British Bruisers

Last updated
British Bruisers
Tag team
Members Dynamite Kid
Johnny Smith
Name(s)British Bruisers
The New British Bulldogs [1] [2]
The British Bulldogs [3]
Billed heights1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)-Dynamite
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)-Smith [4]
Combined
billed weight		214 kg (472 lb)
Billed from England
DebutMay 5, 1989
DisbandedDecember 6, 1991 (full-time) [5]
July 29, 1993 (last match) [5]

The British Bruisers were a professional wrestling tag team who competed in Stampede Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. The team consisted of The Dynamite Kid and Johnny Smith. The Bruisers were created by Stampede Wrestling as part of a promotional angle in which Kid turned heel on longtime tag partner Davey Boy Smith. [6]

Contents

History

Dynamite Kid and Johnny Smith formed The British Bruisers in Stampede Wrestling in May 1989, after the breakup of The British Bulldogs, feuding with Davey Boy Smith, until the promotion's closure in December 1989. In September 1990, Davey Boy Smith pulled out of the yearly World's Strongest Tag Determination League to return to the World Wrestling Federation. [7] For the upcoming tag league, The British Bruisers reunited, for the 1990 WSTL, and they would ultimately finish in 9th place with 6 points. [8]

For the rest of 1990 and all of 1991, The Bruisers continued to team in All Japan. For the most part, the Bruisers were used in the midcard and never made challenges for the World Tag Team Championship. [9] On April 6, 1991, the team won their only title when they defeated Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi to win the vacated All Asia Tag Team Championship. [10] The Bruisers would hold the titles for 2 weeks before they lost the titles to Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat on April 20, 1991. During their title reign both Dynamite and Smith took part in the 1991 Champion Carnival with Dynamite finishing 3rd in his block while Smith finished 6th in his block. [11]

After losing the titles, the Bruisers would continue to remain in the midcard as they would never win another title and were left off several Budokan shows. [11] In late 1991, Dynamite's body began to fall apart to years of injuries and steroid use. The Bruisers wrestled their last tour for All Japan by competing in the 1991 World's Strongest Tag Determination League. The team would finish in 10th place with 6 points. [12] On December 6, 1991, Dynamite Kid wrestled his retirement match teaming with Smith to defeat Johnny Ace and Sonny Beach. [11]

Aftermath

Dynamite's retirement wouldn't last. A year and a half later on July 29, 1993, the Bruisers teamed one last time as they lost to Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and Jun Akiyama. [11] [13] Dynamite would continue to wrestle in his native England between January to April 1994. He would wrestle one more time in Japan on October 10, 1996 for Michinoku Pro Wrestling in a six man tag team match teaming with Kuniaki Kobayashi and Dos Caras to defeat Tiger Mask, The Great Sasuke, and Mil Mascaras [11] before needing to use a wheelchair. [7]

Smith continued to wrestle in All Japan for another decade winning the All Asia Tag Team Championship a second time in 1998 with Wolf Hawkfield [10] and winning the Unified World Tag Team Championship in 2001 with Taiyo Kea [14] before eventually retiring after a much-publicized April 2003 hospitalization. [4]

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davey Boy Smith</span> British professional wrestler (1962–2002)

David Smith was an English professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the then World Wrestling Federation and now World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring names Davey Boy Smith and The British Bulldog. He was trained by Ted Betley in Winwick, England before relocating to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to further his training under Stu Hart. While training with Hart, Smith met Stu and Helen Hart's youngest daughter Diana, whom he married on 7 October 1984. Their son Harry is also an accomplished professional wrestler who wrestled and won tag-team gold in WWE NJPW, Pro Wrestling NOAH,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamite Kid</span> British professional wrestler (1958–2018)

Thomas Billington, best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dory Funk Jr.</span> American professional wrestler and trainer

Dorrance Earnest Funk, known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., is an American retired professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. The son of Dory Funk and brother of Terry Funk, he was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Hansen</span> American professional wrestler

John Stanley Hansen II is an American retired professional wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Patriot (wrestler)</span> All-American college football player, professional wrestler (1961–2021)

Delbert Alexander "Del" Wilkes, Jr. was an American professional wrestler and college football player, better known by his ring names, The Trooper and The Patriot. Over the course of his nine-year career, Wilkes wrestled for the American Wrestling Association, the Global Wrestling Federation, All Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davey Boy Smith Jr.</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Harry Francis Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his real name Harry Smith. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was one half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions with Doug Williams; he previously held the titles twice with Lance Archer as part of the tag team Killer Elite Squad.

