R.I.W Wrestling Legend: The Texas Hangmen

Posted on March 13, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves once more at the Rotten Ink Arena as we have another “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event planned and this one will feature a tag team that mostly made a name for themselves in Puerto Rico but did have a good run in the AWA and while they did not last that long as a team, they did capture some gold and built up a reputation of being a brawling, rough and tough masked menacing team…and this team is The Texas Hangmen and as you can see, they are the main event for this update. So let’s head to the snack bar and grab a drink and some chili to snack on and then find our seats as this will be a quick and hard hitting update event.

The Texas Hangmen was a masked outlaw cowboy team that started working together around 1988 in Windy City Wrestling under the names Hangman # 1 and Hangman # 2 and could not find their groove mostly losing to more established teams before leaving the company and finding their new home in the AWA that they started working for in 1989 and found some more traction and started going under the names Psycho and Killer. They worked matches against the likes of The Guerrero Brothers, The Tokyo Bullets and John Nord and Scott Norton. They were hated heels and fans loved to boo these brawling masked men who would challenge for the AWA Tag Titles but never could win them. The Hangmen would stay in AWA until around 1990 when they went out of business. The Texas Hangmen then traveled to Puerto Rico to work for WWC and would become a big team that feuded with many of the company’s top teams and stars from The Medics, The Invaders and even Carlos Colon. The Texas Hangmen would also capture the WWC Tag Titles twice during this run and would stick around until 1991 before returning to the states to work for USWA. Once in the USWA, they found themselves a top team for the company and would quickly capture the Tag Titles as they beat Jeff Jarrett and Eddie Gilbert (who was filling in for Jerry Lawler). But even being the Tag Team champions, Texas Hangman were being booked very oddly as they ended up losing to many of the companies top stars at the time like Bill Dundee and Steve Keirn. They would stick around USWA for a short time and would break up for a time and would get back together for one last run in WWC in 1997 that would have them win the company’s Tag Title and by the end of the year The Texas Hangmen were no more. While The Texas Hangmen never made it to the big companies like WCW and WWF, they did make their mark in AWA and WWC and would find their marks later when they disbanded. I should say a version of The Texas Hangmen had a small run in WCW as a jobber team.

Frank Vizi was the wrestler behind the mask of Psycho and he was trained by Tom Stone and started his Pro Wrestling career in 1984, and is known as Bull Pain, a wrestler who worked for ECW, WCW and JCW. He would end up retiring in 2012 and was a mid-card heel that fans loved to hate. Mike Morgan was Killer, and he started his Pro career in 1982 and was trained by Jake Milliman and Rocky Stone and would best be known as Mean Mike, a member of the WCW tag team Disorderly Conduct, and part of a similar team called Texas Hangmen that were a jobber team. He would as well retire in 2012. While The Texas Hangmen or even Disorderly Conduct are not household names, and Bull Pain is only with diehard ECW fans, these guys made their mark in the world of Wrestling and over their careers had captured titles as well as did a great job of entertaining fans all over the world. At this point The Texas Hangman are not in the WWE Hall Of Fame, and I doubt if they ever do make it.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Tag Team wrestling was very big and teams like the Road Warriors, Demolition and The Powers Of Pain were the ones that brought fans into arena as they had a look of face paint, flashy gear and a badass wrestling style that made them feel like true tough guys and like they could snap their opponents’ necks. I feel like The Texas Hangmen are a team that traded the face paint for masks, as well traded in the apocalyptic fashion for western gear and used names like Killer and Psycho to show that they meant business. They also would bring out nooses to show that they truly were Hangmen as I can remember them getting a little heat from people when they used the nooses to hang and choke Invader # 1 and this single act is what made them big names in Puerto Rico and made them feared by fans as they came off as true madmen. Growing up I remember The Texas Hangman from the AWA and seeing them on ESPN and wondering why they were not working for WCW as their look and style would have fit right in and they could have had some great matches with the likes of Steiner Brothers, Road Warriors and even Doom. The crazy thing to think about is that as a team they only stayed together for a few years and when disbanding the team the each tried to make their own paths in the business, and while they both did find small amounts of success I would have liked to seen them stick together and try to make runs in WWF, ECW, CMLL, New Japan and WCW. They are also a team that I am pretty sure got their gimmick stolen as Texas Hangmen or teams with similar looks and names would pop up in small indie federations. Another very interesting thing about The Texas Hangmen is that their background as a team is very all over the place with many saying the started in AWA and others saying it was for the smaller indies before landing in AWA, but one thing is for sure they were a entertaining team that I would love to see have a match at Rock Star Pro Wrestling in Dayton, Ohio against a team like The Hooligans or even The Bad Dudes.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. Sadly on a side note I could only review 3 full matches. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank The Texas Hangmen for their hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with The Texas Hangmen.

Best Of The Texas Hangmen

Match 1: Texas Hangmen vs. Carlos Colon & T.N.T

The Texas Hangmen and Carlos and T.N.T start brawling before any of them even get in the ring and the fans are going crazy as they keep throwing punches all around as it’s clear that these teams have a hatred for each other. Carlos even rips one of the Hangman’s mask as he is trying to make the masked man bleed with big punches. T.N.T gets one of the Hangmen into the ring as Carlos rams the others head into a plate as the ring is set up in the middle of a baseball field, once they all get back to the ring the match becomes more of a normal tag match and Carlos and T.N.T take control of the match landing hits, holds and even using what looks like a fork on the heads of The Texas Hangmen. For a short time the Hangmen make a comeback but it quickly turns into both teams brawling and they take it outside the ring again and the match it thrown out as the two teams keep on fighting and even the locker room empties to try and break them up. This match is pretty much mostly a brawl with both team just exchanging punches and kicks in and outside the ring and the fans were really into this match as it was clear that they love Carlos Colon and T.N.T as for most of the match they are in charge. The match also has blood and The Texas Hangmen prove that they are brawlers and can take a beating and dish out a beating and still seem like contenders. The match ending in a brawl and being thrown out was very fitting as it was clear that fans would come back for a rematch between these two teams. Over all, while it’s nothing super special when it comes to moves, the story they tell in the ring as well as the chemistry between the two teams is good and that is what makes this match a great watch.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & T.N.T

