Opinion: WWE got it right with the Warlord, Arn Anderson and Haku inducting Demolition into HOE

I’m someone who’s willing to admit when he’s wrong.

Weeks ago, shortly after the WWE announced that Demolition (Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow) would be inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame, I wrote an article about whom should formally induct the tag team into the HOE. I suggested The New Day, because a) they broke Demolition’s record of consecutive days as champion, with many people theorizing that the reason for doing so was because of the continuing feud between Demolition and Vince McMahon, and b) having The New Day do the induction would go a long way towards repairing any rifts between Demolition and McMahon. 

But as usual, WWE got it right and I got it wrong.

The WWE’s decision to have Terry Scott Szopinski (The Warlord), Arn Anderson and Tonga ʻUliʻuli Fifita (Haku) was brilliant because each wrestler represented the three biggest feuds that Ax and Smash had during their title run.

Szopinski was part of Demolition’s first major feud in the WWE in 1988. Szopinski and Sione Havea Vailahi (The Barbarian) formed the Powers of Pain and were soon entered into a feud against Demolition (who were tag team champions at the time). Although the Powers of Pain were babyfaces while Demolition were heels, it was Survivor Series 1988 where fans saw a double turn at a time when that phrase didn’t even exist.

During the match at SS 88, Demolition’s manager, Mr. Fuji, inexplicitly climbed up onto the ring apron and lowered the bottom rope just as Smash hit the ropes. This led Smash to fall outside of the ring, get counted out, and retaliate by beating up their now-former manager.

And then moments later, the Warlord and Barbarian went outside the ring and helped Mr. Fuji to his feet, confusing fans as to why the Powers of Pain were suddenly helping a heel manager. Shortly thereafter, the Powers of Pain won the match, only for Demolition to run back into the ring and beat up POP in retaliation. 

And in one fell swoop, Demolition were good guys and POP were bad guys. Hence the double turn, more than eight years before Bret Hart and Steve Austin made it famous. The feud would last until Wrestlemania V, when Demolition defeated POP and Mr. Fuji after hitting Fuji with their finishing move: The Demolition Decapitator.

And then there was Arn Anderson, who along with Tully Blanchard formed the Brain Busters, two of the best technical wrestlers to ever grace the squared circle. Managed by Bobby “The Brain" Heenan, the Brain Busters didn’t have an amazing look and weren’t the best talkers. But their ring psychology was second to none, and every time the two tag teams did battle, you always got the sense that Demolition never felt truly comfortable against Anderson and Blanchard. The teams would have two matches on Saturday Night’s Main Event in 1989 that would set up a title change and end Demolition’s 478-day streak as champions. The first match, in May 1989, ended with Demolition’s frustrations bubbling over, leading to a disqualification loss. The second match, a best two-out-of-three falls encounter in July 1989, displayed both Demolition’s power, the Brain Busters’ ring smarts, and Andre the Giant slipping Blanchard a steel chair, which he used to hit Smash in the head, leading to an upset and ending Demolition’s reign as champions. Demolition would regain the titles that October with a victory over the Brain Busters on free TV.

Fifita (Haku) represented one of Demolition’s final major feuds. In late 1989, Haku and Andre the Giant formed a tag team known as The Colossal Connection and they received a title shot against Demolition on free TV. From the outset, TCC dominated the match, using Haku’s martial arts skills and Andre’s immense size to gain the upset victory and win the titles. Demolition would regain the titles for the third and final time at Wrestlemania VI, hitting Haku with their finishing move after Andre accidentally got hit by Haku’s crescent kick and got stuck in the ropes.

These three men represented Demolition’s biggest feuds in the WWE. I can’t think of a better send-off.