Georgia Smith On Who Should Induct Her Father "The British Bulldog" Into WWE HOF
Georgia Smith is dedicated to honoring her legendary father the British Bulldog. It's the motivation behind launching a website, store and maintaining a social media presence for him. Davey Boy Smith passed away in 2002, but the memories of the late WWE superstar remain vivid.
"When I was little, I didn't see my dad much. I referred to my dad as Davey. The first part of our lives was just seeing him on TV. So, I called Dynamite, Dynamite, and he was Davey," she recalled. "Those are my earliest memories. I vaguely remember Matilda. [My brother] Harry has a better memory of her. She wasn't our dog as a lot of people thought. She was a show dog that traveled all over. She kind of just stayed with us. She was very territorial with my dad.
"I remember going to WrestleMania 7. I remember my dad being larger-than-life. I had the best childhood growing up. Kids at my school loved him. I remember everyone adored working with him. He was such a cool guy."
One of Georgia's early flashbacks in the business goes back to SummerSlam 1992. It was where the Bulldog won the Intercontinental championship from his brother-in-law Bret Hart before more than 80,000 celebrating their fellow countryman.
"I remember being at Wembley Stadium in the nosebleed seatsI was four or five then. That was a cool memory. I remember taking the train with my family. That was exciting. I didn't really know what was going on like, 'Why are they fighting?' I wanted my dad to win. He did. That was an exciting moment," Smith reminisced.
"Then going toward when I got older. The Canadian Stampede In Your House. That was the craziest wrestling event I'd ever been to. The loudest event I've ever been to. It was exciting having my whole family there. We all came in the ring together at the end. It was really the last time we were really united. It was a special time. It was the most fun my dad had in his career. As his daughter, that was fun to see. I loved the Spice Girls growing up, and my dad was on the same late night show in Germany during that time in 1996, 1997. It was cool to say the Spice Girls and my dad are like these British icons."
Davey and her uncle Owen Hart had a reputation for pulling their fair share of pranks on the road in WWE. That didn't mean the family at home including Georgia were safe.
"I just remember we were in British Columbia. We were on this lake, and I was on this raft. He was like, 'There is a shark behind you!' I was like, 'Why would you say that! Of course, there are no sharks in British Columbia.' He did that to get a reaction from me," Georgia said. "He did pull a lot of pranks. He was really funny. He had that British humor. Then once he came into the Hart family, my uncle Owen, my mom. They all had such a unique sense of humor. He kind of picked up on that."
Losing her dad to a heart attack at age 39, early in her teens was a huge blow. Knowing he wouldn't be there for milestones like a graduation or wedding can be a hard realization. Georgia admits it made pro wrestling different for her.
"That was his life. Seeing him on TV all the time, I was seeing him there more than at home. Wrestling was home for him as well. It was what he loved and lived for outside of his family. All of a sudden not seeing him there along with the rest of my family, it kind of seemed like something was missing," Smith said.
"It didn't feel the same watching it. Reality set in more later. Like yeah, he is really gone and not coming back. I think I lost some stuff a few years after he died. I went through a dark depression. Wrestling wasn't the same for me. Seeing Harry, Nattie and TJ get into it and how they are carrying the name and legacy. It made me and my family happy. It was like watching my uncle and dad again."
Georgia witnessed practices at many of the Hart family's training sessions. It reinforced the decision to not follow in dad's footsteps wrestling, but she does have broadcasting aspirations.
"I didn't have any inkling or desire to do that. Take bumps, dropdown and again and again. It takes a special kind of person to want to do that. I credit anybody who wants to get into that because mentally and physically it's not easy," she said.
"You have to be sharp on your feet and your mind. I never wanted to get into that. My dad was also steering me away from that. It was like, 'My daughter is not doing that.' I understand. Harry and my dad bonded over that where as my dad and I bonded over movies and things like that. Looking back on it now, I didn't think I should have gotten into it. It wasn't for me."
After much campaigning and social media support, the British Bulldog was announced to the 2020 class of the WWE Hall of Fame. It was a longtime coming in many eyes. Georgia cried when she was told the good news.
"It was where he belongs. My dad was the most meaningful, recognizable and did his best work in his career in WWE. I'm glad he is being recognized for his contributions in wrestling. I believe he is the biggest star out of the UK. It was the right time for him to go in," she said. "As a daughter, I'm speechless. I'm speechless he went in. I thank WWE for that. He would have loved to be celebrated into the Hall of Fame. He is not here for it, but Harry and I are doing what we can to honor him."
The ceremony was cancelled in Tampa due to the pandemic, but the hope is the Hall of Fame would be rescheduled. And if so, Georgia has ideas who would induct the Bulldog.
"I kind of want Harry to accept it. I think that is the plan. I may speak. I thought William Regal would have been a good one as well because those who had history in WCW and knew each other and respected each other. I also thought Wade Barrett would be a good one because he was a big fan of my dad and from similar parts of England."
Check out the British Bulldog website at DavieBoysSmith.com. Georgia's full interview aired as part of a recent episode of our podcast, The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as it's released Monday – Friday afternoon by clicking here.