According to reports from PWInsider’s Mike Johnson and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, former WWE Intercontinental Champion “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be enterting the 2020 Class of the WWE Hall of Fame. The report comes a week after another report that NJPW legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger and The Bella Twins would also be joining Batista and the nWo‘s “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Syxx (X-Pac).
In 1978, a 15-year old Davey Boy Smith – as David Young – debuted for ITV World of Sports, often teaming with his real life cousin, The Dynamite Kid. He was spotted by Bruce Hart, who convinced the two cousins to relocate to Calgary and work for his dad’s promotion, Stampede Wrestling. In Stampede, he won two tag team titles with Dynamite Kid. In 1983, he made his debut with New Japan Pro Wrestling, one of the international alliances that Stampede held.
In 1984, Vince McMahon bought Stampede Wrestling and brought Bret “Hitman” Hart, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, and the British Bulldogs (Smith & Dynamite) to the WWF. The Bulldogs would have rivalries with The Hart Foundation (Hart & Neidhart), The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake & Greg “The Hammer” Valentine), and Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik. In 1986, at WrestleMania 2, the Bulldogs finally won WWF gold, defeating the Dream Team for the WWF World Tag Team titles.
In 1989, the Bulldogs left the WWF and returned to Japan, this time working for NJPW rival, All Japan Pro Wrestling. In 1990, the Bulldogs were no more, as injuries took their toll on Dynamite Kid. That same year, Smith returned to the WWF, this time as a singles star now known as The British Bulldog. It was during this run that he would have one of the greatest SummerSlam matches of all time, defeating his brother-in-law Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship in England. In 1992, he was released by the WWF again, this time due to steroids.
During his release from WWF, he began to work for ECW and WCW, before returning to the WWF in 1994. The Bulldog was paired with Lex Luger, to form the tag team, Allied Powers. A year later, he joined a stable led by Jim Cornette, that also featured his brother-in-law Owen Hart, Yokozuna, Vader, and others. By 1996, he was teaming with Owen Hart, winning his second WWF World Tag Team titles. In early 1997, he and Owen joined forces with Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Brian Pillman to form a new Hart Foundation. After a huge rivalry with D-Generation X that culminated in the Montreal Screwjob, the British Bulldog would once again leave WWF, following Bret and Neidhart to WCW.
His career in WCW was cut short in 1998, when he was slammed onto a trapdoor in the WCW ring intended for a surprise appearance by Ultimate Warrior. He was fired by FedEx while he was at home recuperating from the back injury. In 1999, he returned once again to the WWF, where he became a lone wolf, capturing the WWF European Championship and WWF Hardcore titles. Bulldog left the company again 2000.
In 2002, Smith began training for another comeback with WWE, but sadly passed away on May 18, 2002 due to a heart attack while on vacation with his new girlfriend (he had divorced Diana Hart in 2000). His legacy has lived on, as his son Harry Smith has found international success as Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his daughter, Georgia Hart, works for Major League Wrestling (MLW). Smith Jr. recently returned to WWE programming, on the WWE Network show The Bump, leading to speculation this is building to Bulldog’s induction and possible return to the WWE by Smith Jr. in the near future. He lasted competed for WWE in 2011.
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