Tsuyoshi Kikuchi is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Kikuchi idolized and patterned his style after the Dynamite Kid.

John Robert Hindley is an English retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Johnny Smith. He is best known for his appearances with All Japan Pro Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The British Bulldogs</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The British Bulldogs were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid. They competed throughout the 1980s in Britain, North America and Japan and have consistently ranked among the top tag teams in history. Both men died prematurely.

PhilippeLafon is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Phil Lafon and with All Japan Pro Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name Dan Kroffat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumbo Tsuruta</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Tomomi "Tommy" Tsuruta, better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for most of his career, and is well known for being the first ever Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and unifying the three titles. He is also known for being one-half of the first World Tag Team Champions with Yoshiaki Yatsu, having won the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the PWF Tag Team Championship, and unifying the two titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Albright</span> American professional wrestler

Gary Mitchell Albright was an American professional wrestler best known for his work in Japan, first with UWF International (UWFi), and later All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In AJPW, Albright was a two-time World Tag Team Champion. Albright was also known for his work with Stampede Wrestling in Canada, under his birth name as well as the ring name Vokhan Singh.

Ángel Acevedo is a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler known by his ring name The Cuban Assassin and for his appearances with Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, World Wrestling Council and Stampede Wrestling. Ángel Acevedo is a permanent resident of Canada and resides in Calgary, Alberta. Acevedo's son, Richie Acevedo, was also a wrestler for many years but retired in 2009. Acevedo allowed Fidel Sierra to use the Cuban Assassin name as well, as long as he did not use it in Japan, which has led to some mistakenly crediting Acevedo and Sierra with championships they did not win.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Thornton</span> British professional wrestler (1934–2019)

Les Thornton was a British professional wrestler who competed in Great Britain, Japan, European and North American regional promotions throughout the 1970s and 1980s including Joint Promotions, Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance.

Nobukazu Hirai is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for competing in All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is the son of former Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance wrestler Mitsu Hirai.

No Fear was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Takao Omori and Yoshihiro Takayama. During their history, the team competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah.

James Rocha is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring names Jim Steele and Wolf Hawkfield.

Susumu Hara was a Japanese rugby player and professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ashura Hara (阿修羅・原).

Masao Kimura was a Japanese professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Rusher Kimura. He was a five-time IWA World Heavyweight Champion, making him a five-time world champion.

Mitsuo Hata, better known by his ring name Rocky Hata was a Japanese professional wrestler who competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1970s & 1980s. He also competed in the United States in promotions such as NWA Tri-State, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Central States Wrestling, & St. Louis Wrestling Club.

References

  1. ↑ "Jericho, Kidd and Natalya Talk WrestleMania 26 Debacle, Hart Family, HBK, More | Daily Wrestling News". dailywrestlingnews.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  2. ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated, December issue, PWI 500 third edition, p.33.
  3. ↑ "Tag Team "British Bulldogs" (Dynamite Kid, Johnny Smith)". Wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  4. 1 2 "Johnny Smith".
  5. 1 2 Kreikenbohm, Philip. "British Bruisers « Tag Teams Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Cagematch. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  6. ↑ "THE BULLDOGS ARE FINISHED FOREVER!" Pro Wrestling Illustrated September 1989 edition - Wrestling Enquirer section.
  7. 1 2 "Dynamite Kid".
  8. ↑ "PUROLOVE.com".
  9. ↑ "PUROLOVE.com".
  10. 1 2 "All Asia Tag Team Title".
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pro Wrestling History".
  12. ↑ "PUROLOVE.com".
  13. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "British Bruisers « Tag Teams-Datenbank « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".
  14. ↑ "World Tag Team Title (All Japan Pro-Wrestling)".
  15. ↑ "Real World Tag League 1990". Cagematch.
  16. ↑ "Real World Tag League 1991". Cagematch.
  17. ↑ "Puroresu Awards: 1990s".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.