When people look in the dictionary under the word strength, a picture of Davey Boy Smith
is shown.  He had a very accomplished singles and tag team career, and was basically one
of the strongest men ever to grace the squared circle.  Originally from England, Smith took
sides with the heels and also was among the most popular men in the world.  Over the
years, he made headway in both WCW and the WWF, capturing a range of
championships.  Whether it is technical or physical, Davey Boy Smith could do it.  He held
the WWF World Tag Title on several occasions, the Intercontinental and was the first man
to hold the European Title.

 Smith made his professional debut in 1978 at the age of 15, in Leeds, England.  He
competed throughout that country, building a fan base, and won several championships.  
He became nationally known in the U.S. when he formed a tag team with the Dynamite Kid
and signed a contract with the WWF in 1985.  The duo entered as the “British Bulldogs”
and were managed by the legendary Captain Lou Albano.  They were the first team Albano
ever managed that wasn’t hated by fans.  A title reign in the WWF seemed inevitable.  
Smith and Dynamite were perfect together.  A mix of speed, strength, agility and science.  
Both men competed in the Wrestling Classic, the first pay-per-view in wrestling history, on
November 7th in Chicago at the Rosemont Horizon.  Smith competed against Rick
Steamboat in the opening round.  He lost by referee’s decision after being unable to
continue.  Dynamite Kid, on the other hand, made it to the semi-finals, where he lost to
Randy Savage before an estimated 14,000 fans.

 The Bulldogs beat the WWF World Tag Team Champions, Greg Valentine and Brutus
Beefcake in a non-title bout during the month of January 1986, but on March 1st, the same
result was not copied.  That particular rematch took place in Phoenix on Saturday Night’s
Main Event and Valentine pinned Kid.  Another televised title shot was granted for
WrestleMania II in Chicago on April 7th at the Rosemont Horizon.  Smith and Dynamite Kid
beat the champions once again to secure the title belts but at a certain cost.  Dynamite Kid
suffered a severe back injury.  They retained the belts through the remainder of the year,
an amazing accomplishment itself.  Smith had to help his partner to the ring for their
January 26, 1987 defense against the Hart Foundation, Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, in
Tampa.  They lost the WWF Tag Title.  The Dynamite Kid had two discs removed from his
back prior to the event, which obviously hampered his ability to wrestle.

 During the Survivor Series on November 26th  in Richfield, the Bulldogs teamed with the
Young Stallions, Strike Force, The Rougeau Brothers and the Killer Bees against
Demolition, Hart Foundation, Islanders, Bolsheviks and Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine.  
The match was a tag team elimination match in which once one member of a tag team was
pinned or forced to submit, both members were gone from the bout.  Haku of the Islanders
pinned Dynamite after four teams had been eliminated.  Davey Boy and his partner were
involved in WrestleMania III, one of the biggest wrestling spectacles ever to take place.  
93,173 fans packed the Pontiac Silverdome on March 29, 1987 in Pontiac, Michigan to
witness the show live.  The Bulldogs teamed with Tito Santana against the Hart Foundation
and Danny Davis in a six-man tag team match.  Their team was victorious.

 At WrestleMania IV in Atlantic City on March 27, 1988, the Bulldogs teamed with Koko B.
Ware, losing to the Islanders and Bobby Heenan.  Heenan pinned Ware in the finale.  
Matilda, their bulldog, accompanied them to the ring.  They lost to Demolition on July 31st
in Milwaukee as part of WrestleFest.  An estimated 20,000 were present in New York City
at Madison Square Garden to see SummerSlam ’88.  The Bulldogs wrestled the Rougeau
Brothers to a time-limit draw.  During the Survivor Series, Smith and Dynamite Kid teamed
with the Powers of Pain, Rockers, Hart Foundation and the Young Stallions to beat
Demolition, Brain Busters, Conquistadors, Rougeau Brothers and the Bolsheviks.  The
Bulldogs were eliminated by Demolition when Smash pinned Kid.  The Powers of Pain
survived at the end.

