Smash from the legendary WWE tag-team Demolition recently appeared as a guest on the Wrestling Then And Now program for an in-depth interview discussing all things pro wrestling.
During the discussion, the legendary tag-team wrestler spoke at length about his dealings with fellow wrestling legend Andre The Giant, sharing a funny story about being hustled by the WWE Hall of Fame legend.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On playing cribbage against the 8th Wonder of the World, something they often did in the dressing room before shows: “Yeah, I got a good one. You know, Andre played cribbage all the time. And I played; I was okay. But he was really good. And we used to play in the dressing room all the time,” Smash revealed. “Well, we started betting each other like $5 a game. He’d win five games; I’d win five. So we’re kind of even. Well, then it got to the point where he was about $20 ahead of me, and I said, ‘Andre, I’m gonna win that money back and more.’”
On how there was one time where they were on a plane to Japan and played the entire way, and how at one point, Andre was in the hole for $300: “So, he ends up working the deal where we’re going to Japan. We get two seats next to each other. We played cribbage the whole way. Everybody else is sleeping, and I want to go to bed, and he’s, ‘No, we play!’ And I’m like $250 up on him. And I don’t want to laugh or anything because I’m working with him when I get to Japan. I want him to be in a good mood. So anyways, it ended up being where I think I was about $300 up. So that’s a lot of games to win when you’re playing $5 a game.”
On how Andre didn’t pay until the trip was over because he knew they’d continue to play, and how Smash ended up owing Andre money by the end: “So we get to Japan, and I said, ‘Okay, pay up, big man.’ And he says, ‘Oh, no. We gotta go home yet.’ So now I knew he was gonna get me. So we were there, and we played in the rooms that night and everything, and I still kept that $300 I had. On the way home, I ended up owing him $100 when we got home. That son of a gun got me. But I’m glad he did beat me because I don’t know what would have happened in the ring after that if I would have been ahead of him. What a great guy.”
Check out the complete interview via the YouTube player embedded below. H/T to WrestleZone.com for transcribing the above quotes.
