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The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith began his career in his native England
where he competed as a lightweight and soon made his way through Japan
and the rest of Europe. Davey Boy's cousin, the Dynamite Kid, saw great
potential and brought him over to Canada where the two would form one of
the greatest wrestling tag teams of all time known as the British Bulldogs.
In Calgary, as well, Davey Boy trained under the great Stu Hart and fell
in love with the woman he would soon marry, Diana Hart.
In 1985, Vince McMahon purchased Stampede and the British Bulldogs moved
to the big time, taking on Captain Lou Albano as their manager and eventually
defeating Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake for the WWF World Tag Team
Titles at Wrestlemania 2. The Bulldogs lost those titles to Bret Hart and
Jim Neidhart of the Hart Foundation before engaging in a lengthy feud with
them and the evil referee Dangerous Danny Davis. The Dynamite Kid, unfortunately,
suffered from back injuries and this would keep the Bulldogs off television
but when they returned, they came with a pet Bulldog named Matilda and
feuded with Bobby Heenan and the Islanders, culminating in a Wrestlemania
4 handicap match. The Bulldogs would then feud with the Fabulous Rougeau
Brothers, as managed by Jimmy Hart, and backstage politics resulting from
Dynamite Kid and Jacques Rougeau's open and ongoing physical violence off
camera lead to the Bulldog's dismissal from the WWF just after the 1988
Survivor Series. Davey Boy and Dynamite returned to Stu Hart's rejuvenated
Stampede Wrestling to win the Tag Team Titles before splitting up and having
a very bitter feud. The kayfabe feud of Stampede turned real when Davey
Boy resigned with the WWF and trademarked the British Bulldog name for
himself.
The partnership was over and Davey Boy went on to become a major WWF player
and defeated Bret Hart at the 1992 Summer Slam in Wembley Stadium that
some still consider his greatest match ever. Davey Boy would leave the
WWF and show up in WCW in 1993 to challenge Big Van Vader for the WCW World
Championship and form a successful team with Sting. Davey Boy was fired
from WCW after hospitalizing a man in a bar who had been harassing his
wife. Davey Boy returned to wrestling in the summer of 1994 to help the
new WWF Champion Bret Hart in his feud with Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart
at Summer Slam. Davey would go on to be the runner up in the 1995 Royal
Rumble before forming a team with Lex Luger that was short lived. When
Luger left the WWF, Davey Boy turned heel for the first time in his career
and took on Jim Cornette as his manager. Davey Boy would go on to headline
several WWF pay per view presentations including a classic against Shawn
Michaels at "In Your House: Beware of Dog". Davey Boy would also become
the first ever WWF European Champion by virtue of defeating Owen Hart in
an overseas tournament that was televised on RAW and hold the WWF World
Tag Team Titles several more times with Owen Hart. In the summer of 1997,
the mood in the WWF was changing and Davey Boy, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart,
Brian Pillman and Bret Hart forged the new Hart Foundation and battled
WWF Attitude era stars like Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley.
The Bulldog left the WWF after the Montreal Screwjob and moved to WCW,
where he would suffer a devestating back injury in a tag team match with
Jim Neidhart. The Bulldog was fired by Eric Bischoff in a move that generated
much criticism of WCW practices. A year after the injury, the British Bulldog
would return home to the World Wrestling Federation and instantly receive
a main event push, dedicating his new career in the WWF to Owen Hart who
had apparently talked Davey Boy into returning to the company where he
had much success. Davey Boy feuded with the Rock and held the WWF Hardcore
Title several times before his drug abuse, stemming from addictions related
to the back injury from WCW, resulted in his firing after some unfortunate
incidents. Davey Boy would be found dead in 2002 after heart failure resulting
from years of steroid abuse. Davey Boy, despite his tragic end, remains
a pillar of great wrestling and will be remembered for his amazing exploits
in the ring. His legacy is being carried on by his son, Harry Smith, in
WWE.
