Yesterday's Heroes: Barry Darsow

"If the opportunity were to present itself,

I might just have to go and reinvent myself." - Edo G

The words of a Boston hip hop legend notwithstanding, few men every do truly reinvent themselves. Nary a man truly take the opportunity to change their lifestyle for the better and jump on the opportunity to become, for lack of better words, new and improved.

Such is not the case for Barry Darsow. Who is Barry Darsow you ask? Exactly. The truth is, no one really knows the real story of Barry Darsow. Of course, with every larger-than-life hero, there's myths and legends. Some are true, but some can't be confirmed.

Will we ever know the real Barry Darsow? Probably not. But will we ever really know ourselves? I don't even know what that question means.

Here's what we do know. Barry Darsow was born in Minneapolis in 1959. 25 years later, an apparent U.S.S.R. refugee and Communist sympathiser named Krush Kruschev burst onto the scene in Florida Championship Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance. This mysterious, yet charming, Russian madman would terrorize the Southeast throughout the mid-eighties with seemingly no end to the chaos in sight.

But just as quickly as he appeared he was gone. Perhaps the cerebral Kruschev knew the demise of his Mother Russia was imminent and left before the iron curtain would officially fall. Or, perhaps, he chose to reivent himself.

Only a few short months after the departure of the Krusher, a new face burst onto the scene in the World Wrestling Federation. Dressed in red and black face paint, a studded leather vest and buttless chaps, Demolition Smash quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the WWF.

With life partner Ax by his side and the popularity of heavy metal music at its apex, Demolition ran wild throughout the organization. On the surface, Smash bore a frightening resemblance to the Russian brawler.

But when he spoke, he spoke with not even a hint of a Russian accent. The pride the Russian Kruschev once bore for his native Russia was no longer. Had Krusher Kruschev changed his ways or were Kruschev and Smash not one in the same? To this day, this remains unknown.

One thing is for certain: The reign of Demolition lasted much longer than the reign of Krusher Kruschev. As the U.S.S.R. closed its doors, Demolition remained strong, capturing the two WWF Tag Team titles before their disintegration in 1991.

As the black leather/heavy metal fad of the late eighties ran its course, the Smash Man dissapeared from the scene. Some claim he became a roadie for Whitesnake. Others claim he started a band of his own. Wherever he went, after 1991, Smash was never heard of again.

Throughout this time, friends and family of Barry Darsow wondered: Where is Barry? His closest confidantes hadn't heard from Darsow in years. And while two wrestlers they had seen on tv bore a strikingly resemblance to their old friend, it didn't seem plausible.

Had the world seen the last of Barry Darsow.....or was it just the beginning?

Find out in PART DEUX.