As soon as the two teams get into the ring they start brawling, and Invader even takes one of the Hangmen out of the ring and uses a chair on him and is delivering big punches while in the ring T.N.T is beating up on the other Hangmen and these beating continues for a while even at one point T.N.T chokes one with a belt and Invader smashes the other over the head. The teams end up taking the brawl into the ring again and it turns into a normal tag match with each team exchanging holds and mostly punches back and fourth. The referee ends up getting knocked out, and The Texas Hangmen try and use their bull rope to hit Invader # 1 with but T.N.T saves him for a moment, but one of the Hangmen uses the rope to choke Invader who is in deep trouble. The match is thrown out as The Texas Hangmen leave the ring and head to the locker room as T.N.T and Invader # 1 pose for the rabid cheering fans. This is another brawling match that pretty much follows the same formula as the last match that is pretty much the baby face team brawling with the heel team all around the arena as the fans cheer and once they get it back into the ring the match goes back and fourth and in the end a brawl erupts and the match ends with a no contest. No big moves are thrown, the brawling looks great and the hanging spot looks good as his the reversal of the hanging. Over all just another brawl that is entertaining and both teams look good throughout the match. The fans in attendance are really into this match as well, and I am not sure but at one point I think a fan throws a smoke bomb around the ring…a wild match.

Grade: ***

Match 3: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & Bronco # 1

The Texas Hangmen are the tag champions, and as they head to the ring, they taunt the fans who really hate these guys. Bronco # 1 has seen and heard enough and goes out after him and gets them both in the ring and Invader # 1 starts dealing out some punches. When the Hangmen roll out of the ring, they return only to taunt the fans some more. And every time the match is about to start and Invader # 1 gets any momentum the Hangmen roll out of the ring. Once the match really starts Invader and Bronco take the momentum and use fast tags to keep the match in their favor, Bronco even works over one of the Hangmen’s arm as the fans cheer, but shortly after The Hangmen take control of the match and use their brawling style to cause pain. The two teams then take turns going back and fourth with momentum and several times Invader # 1 tries to go for the pin but it’s always broken up by the other Hangman. But after a big punch Invader # 1 is finally able to get the win via pin and the fans go wild as they have just won the Tag Titles. This match starts off way to slow and I get that The Texas Hangmen were getting heart from their taunting and slowing down the action, but when watching at home it sadly comes off bland and uninteresting. But while it starts off not great, I think the match speeds up slightly and the tag team chemistry between Invader # 1 and Bronco # 1 was good as they did fast tags and used double team moves to keep their two monster heel opponents down. The Texas Hangmen are doing their normal brawling style, but also use lots of rest holds throughout the match. The finish is a little odd as well as such a simple move ends a title match. At times I also have to point out that when Bronco # 1 would do off the rope moves he seemed very awkward and stiff. But much to say besides it was an ok match between four skilled workers that the fans seemed to be into for the most part, I was entertained but was also slightly bored at times.

Grade: **1/2

The Texas Hangmen was a pretty cool tag team that worked all around the world and clearly was big draws as heels in Puerto Rico as the fans really did seem to hate them. And it really is a shame that they never got a full chance to show their talents in one of the two major companies WWF and WCW as I really do think they could have been a solid mid-card heel team that could have helped put over the companies top baby face teams as well as get win over some of the mid and lower card ones. Teams like The Texas Hangmen are a product of the past as you just don’t see teams like them on TV anymore. But as you can see, the matches are over and the house lights have came up and the cleaning crew are out so that’s our clue to leave and as we make out way to the exit doors I would like to tell you that our next update will take us away from the squared circle and back into the world of Western themed media as we will be talking about the iconic cowboy Red Ryder and his comic books as well as his B.B. Guns! So with that until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. Oh and remember the phrase “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid” as Red Ryder and it go hand and hand.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Demolition

Posted on April 22, 2023 by bloodlinematt

The doors of the Rotten Ink Arena are open and this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event is going to be a big one as our main event star tag team love Pain And Destruction and even claim that it’s their middle names! And of course we are talking about Demolition whose members in the WWF were Ax, Smash and Crush and was one of the companies biggest heel teams as well as baby face when they made the turn. And if you look around this is a packed house for sure and almost all of the fans in attendance are wearing Demolition t-shirts and are even holding up signs to show them support. And over at the snack bar Mr. X is selling some cheap beer and popcorn and I say we grab some snacks and find out seats as this is one wrestling tag team that I have been waiting to cover here at Rotten Ink Arena and as you hear their theme has started so let’s get ready to cheer for this iconic team.