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The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith began his career in his native England
where he competed as a lightweight and soon made his way through Japan
and the rest of Europe. Davey Boy's cousin, the Dynamite Kid, saw great
potential and brought him over to Canada where the two would form one of
the greatest wrestling tag teams of all time known as the British Bulldogs.
In Calgary, as well, Davey Boy trained under the great Stu Hart and fell
in love with the woman he would soon marry, Diana Hart.
In 1985, Vince McMahon purchased Stampede and the British Bulldogs moved
to the big time, taking on Captain Lou Albano as their manager and eventually
defeating Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake for the WWF World Tag Team
Titles at Wrestlemania 2. The Bulldogs lost those titles to Bret Hart and
Jim Neidhart of the Hart Foundation before engaging in a lengthy feud with
them and the evil referee Dangerous Danny Davis. The Dynamite Kid, unfortunately,
suffered from back injuries and this would keep the Bulldogs off television
but when they returned, they came with a pet Bulldog named Matilda and
feuded with Bobby Heenan and the Islanders, culminating in a Wrestlemania
4 handicap match. The Bulldogs would then feud with the Fabulous Rougeau
Brothers, as managed by Jimmy Hart, and backstage politics resulting from
Dynamite Kid and Jacques Rougeau's open and ongoing physical violence off
camera lead to the Bulldog's dismissal from the WWF just after the 1988
Survivor Series. Davey Boy and Dynamite returned to Stu Hart's rejuvenated
Stampede Wrestling to win the Tag Team Titles before splitting up and having
a very bitter feud. The kayfabe feud of Stampede turned real when Davey
Boy resigned with the WWF and trademarked the British Bulldog name for
himself.
The partnership was over and Davey Boy went on to become a major WWF player
and defeated Bret Hart at the 1992 Summer Slam in Wembley Stadium that
some still consider his greatest match ever. Davey Boy would leave the
WWF and show up in WCW in 1993 to challenge Big Van Vader for the WCW World
Championship and form a successful team with Sting. Davey Boy was fired
from WCW after hospitalizing a man in a bar who had been harassing his
wife. Davey Boy returned to wrestling in the summer of 1994 to help the
new WWF Champion Bret Hart in his feud with Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart
at Summer Slam. Davey would go on to be the runner up in the 1995 Royal
Rumble before forming a team with Lex Luger that was short lived. When
Luger left the WWF, Davey Boy turned heel for the first time in his career
and took on Jim Cornette as his manager. Davey Boy would go on to headline
several WWF pay per view presentations including a classic against Shawn
Michaels at "In Your House: Beware of Dog". Davey Boy would also become
the first ever WWF European Champion by virtue of defeating Owen Hart in
an overseas tournament that was televised on RAW and hold the WWF World
Tag Team Titles several more times with Owen Hart. In the summer of 1997,
the mood in the WWF was changing and Davey Boy, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart,
Brian Pillman and Bret Hart forged the new Hart Foundation and battled
WWF Attitude era stars like Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley.
The Bulldog left the WWF after the Montreal Screwjob and moved to WCW,
where he would suffer a devestating back injury in a tag team match with
Jim Neidhart. The Bulldog was fired by Eric Bischoff in a move that generated
much criticism of WCW practices. A year after the injury, the British Bulldog
would return home to the World Wrestling Federation and instantly receive
a main event push, dedicating his new career in the WWF to Owen Hart who
had apparently talked Davey Boy into returning to the company where he
had much success. Davey Boy feuded with the Rock and held the WWF Hardcore
Title several times before his drug abuse, stemming from addictions related
to the back injury from WCW, resulted in his firing after some unfortunate
incidents. Davey Boy would be found dead in 2002 after heart failure resulting
from years of steroid abuse. Davey Boy, despite his tragic end, remains
a pillar of great wrestling and will be remembered for his amazing exploits
in the ring. His legacy is being carried on by his son, Harry Smith, in
WWE.