UPDATED: Demolition Sign WWE Legends Contracts (WWE News)
Ax and Smash's return to WWE's alumni page was long overdue.
UPDATE (14 Feb 2025 - 10:05 AM GMT): PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports that Demolition have signed WWE Legends contracts, formally bringing them back into the company's fold after years out in the cold.
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Legendary tag team Demolition has returned to WWE's 'Alumni' page after several years out in the cold.
Ax and Smash were added as alumni sometime recently, ending their run amongst the most notable omissions on WWE.com. Demolition were three-time WWF World Tag Team Champions between 1988 and 1990, with their longest reign stretching 478 days from March '88 to July '89, with successful defences over other legendary teams like the British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation, and Powers of Pain.
As one of the most successful and iconic WWE tag teams in history, Demolition's acknowledgement is earned - and was likely held up by the duo's participation in lawyer Konstanine Kyros' class-action lawsuit against the promotion.
Beginning in 2014, Kyros' lawsuit was filed on behalf of over 50 wrestlers (including Ax and Smash) alleging that WWE had failed to protect talent from the long-term impact of repeated head trauma and concussions, leading to long-time neurological conditions including Alzheimer's, dementia, and CTE.
Ax and Smash joined King Kong Bundy, Jimmy Snuka, and Road Warrior Animal among the plaintiffs. The wrestlers argued that WWE knew the risks of repeated head trauma but did not adequately inform or protect them. WWE denied these, arguing that because their wrestlers were independent contractors rather than employees, WWE wasn't responsible for their medical care.
The lawsuit was dismissed by a U.S. District Judge in September 2018. It was stated, at the time, that many of the claims were either time-barred or lacked legal standing. Then, in September 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal, ending the case.
Demolition was effectively blacklisted. WWE, for their part, went as far as breaking Ax and Smash's record as the longest reigning tag team champions with The New Day, who beat the mark with a 483-day run ending in December 2016.