Smash from the legendary tag team Demolition recently appeared on the Wrestling Then and Now program to discuss a wide range of topics, which included Smash sharing a story about getting hustled by the late Andre The Giant.
The former tag champion recalls 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.’
He then says there was one time where they were on a plane to Japan and played the entire way. 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.
However, Andre didn’t pay until the trip was over because he knew they’d continue to play. 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.
You can check out the full story in the interview below.
(H/T and transcribed by WrestleZone)