Wrestling legend finally confirmed for WWE Hall of Fame: Details and reaction
One of WWE's greatest stars of the 1990s, The British Bulldog, has finally been confirmed for the 2020 Hall of Fame.
Corey Graves confirmed the news on his After the Bell podcast, sparking emotional reactions from Davey Boy Smith's friends, family and former wrestling colleagues.
Born in Lancashire, England, Smith remains a household name in the wrestling world, and arguably stands alone as the most iconic figure from the UK to ever make it big in WWE.
He was a tag team specialist as one of the British Bulldogs, alongside the Dynamite Kid, in the late 1980s and early 90s, before embarking on a successful solo career having adopted the Bulldog moniker for himself.
One of the most memorable moments in WWE history came in 1992 when the Bulldog defeated Bret Hart, his brother-in-law, in front of more than 80,000 fans on home soil at Summerslam in 1992.
He went on to again win the tag titles with Bret's brother, Owen Hart, before defeating Crash Holly back in London in 2000 to win the Hardcore title. This came just before his untimely death in 2002 - Smith suffering a heart attack at the age of just 39.
Speaking after Graves announced the news, Davey's son, Harry Smith, said:
“It’s been long overdue, but I am really excited… It’s something that’s great, not only for my whole family, but for the whole WWE Universe as well.”
Former WWE announcer, Sean Mooney, who was part of the broadcast team on Smith's most famed night in London all those years ago, was among those to pay tribute on social media:
Equally as ecstatic at the news, Smith's daughter, Georgia, added:
The British Bulldog joins the nWo and Batista among others in the 2020 Class of Hall of Fame, the ceremony set to take place in Tampa, Florida on April 2.