Natalya Neidhart: British Bulldog to be immortalized in WWE Hall of Fame (2024)

I wrote this particular column a year ago, March 15, 2020. At the time I was looking forward to sharing the good news about my uncle, the British Bulldog, being inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 WrestleMania week. As everything shut down, amongst so many other changes the world was going through in 2020, the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony was temporarily put on hold. The great news is, as we approach this year’s WrestleMania, we will finally get to celebrate the much deserved class of 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame inductees.

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I asked my aunt, Diana Hart Smith, what her thoughts were on her late husband being given this incredible honor by WWE. Diana answered: “From the first time I saw Davey wrestle, back in spring of 1981, when he was only 18, I knew he was incredible. He just got better and stronger in the ring with every match. Davey was really something to behold. Fast forward from 1981 to 2021, I’m absolutely thrilled Davey finally is going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He loved his fans, he loved being a part of the WWE Family and he loved his family. He would be so honoured. I am so proud of what Davey accomplished in his career. He will continue to be immortal in this huge but truly hard-earned privilege.”

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Davey’s daughter Georgia said about her father’s induction: “My family and I have been waiting years for this. This is like a missing puzzle piece for my dad’s wrestling legacy. I’m so proud, excited, and the happiest person in the world that my dad, the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith is a WWE Hall of Famer.”

Davey Boy Smith is one of the most legendary British Superstars of all time. He started wrestling at 13 years old, still in school when he started with “Big Daddy” for the wrestling promotion, “World Of Sport.” Ted Betley was Davey’s first coach, who taught him how to wrestle in England. Davey went on to become one of England’s most decorated WWE Superstars of all time, winning the Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, Hardcore Championship, and WWE Tag Team Championship (alongside his tag team partner, The Dynamite Kid).

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Davey joins my dad, Jim Neidhart, my uncle Bret Hart, and my grandfather Stu Hart in WWE’s prestigious Hall of Fame. Many people have said that the greatest performance of Davey Boy Smith’s career was against Bret Hart in front of a sold out crowd at Wembley Stadium in 1992 at SummerSlam. It is a match that inspires myself and so many others to this day and went on to become one of the most iconic matches in the history of WWE. Davey’s son Harry, who has carried on his father’s legacy in the ring, has said about the match: “SummerSlam `92 was such a special moment in time for my father Davey Boy Smith, uncle Bret Hart, and for WWE fans around the world. More than 80,000 fans packed into Wembley Stadium in England to see what in my opinion was the greatest Intercontinental Title match of all time. As a child being there live to see such a spectacle was amazing. It was one of the matches that made me realize how much I loved wrestling and how much I wanted to do this for my career. Bret and Davey were both so popular in the U.K. as well. It was exciting, hard-hitting, back and forth seesaw action that told a great story. The ending of the match saw a counter off of a sunset flip reversal that was brilliant and never before seen. The arena was so loud that when my dad got the victory, he couldn’t hear himself because the noise of the fans cheering was so powerful. It’s a match I could watch over and over a thousand times and still never get tired of. I’m incredibly proud of them both for that match.”

On April 6, the WWE Universe will witness “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. You deserve it, Bulldog!

Tweet your questions to@natbynature

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