British Bulldogs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the tag-based game, see British Bulldogs (game). as the British Bulldog. For the Bulldogs, Great Britain's national Australian rules football team, see Great Britain (Australian rules football National Team).

"The British Bulldogs" Dynamite Kid (left) & Davey Boy Smith

British Bulldogs were the team of Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid in Stampede Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and All Japan Pro Wrestling. Once the team split, Davey Boy used the name, "The British Bulldog" during his singles career.

Both men started off as rivals in Stampede Wrestling and Japan, specifically in the Junior Heavyweight Championship picture. In Stampede, the two had somewhat of a blood feud, as Dynamite provoked Smith by saying he was a test tube baby. This was put aside when WWF bought Stampede, and hired both men. Since both men were British and had many things to compliment each other, they were paired together.

The two would have moderate success in WWF, but were immensely popular with the fans and fellow Briton, Lord Alfred Hayes. They would win the WWF World Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania 2 from The Dream Team and lose the titles to the The Hart Foundation with help from crooked official Danny Davis. They would have many exciting matches with the Harts, the team of Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell: the Killer Bees and with The Islanders; who who go on to kidnap their pet mascot bulldog Matilda.

They left in the late eighties for Stampede again, and had moderate success as a tag team there, but it was not as magical seeing these two wrestle there, as years of steroids made them too large and limited their moveset. They had feuds with the Cuban Commandos and the Karachi Vice, mainly. Eventually they split, and Dynamite Kid formed a team with Smith's "cousin", Johnny Smith.

Davey Boy Smith died in 2002 and Dynamite Kid had a leg amputated and is now confined to a wheelchair.

[edit] Titles

WWF World Tag Team Title
Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Title (twice)

[edit] Finishing Moves

Powerclean lift and Missile dropkick (Both)
Diving Headbutt (Dynamite)
Snap Suplex (Dynamite)
Delayed vertical suplex (Davey)
Snap Clothesline (Dynamite)
Running Powerslam (Davey)
Top Rope Front Dropkick (Dynamite)

[edit] Trivia

The British Bulldogs' match at WrestleMania 2 against Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake was considered a Match of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Both men pulled off their finishers (powerslam and headbutt), and wrestled a match that was uncharacteristic of American pro wrestling at the time. Ozzy Osbourne put them over greatly.