Demolition was a tag team that started in 1987 for the WWF and the members were Ax (Masked Superstar) and Smash (Moondog Rex) and they were managed by Luscious Johnny V and were major heels who wrestled a very still wrestling style. They wore leather-studded outfits and hockey masks and when the masks came off they reveled face paint, and they had a rough attitude of dealing out destruction on the ring. And fans at the start of their tag career was very intimidated by them and kids even where a little scared as they would beat down their opponents and seemed to love doing so. But soon Moondog Rex was replaced by Barry Darsow, and the Smash we all know became the gimmick, as the fans seen through the face paint and knew it was Rex and WWF didn’t like this so the switch was made. Demolition would find themselves working House Shows as well as would be in Battle Royals and would be getting wins against teams like The Can-Am Connection, The Rougeau Brothers, The Killer Bees and The Islanders. And quickly Demolition would rack up the wins and even at this time the fans would be mixed as many would boo them as they were heels others would cheer them as they found them to be one of the companies best tag teams at the time and they stayed very busy in ’87 and would even get chances to work bigger teams like The British Bulldogs and The Hart Foundation. Their first major feud was against the team of Ken Patera and Billy Jack Hayes, and the two would trade victors with the end going to Demolition. At the 1987 Survivor Series Demolition would be apart of a 5 Heel Tag Team side and would be eliminated by DQ after the shoved the referee. In 1988 Demolition would win the WWF World Tag Team Titles from Strike Force (Tito Santana & Rick Martel) at WrestleMania IV and this would be the first of three title runs.

Demolition throughout 1988 would defend the titles successfully against many top teams like Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, Strike Force and The Brain Busters. Their next major feud was with The Powers Of Pain (Warlord & Barbarian) that would end up having Demolition turn baby face when there then manager Mr. Fuji would turn on them at the 1988 Survivor Series and instead join the Powers Of Pain that would turn heel. After a long run and defending the titles against Powers Of Pain the moved onto having a series of matches against The Twin Towers (Big Boss Man & Akeem) and as well would hold them off. But in 1989 on WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event 22 they would loose the titles to Arn Andersaon and Tully Blanchard known as The Brain Busters. And the two teams would go to war with each other and they would finally win the belts back on an episode of WWF Superstar and this would lead to them having matches against members of the Heenan Family that included members Andre The Giant, Arn Anderson and Haku and they would end up loosing the titles this time to Andre and Haku. And during this time as well Demolition had been in Survivor Series matches as well as have been on many other WWF pay-per views. In 1990 Demolition would win their titles back after a ling feud with Andre and Haku at WrestleMania VI.

After getting the titles back Demolition would turn heel again and would add a third member to the team Crush (Brian Adams) and this shocked the fans as the team had been one of the companies most popular babyface teams and now they were cheating to win and turned their backs on the fans. The three would use the Freebird Rule when defending the belt and that means that any two members could be the ones in the match and this made it hard for opponents to prepare for the matches. And they would defend and retain the titles against The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) but would loose them to the Hart Foundation at the 1990 SummerSlam, and this would start a feud with The Legion Of Doom (Hawk & Animal) and this would also have them back to being managed by Mr. Fuji, but later that year Ax would leave the company and this would leave Smash and Crush as Demolition and their spot on the card started to drop as they were used to put over other teams. They would also work for Super World Of Sports out of Japan as the WWF and them had a talent exchange. And in 1991 the team would end for the time being and their final match for WWF was on September 18, 1991 as they lost to George and Shunji Takano. Demolition started out being WWF’s biggest and baddest team, but sadly after adding Crush and the company signing the Legion Of Doom their time was up as they started to be booked to loose and even fans started to turn on them. But one thing about Demolition is that they for the longest time held the company’s longest total reign as champions 478 days a record they held until New Day broke it with a 483 days reign in 2015.

After Demolition was no more in the WWF they all went on to do different things like Ax would change his name to Axis The Demolisher and would work the indies with two new partners Smash (Moondog Rex) and Blast (Richard Charland) and he tried to use the Demolition name on the indies only to be shut down by the WWF. Smash would go on to become Repo Man in the WWF before leaving and working for WCW under names like The Black Top Bully and his real name Barry Darsow. Crush would end up staying in WWF for a while and would first turn into a babyface Hawaiian beach guy, then he would turn heel and paint his face again and be managed by Mr. Fuji, he then would join the teams Nation of Domination and the DOA before leaving the company in 1997. Crush under his real name Brian Adams would then sign with WCW and become a member of the NOW as well as later team with Bryan Clark to become KroniK. Sadly Brian Adams aka Crush would pass away on August 13, 2007 of an accidental overdose, he was only 43 years old.

Demolition Ax and Smash (Darsow) would come back together on the Indies starting in 2007 and once more captured the fans cheers as they became draws for the companies and would even start to capture Tag Team Gold again. They would work for companies like Chikara, IWC, KSWA, TWA and PWX and would also be making appearances at Wrestling, Comic and Horror conventions and proved that they still were one of the biggest and most loved tag teams in history. The reunion would end in 2017 when they wrestled their final match as a team at a NCWA event when they also teamed with George South and lost to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and Bobby Fulton. And a little latter after that match Ax would retire for in ring work and Smash would shortly follow him into retirement. Say what you will but Demolition was a tag team that often got compared to The Legion Of Doom, but they broke that notion and proved that they as well were a dominating tag team who fans loved to cheer or boo depending on being a Heel or Baby Face team.

Demolition was a tag team that I was a fan of from the start as they were awesome brawlers who had a cool look of spiked out ring attire and standout face paint with Smash mostly rocking a flame theme and Ax using lots of silver. I always liked them better as a heel team and liked when Mr. Fuji was their manager and watching them cheat in matches and seeing the fans get fired up with anger was awesome, plus they in matches seemed like they were always ready for a fight and would be so happy to beat up their opponents. The feud in the WWF that I enjoyed the most was with the Powers Of Pain as it was two power brawling teams beating the hell out of each other, but I also always liked watching them work with The Rockers as their styles clashed and yet worked really well together. Ax was always the team leader in my eyes and Smash and Crush were the ones that followed his orders as Ax just always had that vibe of being the mastermind behind their path of destruction, Smash was always the more popular one on the playground as my fellow classmates who watched wrestling always seemed to have his Hasbro action figure and he would be the one they talked about. Speaking of Hasbro figures I can remember when I got Demolition I thought the toys were so cool and I can remember bringing them to school to have them wrestle with other figures during recesses. One thing that has been said about Demolition over the decades was that they were the WWF’s answer to the Road Warriors (Legion Of Doom) as they could not signed them so Vince created his own, and I find this to be insulting to Demolition as they where more then just a clone and they created their own style and own mark on the world of wrestling. And I also have to say while I liked Ax and Smash better when it was just Smash and Crush they still were pretty dang cool. Back in 2016 while at a HorrorHound Weekend with Baron Von Porkchop I even had the honor of meeting Ax and Smash of Demolition and they were both awesome guys and even took a moment to take a picture with me. To sum it up, Demolition is awesome and if you have never watched any of their matches make sure to do so.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Demolition for there hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Demolition.