 Both members of the British Bulldogs departed from the WWF soon afterwards.  They
appeared in Kansas City on February 2, 1989 for the “International Bash,” promoted by
Bob Geigel.  The two faced four-time former NWA World Tag Team Champions, the Rock
and Roll Express.  A 30-minute draw was the outcome.  Pat O’Connor was the special ref.  
Smith ventured to Calgary to compete in the Stampede organization, an organization
promoted by the Hart Family.  On March 24th, Smith beat Don Muraco to capture the North
American Title in Calgary.  He dropped the belt to Larry Cameron on April 28th.

 In an automobile accident on July 4th, Smith suffered a cracked vertebrae and lacerations
to his face in Jasper, Alberta.  In the wreck with him were Chris Benoit and Jason the
Terrible.  Smith would recover.  He teamed with Johnny Smith on June 8, 1990 in Tokyo to
beat Ranger Ross and Mark Young.

 Smith returned to the World Wrestling Federation in early 1991.  He entered the Royal
Rumble at number 14.  Hogan went on to get the win.  Smith wrestled the Warlord at
WrestleMania VII on March 24th in Los Angeles and won by pinfall.  He teamed with two
former NWA World Champions on August 26th in New York to beat the Warlord and Power
and Glory, Hercules and Paul Roma.  Rick Steamboat pinned the latter member of Glory.  
His other partner was the “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich.  During the Survivor Series on
November 27th, Smith teamed with Roddy Piper, Virgil and Bret Hart against Ric Flair, Ted
DiBiase, Warlord and the Mountie.  He was pinned by Flair, and was the first man
eliminated.  Smith traveled to San Antonio for the Tuesday in Texas pay-per-view on
December 3rd.  He beat the Warlord before 8,000 fans.  He entered the 1992 Royal
Rumble on January 19th in Albany at number one, a horrible number to pull.  The Repo
Man attacked Smith on a television taping in Toledo on April 7, 1992.  He was beaten and
strangled with a rope.  Davey Boy was carried out.

 SummerSlam ’92 was held on August 29th from Wembley Stadium in London.  Smith
challenged Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Title in the main event of the event,
which was odd because usually the WWF World Title was defended in such capacity.  
80,000 fans were in attendance and a good percentage of them were cheering for Davey
Boy.  After a classic match with a time of 25:40, Smith pinned Hart and captured the I-C
Title.  It was another stunning achievement.  He had won the belt in front of his countrymen.

 Two months later, he lost the belt to another former tag team specialist, Shawn Michaels.  
The match came on October 27th during Saturday Night’s Main Event in Terre Haute.  
Afterwards, he left the organization and signed with World Championship Wrestling.  Smith
entered the promotion and immediately was popular.  The import seemed like a lock to win
a major wrestling title.  He competed on the SuperBrawl III pay-per-view on February 21,
1993 in Asheville and won over Bill Irwin.  Davey Boy ventured back to Japan and lost two
matches to Stan Hansen and Steve Williams.  Despite the losses overseas, nearly every
publication in the U.S. billed him as a top contender to Big Van Vader’s WCW World Title.

 Maybe the time was right.  It seemed like a great opportunity to finally capture the World
Title.  Smith receive a shot against Vader for the belt in the main event of Slamboree on
May 23rd in Atlanta.  He won by disqualification, but the title did not change hands.  During
the Clash of the Champions XXIII on June 16th in Norfolk, Smith teamed with Dustin Rhodes
and Sting, losing to Vader, Sid Vicious and Rick Rude.  Smith and Sting teamed to beat the
“Masters of the Powerbomb,” Vader and Sid Vicious in Biloxi on July 18, 1993.  He pinned
the World Champion, Vader at 16:44 to win the match.

 The win offered more proof that Smith had the abilities to capture the top prize in WCW
and he remained the number one contender.  He participated in War Games during Fall
Brawl on September 19th in Houston.  Smith, Sting, Rhodes and Shockmaster beat Harlem
Heat, Vicious and Vader.  On October 24th in New Orleans, Smith wrestled WCW World TV
Champion, Lord Steven Regal to a 15-minute draw.  During a tour of Great Britain in late
October ’93, he received several shots at the World Title against Vader.  The best he
could muster were disqualification victories.  He teamed with Sting and lost to the World
Tag Team Champions, The Nasty Boys, on the 10th of November in St. Petersburg, after
being attacked by Rude.  The International World Champion delivered his famous
neckbreaker in the aisleway, setting him and Sting up for failure as Smith was pinned to
end the title encounter.  He teamed with Kole of Harlem Heat during the Lethal Lottery on
November 20th in Pensacola and lost to Road Warrior Hawk and Rip Rogers.  Soon after,
he left WCW.

