The British Bulldog is finally getting inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Today’s new episode of “WWE After The Bell” with Corey Graves saw Davey Boy Smith confirmed as the latest inductee of the 2020 WWE Hall Of Fame class. Harry Smith (aka Davey Boy Smith Jr.), Tyson Kidd and Natalya joined Graves on the show to make the official announcement. Smith joins the nWo, Batista, JBL, The Bella Twins in this year’s Hall Of Fame class; the 2020 ceremony is scheduled to take place in Tampa on April 2.
The British Bulldog won the WWF Tag Team titles (with Dynamite Kid) and the European and Intercontinental Championships, the latter in one of the most iconic WWF moments at Summerslam 1992. Smith passed away in 2002 at 39 years old due to a heart attack.
Harry Smith confirmed that he will induct his father into the WWE Hall of Fame, calling the accolade for his father “overdue” but said it’s a great moment for his family and the fans.
Smith’s daughter, Georgia, also posted the following on social media to confirm the news:
I’ve had to be quiet for over a month… It’s been confirmed and official… Now I can shout it to the world!!!! MY DAD IS BEING INDUCTED INTO THE @WWE HALL OF FAME! I LOVE YOU DAVEY!!! pic.twitter.com/cQRXNPnhEj
— Georgia Joyce Smith (@georgiasmith87) March 12, 2020
The new episode of WWE After The Bell can be heard here.
WWE’s official announcement is below:
Smith first broke into the squared circle as a teenager in his home country of England, competing alongside his cousin, Dynamite Kid. The two Brits soon caught the eye of The Hart Family, who brought them to Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling. There, Smith and Dynamite grew as competitors, both as rivals and tag team partners.
Known as The British Bulldogs, the two quickly became one of the most impressive tag teams in the world. Smith’s raw power was the perfect complement to Dynamite Kid’s speed and precision. The two debuted in WWE in 1984 and quickly became one of the WWE Universe’s most beloved tandems as they engaged in a rivalry with The Hart Foundation. At WrestleMania 2, with heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne in their corner, The Bulldogs defeated The Dream Team to capture the World Tag Team Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
At the tail end of the 1980s, Smith & Dynamite Kid left WWE to compete internationally, but Smith returned in 1990. Competing as The British Bulldog, he once again became immensely popular with the WWE Universe, this time as a singles competitor. Bulldog’s return to WWE was highlighted by two huge victories in his homeland. First, he outlasted 19 other Superstars to win a 1991 Battle Royal in London’s Royal Albert Hall. One year later, in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, he defeated Bret “Hit Man” Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1992 in what is widely regarded as one of WWE’s finest matches.
The British Bulldog would continue to be a globally renowned Superstar throughout the 1990s with stints in WCW as well as WWE, where he became the first-ever WWE European Champion, Hardcore Champion and held the World Tag Team Championship once again, this time with Owen Hart.
Although British Bulldog passed away in 2002, his impact on WWE cannot be denied, and he is more than deserving of enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame!
Don’t miss British Bulldog take his place in sports-entertainment history at the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and streaming live on WWE Network!