Best Of Demolition

Match 1: Demolition vs. British Bulldogs

Smash starts the match for Demolition and Davey Boy for the British Bulldogs and they two lock up and Smash ends up using ax handle smashes to beat Davey up, but Davey is able to tag in Dynamite Kid who takes the lead and starts beating up on Smash with lots of fast paced power moves as the two go back and fourth. Smash is able to tag in Ax who starts pounding on Dynamite and Ax starts working over his arm and Dynamite reverses the arm hold and makes the tag to Davey and the Bulldogs make quick tags as they work on Ax’s arm, but Smash comes in and cheap shots Dynamite from behind and the two start working over the injured wrestler with Smash even locking in a big bear hug. Dynamite is finally able to get a tag when he is able to boot Smash in the face and leap to Davey who comes into the match a house of fire and but weird enough Dynamite tags back in and quickly starts getting beat up again and tossed out of the ring. Once out of the ring Demolition’s manager Mr. Fuji starts kicking Dynamite, and this angers Davey and along with Dynamite they chase Fuji to the back. When the Bulldogs return they have a broken cane and start hitting Demolition with it, they also shove down the referee and this causes Demolition to win by DQ. This is a fun and yet clunky match that has The Bulldogs making lots of silly decisions in the ring, like Dynamite tagging back into the match seconds after being beat up, rushing the ring with a broken cane to attack and as well knocking down the referee makes them come off as dumb. Demolition pretty much dominate the match with a brawling style and are in control for most of it with both Ax and Smash beating up Dynamite Kid. The fans are into the match and are behind The Bulldogs, but you can also hear some cheers for Demolition who clearly was the team being pushed in the match as they were the Tag Team Champions. Smash works most of the match with Ax being his backup and they both look good in the match. Davey is the powerhouse of the Bulldogs with Dynamite being the one who takes the beating for the most part. Over all a good TV match that was quick and to the point and gave Demolition a win.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Demolition vs. Powers Of Pain

As soon as the bell rings Demolition and the Powers Of Pain start beating the hell out of each other, and in this match Demolition are the baby faces and Mr. Fuji is now the manager of Powers Of Pain! Once order is restored Smash and Warlord start the match and Warlord is in trouble as Demolition keep tagging in and out keeping him down and away from tagging his partner. Smash misses a corner splash and this allows Warlord to make the tag to Barbarian who exchanges moves with Smash who is able to get a tag to Ax who uses ax handle smashes to take Barbarian down to the mat, but behind the referees back Mr. Fuji uses his cane on Ax’s knee and this allows the Powers Of Pain to take control of the match, Barbarian even hits a massive shoulder breaker, and they continue to beat up Ax who finally is able to fight back and gets the tag to Smash who rushes in and starts punching both Warlord and Barbarian, but the Powers end up double teaming Smash and even hit him with the Doomsday Device! But Ax makes the save and while the referee is distracted by Mr. Fuji he takes the cane and hits the Powers Of Pain with it, but Fuji then enters the ring and throws powder into the eyes of Ax and the referee has had enough and decides to DQ Powers of Pain and give the match to Demolition. This is a 100% a Hoss fight as both Demolition and Powers Of Pain are going out to try and hurt one another buy using big brawling power moves, and both teams look strong during the match as its 50/50 throughout it with both teams showing that they want to win! The Doomsday Device that the Powers Of Pain hit looks really good and impactful, and its clear that the fans want Demolition to win as they cheer for them loudly throughout the match. The DQ finish is a little of a letdown as it’s odd that the referee ended up giving Demolition the win after the salt in the eyes, but the referee before that seen Ax several times hit Barbarian with the cane and did nothing about it. This was a fun brawl match that entertained the fans and did a good job of keeping the feud between these two teams going.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Demolition vs. The Rockers

Ax starts the match for Demolition as Shawn Michaels does for the Rockers and from the start its clear that Ax is the strongest of the two and he starts dealing out some damage to Shawn, but Shawn uses his speed to frustrate Ax who tags in Smash and this is Shawn’s cue to tag in Marty Jannetty and it goes the same as Smash uses his power to try to take the tide its Marty’s speed that keeps it from going one sided. Demolition is so frustrated they try and get advice from their manager Mr. Fuji on what to do all the while the fans are loving it. And the speed of the Rockers still keep Demolition off guard with them doing quick tags and even quicker strikes on the much bigger opponents. But Ax turns the tide when he hits a headbutt on Marty that rocks him, and then it’s Demolition’s turn to hit big power moves as well as kick tag in and out. Marty hits a back elbow on Smash and tags in Shawn who once more uses his speed to get big punches landed on Smash’s head, and as Shawn hits the ropes Ax pulls it down and causes Shawn to fall out of the ring. Once back in the ring Shawn is injured and Smash tries to get him to quit by placing him in a Boston Crab, Shawn will not give up and Ax is tagged in and he starts working over the back of Shawn, and they tag in and out just tormenting Shawn who is finally able to make a small comeback and get the tag to Marty who unleashes on Smash as series of punches and moves. Marty almost gets the three count after landing a top rope splash to Smash that is broken up by Ax. And the match ends when Ax cheap shots Marty and Smash is able to get the win via pin. This was a match that had the live fans cheering like crazy for The Rockers and booing Demolition as they cheated their way to a victory. Both teams looked great in this match and they told a great story of a smaller team using their speed to stand toe to toe with the much larger opponents. Both teams also make the other look like a million bucks as they both sell for one another and they both show that they are masters of the art of tag team as they psychology that both teams show is fantastic. The energy of the fans really helps bring out the excitement of this match and once more the match was used to put over Demolition but also used to help build The Rockers as Marty and Shawn work hard. A good match the mixed speed and power and these two teams work really well together.