 Smith returned to the WWF in 1994 and aligned himself with Bret Hart in his battles with
brother-in-law Owen.  At the Survivor Series in San Antonio on November 23rd, Smith
teamed with Razor Ramon, the Headshrinkers and the 1-2-3 Kid.  Their opponents were
Owen, Shawn Michaels, Jim Neidhart, Diesel and Jeff Jarrett.  He was counted out and
eliminated.  When it was all said and done, Razor Ramon was the sole survivor.  On
January 22, 1995, he competed in the Royal Rumble in Tampa before an estimated 10,000
fans.  Smith entered the ring at number two after the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels.  
Proving that he could handle the event, Smith lasted until the very end.  28 wrestlers went
by.  In the finals, he was eliminated by Michaels at the 38:40 mark.  It was another historic
performance.

 He formed a tag team with Lex Luger named the Allied Powers.  America and Great
Britain coming together and it seemed fitting that the two would capture the World Tag
Title.  On April 2nd at WrestleMania, the Powers defeated the Blu Brothers.  He got the
winning pin on Jacob.  They received a pay-per-view World Tag Team Title shot on July
23rd in Nashville against Yokozuna and Owen Hart.  Yokozuna pinned Luger.  During the
fall, Smith turned on the fans and joined Jim Cornette’s stable.  The manager substituted
Smith for Owen in a WWF World Tag Team Title defense with Yokozuna on September
24th against Diesel and Shawn Michaels.  Owen Hart later ran out and joined the fight, and
was pinned by Diesel to lose the belts.  Cornette hired a lawyer to dispute the situation and
a day later, they were returned to the former champs.

 Officials signed Smith to wrestle Diesel for the WWF World Title on October 22nd.  He
won by disqualification after being attacked by Bret Hart, who was doing commentary at
ringside.  On Sunday, November 19th in Landover, Smith was forced to team with Sid
Vicious, Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson in a wild card match against Owen Hart,
Yokozuna, Razor Ramon and Dean Douglas.  He worked with Hart and Yokozuna during
the bout, remaining true to his crew.  Later, he pinned Ramon and survived when the final
bell rang.

 At the fifth In Your Hose, Smith received a World Title shot against Bret Hart.  He was
defeated.  In a complete opposite from a year before, he entered the 1996 Royal Rumble
at number 29 in Fresno.  Shawn Michaels ended up winning.  Smith battled former World
Champion Yokozuna on February 18th and lost by disqualification after Vader interfered.  
During WrestleMania in Anaheim, Smith teamed with Owen and Vader to beat Ahmed
Johnson, Jake Roberts and Yokozuna.  Where they had feuded earlier, Smith formed a tag
team with Owen Hart.  The two beat Johnson and Roberts on April 28th at In Your House
VII.  He forced Roberts to submit.  Along with his wife, Diana Smith, Davey Boy joined
Cornette and Michaels for an interview segment with Vince McMahon during a live edition
of Raw on April 29th.  Cornette claimed that Michaels wanted Diana for himself and names
were called.  Diana slapped Michaels and then Davey Boy jumped him.  The attack
elevated Smith to the number one contender spot and earned him a future World Title
shot.  He drew with Michaels in a title match on May 26th in Florence, South Carolina at In
Your House.

 A rematch was signed for the King of the Ring show on June 23, 1996 at Milwaukee’s
Mecca Arena.  Michaels pinned Smith to retain his belt.  On July 21st, Smith, Owen and
Vader beat Michaels, Johnson and Sid Vicious in a six-man tag bout.  Vader pinned
Michaels.  He wrestled Vicious during SummerSlam on August 18, 1996 in Cleveland and
lost by pinfall.  The Intercontinental Title was declared vacant and a tournament was
scheduled.  Smith saw an opportunity to regain the belt.  He wrestled his first round match-
up against Owen Hart the night after the pay-per-view during Raw.  Sunny was involved
and Smith was eventually counted out.  Thus, eliminated from the tourney.  Smith had
been splashed with a cup full of liquid, whatever it was.  It didn’t even matter.  The
tournament continued without him.

