash, after fans recognized Colley chanting “Moondog.”
With Darsow on board, Mr. Fuji became the team’s manager in spring 1987. Demolition went undefeated heading into WrestleMania 4, where they defeated Strike Force to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. The team would turn babyface at the 1988 Survivor Series after some double-crossing shenanigans from Mr. Fuji.
Demolition became one of the most popular acts in wrestling. Ax & Smash would have two more reigns as tag team champions and held the record as the longest-reigning champions for twenty-eight years. Demolition’s run ended in 1990 when Ax (Eadie) developed a shellfish allergy, causing a serious heart condition.
Ax’s last match in WWE took place at the 1990 Survivor Series, which also marked the Undertaker’s debut. Fast-forward to 2026: twenty-six years later, the Undertaker announces Ax & Smash’s Hall of Fame induction, making for a true full-circle moment.
Eadie & Darsow signed a Legends contract with WWE in 2025, often leading to merchandise and a Hall of Fame induction. Their return follows previous disputes with the company over IP rights and class-action lawsuits. Triple H has done a great job mending fences with wrestlers who were at odds with the prior regime.
Demolition is my all-time favorite team. They were the first wrestlers I saw go from being “bad guys” to “good guys,” and the first Royal Rumble match I ever saw started with Ax & Smash entering at #1 & #2. Demolition graced the cover of my first WWE Magazine (thank you, Nana), Ax was my first WWF Hasbro figure, and Demolition action figures from Ringside Collectibles’ Unsanctioned line proudly guard my office at work.
All in all, Demolition and AJ Styles in the same HOF class is pretty cool. Two all-time favorites from different generations will get their flowers. As for Ax & Smash, their induction corrects a long-standing omission. Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to jam out to the sweet sounds of Rick Derringer’s Demolition Theme.
RingsideLogic.com 