Grade: ***1/2

Match 4: Demolition vs. Andre The Giant & Giant Baba

This match takes place in Japan and the fans are hot and cheering so loud and Smash starts the match off with Giant Baba who drops his opponent with a massive chop! Baba keeps the heat on Smash and tags in Andre who chops, kicks and steps on him. Smash escapes the attack when Andre misses sitting on him and give him a chance to tag in Ax. The match tide changes for a moment as Ax keeps pounding on Andre and Demolition makes quick tags and keep just punching and keeping him down on the mat. Andre is able to choke Ax and at the same time roll to tag in Baba who stomps on the gut of Ax as the fans cheer. Demolition then starts double teaming Baba who fights his way out of their corner and hits Smash with a swinging neck breaker, Ax breaks up the pin attempt and Baba then tags in Andre who beats up both Demolition with chokes and punches. But when Demolition start double teaming Andre this makes Baba also enter the ring and all four men start brawling. In the end Baba hits Smash with a big boot and then Andre drops an elbow on him and gets the pin and the win. Demolition carry this match as both Andre The Giant and Giant Baba seem to be moving in slow motion as they both are not in great physical shape. It’s Demolition who do most of the selling and moving around the ring and they come off strong and make the two aging Giants look like powerhouses still. The fans are so into this match as they are 100% behind The Giants as they cheer for all they do, and when they win the places roof comes off. Andre and Baba mostly lumber around the ring and punch, kick, chop and choke and while they are limited in the ring they still are still true superstars. This is more of an attraction match as its not technical at all but the story the four men tell in the ring and the energy of the fans make this match feel big.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Demolition vs. S.D. Jones & B. Brian Blair

For this match S.D. Jones is a temporary member of the Killer Bees and Blair and Ax start the match off and it’s clear that Ax is the stronger of the two but it’s Blair’s speed that allows him to take Ax down to the mat. And when Smash and Jones get into the ring they also find that Jones is fast as well as strong and he shows his skills as the fans are behind Special Delivery. The Bees move fast and hit moves and quick tag as they work over Smash who is cut off from his corner and land an atomic drop on him as well as elbows. But Ax cheats and knees Blair in the back and turns the tide of the match as he also gets tagged in and gets a chin lock on Blair and this slows down his speed, and they also keep him away from Jones and tag in and out just beating him up. Finally Blair is able to tag in Jones who starts fighting off Demolition, but Ax hits Jones with a cheap shot to the back of the head and Smash is able to get the win by pin. This is a pretty one sided match as it was clear that the WWF was building up Demolition as most of the match they just beat the hell out of Brian Blair and its mostly S.D. Jones who is the one who gets the offense on the Killer Bees side. Demolition look very strong in the match and while they do sell for the Killer Bees it was clear that the heels were going over. It was great seeing the fans cheer for S.D. Jones and even at times you can hear some fans cheer for Demolition. Over all a good enhancement match that just showcases the early brawling style of Demolition and just how far the Killer Bees had fallen down the card.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Demolition vs. Tito Santana & Mil Mascaras

Ax and Tito start off the match and Tito’s speed comes in handy, as he is able to fire off and land some strikes before Ax himself fires off some ax handle hits. Tito is able to hit a flying body press on Ax and gets a one count. Ax tags in Smash who starts to unload on Tito who in turn tags in Mil who starts working over the arm of Smash and even lands his trademark dropkick before tagging back in Tito who starts off good but quickly finds himself on a beating at the hands of Demolition. And when Tito finally can make the tag to Mil he as well starts off good but soon finds himself being double teamed by Demolition and they even toss him out of the ring, and Ax even behind the referee’s back uses the cane of Mr. Fuji to choke Mil. Demolition continues to tag in and out and keep Mil from getting the tag to Tito and they cut off many of his comeback attempts. But when Mil is able to make the tag he and Tito hit a double drop kick on Ax and knock him to the ground, Mil tags back in and locks in a Camel Clutch that is broken by Smash. In the end the referee watches Mr. Fuji trip Tito and he gives he and Mil the win by DQ. What a strange and very entertaining match as its Lucha Libre meets the Brawling Big Man WWF Style in a match that should have had a better finish then a DQ ending. Demolition comes off strong and much of the match has them in control of the match, but yet Tito and Mil as well come off as major opponents who when they turn the tide in the match give Demolition a run for their money. The fans in attendance where very much into the match as they wanted to see Mil and Tito pick up the victory and even cheer when the team does win with the lame DQ finish. Mil’s dropkicks look great, Demolition look strong and the fans were into the match what more could you ask for. While not a Five Star match it was an entertaining one.

Grade: ***

Match 7: Demolition vs. The Gladiator & Dave Pullman

Ax starts the match off just beating the hell out of Pullman and then tags in Smash who does the same thing by just punching him over and over again. Ax tags back in and rams Pullman’s face into the boot of Smash who tags back in and allows Pullman to tag in his partner Gladiator who does no fare well as Smash and Ax just tag in and out and beat him up, with Smash dropping Gladiator throat first onto the top rope and tags in Ax and they hit The Demolition Decapitation on Gladiator and get the win via pin. This was 100% a one sided squash match as Demolition just dominate and destroy Pullman and Gladiator who never even get to land a hit. The match does its job of making Demolition look like a powerful tag team who where rough and mean brawlers even though they were the baby faces in the match. The Gladiator is a masked wearing worker and he cracked me up as he from the moment he gets into the match is just beat up and pinned fast. This was a fun and one sided squash match that was entertaining because Demolition are awesome and the jobbers are awesomely cheesy.