 Smith went to Toronto for a card at CNE Stadium on August 24th.  Smith and Owen Hart
wrestled the Smokin’ Gunns for the WWF Tag Championship.  They won by disqualification
before 21,000 fans.  On September 22nd, Smith and Owen beat the Gunns for the WWF
World Tag Title.  After some controversy and the help of Clarence Mason, Cornette’s legal
advisor and assistant manager, Smith and Owen retained control of the belts.  They began
a long reign as champs.  Smith and Hart beat the Gunns in a rematch on October 20th.  In
New York at the Survivor Series on November 17th, Smith, Owen and the New Rockers lost
an elimination match to the Godwinns, Phil Lafon and Doug Furnas.  On December 15th,
the champions retained over the New Razor Ramon and the New Diesel.  Davey Boy
pinned the New Ramon.  He lost to Rocky Maivia Jr. by countout on January 13, 1997 in a
wild match.  They lost to Furnas and Lafon on January 21st in Toronto before an estimated
25,000 fans by countout.  Smith and Hart lost to the same duo on February 16th by
disqualification, but still remained the tag champions.

 In an attempt to appeal to fans in Europe, WWF Organizers scheduled a tournament to
determine an initial WWF European Heavyweight Champion.  Smith advanced to the finals
against his tag team partner, Owen Hart.  Their match was held on February 26th in Berlin,
Germany.  Smith beat Hart and became the first champion.  The two were ready to feud
when Bret stepped in.  Bret Hart also organized the new “Hart Foundation” and brought in
Jim Neidhart and Brian Pillman.  Smith and Owen received a stiff change from Vader and
Mankind in Chicago on March 23rd during WrestleMania.  The four wrestlers battled to a
double-countout.  The tag team scene in the WWF was getting even stronger.  On April
20th, former AWA, NWA and WWF World Tag Team Champions, the Legion of Doom
challenged Smith and Hart for the belts.  They lost by disqualification.

 Smith and Hart lost again by disqualification on May 11th to Animal and Hawk.  During
Raw on May 26th, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels teamed to win the tag championship.  
Smith joined Owen and Neidhart on June 8th in Providence, winning over the Legion of
Doom and Sid Vicious.  During In Your House XVI, Smith, Owen, Pillman, Neidhart and Bret
Hart wrestled Goldust, Austin, Ken Shamrock, Hawk and Animal.  Owen pinned Austin to
win the bout.  He battled Ken Shamrock over the European Title all over the country.  The
two engaged in many memorable contests, but Smith retained control of the title.  On
August 3rd at SummerSlam in New Jersey, Smith beat Shamrock by disqualification.  He
reformed his team with Owen Hart on September 7th in a vacant WWF Tag match at
Ground Zero.  They lost out to the Headbangers.

 In a controversial situation backstage, Smith lost the European Title to Shawn Michaels in
Birmingham, England on September 20th.  The loss came in front of a home country
audience, which was problematic to many.  Smith teamed with Bret Hart to beat the Patriot
and Vader on October 5th.  The tag match was a special “Flag” Match.

 November 9, 1997 would add to the growing controversy surrounding the Hart
Foundation and the World Wrestling Federation.  The date would mark the annual Survivor
Series event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Molsen Center.  Smith was apart of
Team Canada with Neidhart, Doug Furnas and Phil Lafon against Team U.S.A., which was
led by Vader and consisted of Goldust, Marc Mero and Steve Blackman.  Smith’s team was
highly favored by the crowd.  In the end, Smith pinned Vader to win the match.