Grade: **

Match 8: Demolition vs. The Intruder & Tim Patterson

Smash and Tim start the match and things don’t go well for Tim who is backed into the corner and Smash lands some big punches. When Ax tags in they place Tim on the ropes and they both just land some big forearm smashes on him, and then Ax puts his boot on the neck of Tim and starts trying to cut off his air and even starts working on his neck causing him lots of pain. When Smash tags in he allows Tim to tag in The Intruder who tries to hit Smash with no effect and is then thrown out of the ring for effort. Once back in the ring Ax tags in and Intruder is beat up on with some stiff clothesline and then hit with The Demolition Decapitation and they win the match. This is yet another squash match and Demolition just destroy and demolish these jobbers with Tim not even getting a hit off with The Intruder at least throwing a few punches that have no effect at all. Demolition look vicious in the match as they double team and even stomp put boots to neck. This is pretty much a normal squash match that is a fast easy win for the star team, and the losers are purely being used as enhancement. The Demolition Decapitation looks great in the match and masked wrestler The Intruder is super short and does not look like a pro wrestler from that time, but with that said I would love to see more matches of his! Over all a squash match that is entertaining.

Grade: **1/2

Demolition is one of the greatest Tag Teams from the WWF in the 80’s and early 90’s as they had a great look and could brawl and beat up with the best of them. But as you can see, the event is over and the lights have been turned on so that is our cue to head out and as we make our way to the doors I want to say that I hope that you readers are enjoying these wrestling updates as much as I am writing them. And I should also note that our next update will take us away from the squared circle and to the world of home video game consoles as I will breakdown the Best Horror Games for the Atari 2600! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you next time for some 8-Bit Terror brought to us all by Atari.

The Road Warriors Pro Wrestlings Top Tag Team

Posted on February 22, 2015 by bloodlinematt

“Ohhhhhhhhh What A Rush” it is to bring you another update to Rotten Ink and this time it’s all about Hawk and Animal The Road Warriors or is it The Legion Of Doom the world of wrestling’s most powerful and dominate tag team! Growing up I loved pro wrestling and spent many of time watching it with my Grandpa, Dad and Brother and besides WWF we watched allot of NWA/WCW and one of my favorite tag teams of all time was The Road Warriors two muscle bound face painted wrestlers who mowed down the computation and took no prisoners. I can remember having Remco action figures of The Road Warriors as well as the AWA Thumbster of Animal as also posters of them taking from Pro Wrestling Illustrated hanging on my walls. So with this update I want to give you a run down of their career as well as talk about my memories of them in wrestling, the main attraction will be the reviews for the comic series based on them called Fifth Force: Hawk & Animal made by Antarctic Press so lets get into the ring with The Road Warriors and hope they don’t knock our heads off with their finisher The Doomsday Device.

In 1982 in Georgia Championship Wrestling Paul Ellering introduced a stable of wrestlers he called The Legion Of Doom that consisted of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, King Kong Bundy, Matt Borne, Arn Anderson, The Spoiler, The Sheik, Iron Sheik and The Road Warriors. The group was short lived and the name was taken from the old Super Friends Cartoon and later the name Legion of Doom was just given to The Road Warriors and manager Ellering who dominated the tag team division and would win the federations tag titles a total of three times. They left in 1984 to find bigger and better things. During this first run is were they got the reputation of being rough, no sellers who did what they wanted when they wanted.

In 1984 they joined the AWA (American Wrestling Alliance) were they quickly captured the Tag Titles and went from bad guys to one of the companies top draws. They feuded with the likes of The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane & Steve Keirn) as well as The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) and would dominate the federation for a few years. While in the AWA they would also make appearances in Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling as well as the NWA and for both they were major draws. The Road Warriors left AWA in 1986 with their final appearance being at the Wrestlerock event.

From AWA to NWA took place in 1986 and upon entering the federation the won the first ever Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament by beating the team of Magnum T.A. and Ronnie Garvin. And from this moment on they were major attractions for all the companies events even fighting in a Scaffold Match against The Midnight Express and later feuding with the likes of The Four Horseman who was the biggest Heel stable around. While there they turned from Good to Bad to Good again and even was around when Ted Turner bought NWA and turned it into WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and had many great feuds with teams like Doom (Ron Simmons & Butch Reed), Skyscrapers (Sid Vicious & Dan Spivey), The Varsity Club (Steve Williams & Mike Rotunda), The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu & Samu) among many other great teams. They left in 1990 after not seeing eye to eye with Jim Herd who was running WCW at the time. And with this also marked the true end of them being know as The Road Warriors as the next places they landed had other ideas for them.

In 1990 when they left WCW they landed in the WWF were they were known as The Legion Of Doom and quickly teamed with The Ultimate Warrior and began a feud with Demolition (Ax, Smash & Crush) that was short lived. They then won the Tag Titles from The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) and held them until they lost to the team of Money Inc. that’s members were Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and I.R.S. in 1992 and after this lose they left the company for a short amount of time only to come back this time with Paul Ellering and a ventriloquist dummy named Roco who was the teams inspiration. This terrible gimmick lead quickly to Hawk quitting the company and this ending the Legion of Dooms first WWF run, as Animal stuck around and filled out the teams contract now teaming with a repackaged Crush. During this time Animal also injured his back severally taking him out of wrestling for awhile.

Hawk in 1992 after leaving WWF and his partner Animal behind went to Japan again and started a team called The Hellraisers alongside his new partner The Power Warrior (Kensuke Sasaki) and together they became a top tag team in New Japan Pro Wrestling. They even won the tag titles from Scott Norton and Tony Halme and would later feud with the team known as The Jurassic Powers (Scott Norton & Hercules) this team up also helped launch The Power Warrior from a mid-card draw to a main event star. In 1996 after his back injury healed Animal joined his old partner and The Power Warrior in New Japan for a very short run.

1996 Hawk and Animal once more went back to WCW for a very short run and took on teams like Harlem Heat and The Steiner Brothers and even got a number of title shots against Tag Team Champions Sting and Lex Luger, but never did win the belts back. The Legion Of Doom quickly left again when they claimed that Eric Bischoff who was running WCW at the time lied to them over money.

For a year Hawk and Animal wrestled for small independent companies till in 1997 they once more reached a deal to come back to the WWF and once more proved they were the top tag team in the world when they beat the likes of The Godwins, The Headbangers and even was placed in a feud with the heel stable The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, British Bulldog and Brian Pillman) having to team up with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Goldust and Ken Shamrock. They even won the world tag titles in 1997 and shocked the world when they lost them to a new tag team later that year named The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn & Road Dogg), The Legion of Doom tried several times to get the belts back but couldn’t and in 1998 on Monday Night Raw the partners and friends brawled with each other on television and disappeared for awhile.

Later in 1998 sporting a new look that consisted of helmets, normal hair and a new manager Sunny The Legion of Doom became L.O.D. 2000 an updated version of themselves. Sunny left the team pretty quickly and they were joined by Droz a wrestler who could puke on demand who was acting as a manager for them. Paul Ellering also returned and was now the manager for a biker tag team called the D.O.A. who was feuding with the LOD at the time. During this time they did a storyline were Hawk always seemed to be drunk or high on drugs and this was causing tension among the team as Droz was having to don the makeup and shoulder pads and help Animal. This segment ended with Hawk looking as if he jumped from the Titantron committing suicide or even that maybe Droz pushed him off leaving everyone to question was Droz the one giving Hawk the drugs. The storyline went nowhere and the team floated around for awhile and left in 1999, and began floating around the independent wrestling federations.

In 2001 with Hawks health in question Animal resigned with WCW to become an enforcer for champion Scott Steiner who called his stable the Magnificent Seven that’s other members included Rick Steiner, Lex Luger, Jeff Jarrett and Buff Bagwell. Animals introduction to the group was a surprise as he wore a mask all the way up to his debut. The stable was short lived and later that year when the owner of WWF Vince McMahon bought WCW, Animal’s contract was not picked up.

In 2002 Hawk and Animal signed very briefly with TNA (Total None Stop Action Wrestling) as part of a group that was fighting one time WWF writer Vince Russo who had a stable called Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Sadly The Legion Of Doom only got to wrestle one match before leaving in 2003.

Hawk and Animal made their final WWF appearance in 2003 when they took on the tag team champions Rob Van Damn and Kane, while they loss the crowd was clearly happy to see them back. The Legion of Doom was hoping that this appearance would lead to a contract but sadly on October 19^th 2003 Hawk passed away from a heart attack at the age of 46, marking a sad day for wrestling fans and the end of the original Legion of Doom. Animal however in 2005 would return to WWF with new partner Heidenreich the New Legion of Doom would last till 2006 when Heidenreich was fired. Animal would stick around as a solo wrestler for awhile and would simple be called The Road Warrior Animal and would drop the makeup as well as the shoulder pads from his gimmick. In 2006 Animal was released from his contract.

This was the last major run for Animal as he would go onto make some appearances for TNA, Independents as well as even for WWF as he and Hawk made it into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2011. His last televised match was in 2012 on WWF Smackdown as he took on Heath Slater in a match he dominated. At the age of 54 it appears Animals full time in ring career is over but damn did he and Hawk have a good run. For those of you wondering Hawks real name is Michael Hegstrand and Animals is Joe Laurinaitis.

While both of them were bad asses, Hawk is the one who was more of a loose cannon and did some funny and great stuff outside of wrestling like the following things. Hawk and Randy Savage got into a fist fight backstage at a wrestling event rumored over a piece of pizza that would continue some years later backstage at a Kid Rock concert. It’s also said that Hawk beat up on Eddie Guerrero backstage and that Hawk was clearly just being a bully. Hawk also beat up a fellow patron at a movie theater when he found out that the guy’s brother killed a cop from his hometown. Hawk was also a bouncer at a bar and took pleasure in throwing out the drunks that got out of hand. Hawk also claimed that Vince McMahan and Shawn “HBK” Michaels were gay lovers on the Road Warriors RF Shoot Interview. During the 1998 WWF attraction called “Brawl For It All” were WWF Superstars boxed and grappled in real life Hawk faced Droz to a draw. Hawk also was battling alcohol and drug addiction during the LOD 2000 and Droz angle and the writers wrote this into the storyline. Say what you will but Road Warrior Hawk was a great wrestler and entertainer and I was so sad when I heard about his passing as the sport of pro wrestling truly lost a major talent.

One NWA story line for some reason that has always stuck out to me was when Road Warrior Animal suffered an eye injury at the hands of The Powers of Pain (Barbarian and Warlord) during a weightlifting computation, causing Animal to miss some matches and later return wearing a Hockey Mask to protect his eye and ready to battle those who injured him. The feud ended when The Powers of Pain quit the NWA after not wanting to do a series of Scaffold Matches that they feared they could be hurt in real life doing. When Animal first came back wearing the mask my brother and I thought that it was not the real Animal and was another wrestler filling in for him, and for some reason the image of him wearing the mask has always stuck in my mind.