 Later that night, Smith’s brother-in-law, Bret Hart wrestled Shawn Michaels in defense of
his WWF World Title.  The bout turned out to be one of the most controversial matches in
the sport’s history.  Smith accompanied Hart to the aisleway as protection with Neidhart.  
The bout began quite a long time after the two began fighting.  Honor was on the line,
although many were not sure what page they each were on.  According to some, they were
supposed to be on the same line throughout.  In the end, Michaels locked Hart in a
sharpshooter submission hold.  The referee and Vince McMahon called for the bell and the
title changed hands.  Hart hadn’t given up.  Along with the loss, the “Hitman” left the WWF,
an organization he had given so much to.

 Smith would later follow the same path.  He returned to World Championship Wrestling,
along with Neidhart.  The 1998-’99 tour was not as successful as his first.

 During the fall of ’99, Davey Boy returned to the WWF.  Rather than sit back and see
what was happening around him, Davey Boy immediately jumped back into the big time.  
He won the WWF World Hardcore Title from the Big Bossman in Albany on September 7,
1999.  He proceeded to give the belt to Al Snow.  Smith was one of six-men to compete in a
vacant WWF World Title match on September 26th in Charlotte.  Smith faced Mankind,
Hunter Hearst Helmsley, The Rock, Kane and the Big Show.  Helmsley captured the belt.  
He made an appearance at the Rebellion pay-per-view in the United Kingdom.  Smith beat
X-Pac, but it was the out-of-the-ring actions that caused a problem.  He got in an argument
with Vince McMahon and tossed a trash can at Stephanie, Vince’s daughter.  She was laid
out with a concussion and rushed to a local hospital.

 On October 4th, during a live edition of Raw in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Smith went
to the ring and spoke to the crowd.  Chyna went to the ring and challenged him to a
match.  He accepted.  During the bout, he received some outside help from Jeff Jarrett,
and beat Chyna.  Vince McMahon went out and demanded an apology for his attack on
Stephanie.  Smith denied him and another challenge was made.  This one was from
McMahon himself.  Smith ran out and attacked The Rock after the latter’s match with Chris
Jericho.  He tried to escape when it began to look dim, but McMahon was there to toss
Davey Boy back into the ring.

 Smith and the WWF traveled into WCW Territory for an October 11th show at the
Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  33,000 fans were present to see Smith team with Val Venis
against Mankind and The Rock.  The bout ended in a no-contest.  Venis soon became an
enemy.  Smith wrestled Rocky on October 17th in Cleveland and was defeated.

 After two years, Smith regained the European Heavyweight Title after a win over D-Lo
Brown in Springfield, Massachusetts on October 26th.  He teamed with the Mean Street
Posse at the Survivor Series in Detroit against Venis, Mark Henry, Steve Blackman and
Gangrel.  He survived until the end and was pinned by none other than Venis.  Smith lost
the European Title to Venis on December 12th in Sunrise, Florida during the Armageddon
pay-per-view.  D-Lo Brown was the third man in the ring battling Smith and Venis at the
National Car Rental Center.  He participated in the 2000 Royal Rumble, but was unable to
leave a mark.  Before over 27,000 fans in Atlanta, Smith teamed with Kurt Angle on
February 21st to beat Chyna and Chris Jericho.

 Later that year, he left the WWF and disappeared from action.  Smith went into retirement.

TITLE HISTORY:
 -British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title (1982) defeated Dynamite Kid
 -A four-time co-holder of the Stampede International Tag Team Title
         w/ Bruce Hart (1982)
         w/ Bruce Hart (1983)
         w/ Dynamite Kid (1984)
         w/ Dynamite Kid (1988)
 -A two-time Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion
         -Defeated Bad News Allen (1984)
         -Defeated Don Muraco (1989)
 -A two-time co-holder of the WWF World Tag Team Title
         w/ The Dynamite Kid (1986-’87) defeated The Dream Team
         w/ Owen Hart (1996-’97) defeated The Smokin’ Gunns
 -WWF Intercontinental Title (1992) defeated Bret Hart
 -A two-time WWF European Heavyweight Champion
         -Defeated Owen Hart (1997) tournament final
         -Defeated D-Lo Brown (1999)
 -A two-time WWF World Hardcore Champion
         -Defeated The Big Bossman (1999)
         -Defeated Crash Holly (2000)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
Davey Boy Smith Wrestling History
PPV Ring Record        TV Ring Record        Career Record
Legends of Pro Wrestling