The Legion Of Doom has been so popular over the ages, they have had a ton of merchandise based around them such as t-shirts, posters, stickers, trading cards, magazines and even fruit drinks called WWE Bodyslam. They have been in many video games like WCW for Nintendo and WWE 13 for PS3 and Xbox 360. They have had VHS and DVDs showcasing their careers made as well as books written about them. They have filmed shoot interviews for companies like RF Video and Highspots and have appeared at wrestling themed conventions. Many toys have been made based on them by companies like Remco and Hasbro allowing kids to make them tag champions of their toy wrestling leagues. Some of my favorite toys growing up were my AWA Road Warriors that were the size of He-Man and that I would use as bounty hunters to try and capture He-Man and they also would wrestle the likes of Ric Flair and Rick Martel. If you’re a fan of the LOD there is plenty of great stuff for you to collect.

So you just had a quick crash course all about The Legion of Doom and just how impactful they were as a tag team. I mean they were the first team that was able capture the Tag Titles in all three major federations (WWF, WCW, AWA) as well as hold the belts of many other minor and major promotions. So some time back when I found out that a comic book series was made about them I was pretty hyped to track them down, and thanks to Mavericks and Lone Star Comics, I was able to read them for the first time just for this blog update! And I must say I am pretty hyped to see what kind of action and story they come up with for this tag team. So before we enter the ring, I grade these issues on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So with that let’s get ready to rumble and witness Hawk and Animal do what they do best and that’s kick some butt.

The Fifth Force: Hawk & Animal # 1 *
Released in 1999 Cover Price $1.99 Antarctic Press # 1 of 2

Mr. Dart is a shadow faced trench coat wearing henchman for Dr. Rancid who use their corrupt powers to frame The Legion of Doom as cheaters! When Hawk & Animal show up in Japan they meet with manager Vern who tells them they are under investigation for cheating to win the Tag Titles, and this means they are banned from wrestling and all their money is being tied up until things can be figured out. The Legion of Doom are upset and that’s when they get a visit from Mr. Dart who tells them he can make it all go away if they wrestle tonight and loose the belts; he even gives them money to help smooth over throwing the match. Hawk and Animal give it some thought and don’t see any other way out because they want to wrestle and go into the match against rivals The Kabuki Men with losing on their mind. The match is one sided as Animal takes a beating from Kabuki Men and just when all looks lost, Hawk wants to tag in and issue one comes to an end.

The Legion Of Doom are ass kicking machines who have always seemed to play by their own rules in every federation they have wrestled for so why in the world would issue one have them thinking of throwing a match all cause of some chumped up charges of cheating? Plus what the hell….so in Japan if they think you cheated to win wrestling belts, they can not only ban you from the sport all over the world, but can also tie up all your money…what federation are they working for, one ran by the Yukuza?! Hawk and Animal in the issue come off as wrestlers who have two thing on their minds and that’s wrestling and being champions, but man they also come off as mindless drones as they just go along with what a shadow faced man tells them he can do for them. Neither Dart nor Rancid come off as a big threat making this comic kind of just spin in neutral. The art is pretty cheesy and not the style I like as it has an amateur style mixed with American style Manga and is done by an unknown artist because I could not find their credit anywhere in the issue. Over all this is a very disappointing comic, and the only real appeal is the fact its about The Legion Of Doom. So let’s not waste any more time on this simple silly comic and move onto issue # 2.

The Fifth Force: Hawk & Animal # 2 *
Released in 1999 Cover Price $2.50 Antarctic Press # 2 of 2

Hawk and Animal decide during the match that they are not going to lose the belts to the Kabuki Men and pin them in the ring fair and square. After the match, Hawk and Animal get into the limo and are knocked out by gas and taken to a secret base where they are locked in a metal crate and sent to the bottom of the ocean. Mr. Dart and Dr. Rancid are also frozen and punished by Mr. Yamiyuri who in turn is blown up by the Mob for not bullying The Legion of Doom into losing the belts like they were told. In the end the news is running a story about the missing wrestling tag team champs.

Wow, this second issue is more worthless then the first. I really hate saying that, but man, this comic series seems very pointless and it goes nowhere. The point of this issue is that The Legion of Doom will not take a fall and that this all has been set up by the mafia who for some reason really wanted the tag titles off Hawk and Animal. All the characters are the same as before, and none of them are fully fleshed out making them all just seem bland and one-dimensional and making you wonder why you should even care on what’s happing. The issue also has the same art and for some reason has a .51 price increase for the same low amount of pages. Not to mention the issue ends on a cliff hanger with The Legion Of Doom missing and at the bottom of the ocean…and the 3^rd issue in the series never came out making one wonder what happened to the famed wrestling tag team. Plus I am sure that poor sales and bad reviews are why this series was dead in the water after only two issues. To sum it all up, I would say that this could be one of the worst comic series based on real life pro wrestlers ever made and even die hard Legion of Doom fans like myself will be disappointed in the comics story and quality.

The Legion of Doom aka The Road Warriors deserved a better comic series than this and to find out that Animal had something to do with it makes it all so much worse. From what I understand the comics were going to be a way to introduce a comic series that would promote healthy living and working out, but when the first two issue bombed, the third issue that was going to lead to this plan was cancelled. This could be the biggest disappointment thus far doing this blog as I really hoped it would at least be entertaining, and all I got was a lame poorly drawn and written comic with no direction. I need something good for the next update to get this terrible comic series out of my brain so I think we will take a look at something a whole lot better as we tackle the 3-D BlackThorne Comic adventures of Bravestarr based on the classic 80’s cartoon made by Filmation! So until then, watch WWE Monday Night Raw and read a comic or two and remember the rush you got watching the LOD dominate the world of Tag Team Wrestling.