The concept was simple, but the ramifications of the bout were a web of internal strife and conflict. The match was a methodical grind, with both participants employing a variety of maneuvers meant to punish and maim. The performers were at the top of their game, breaking away from their respective tag teams to excel in singular combat. The setting was perfect: 80,355 British fans packed into Wembley Stadium to cheer on their native son. The result of these confluence of factors? One of the finest wrestling matches in history.
If The British Bulldog were alive today, on the anniversary of his death in 2002, he’d be 54 years old — old enough to relish his past as one of the bright shining stars of WWE during his run in the ’80s and ’90s. With a combination of power, grace, and charisma, The Bulldog was a behemoth of a man, one whose capability in the ring garnered legions of fans who adored his competitive spirit. He brandished the flag of his nation on his garb, and besides being a hero to his countrymen, he was a highly likable performer with an ability to carry the fans into his squared circle struggles. For his match against Bret Hart at 1992’s SummerSlam, he would need all these factors working in his favor.
The match itself had a built-in conceit: brother-versus-brother; good guy-versus-good guy; Canada-versus-Britain. In reality, the two men already had been competing against each other for a number of years. As part of The British Bulldogs and The Hart Foundation, the two men met dozens, if not hundreds of times as part of the two hottest tag teams in the world in the mid-to-late ’80s. They honed their skills together, fed off of each other’s energy, and began building a resume alongside one another on their way to singles competition.
In 1992, Bret Hart was becoming one of the top competitors and faces in WWE. His run with the Intercontinental Title, which he won from Mr. Perfect the previous year, solidified his place as one of the best in-ring performers in the company. Davey Boy Smith had just returned to WWE in 1990, breaking free from his tag team partner, The Dynamite Kid, to pursue a singles run. Within the two years of his resurgence in singles competition, Smith had also become one of the top babyfaces in the company. After having a short, but memorable and productive run in the 1992 Royal Rumble match, WWE set up Hart and Smith for a collision course that would culminate at the 1992 SummerSlam. The backstory was that both men wanted to be the Intercontinental Champion, but even more than that, both men wanted to prove they were the best in the world.
The stage was set, and Bulldog had the advantage with over 80,000 fans packed into the stadium, all cheering on their hometown favorite. There was one onlooker, though, who was more important to the narrative: Diana Smith, Davey Boy’s wife and Bret Hart’s sister.
Hart, using his technical prowess, took early advantage in the matchup. Engaging Davey Boy with a series of maneuvers like dropkicks, a running bulldog, and a dive over the top rope to the outside, he kept Bulldog’s power advantage at bay. Hart even used somewhat devious tactics, like ramming Smith into the steel ring post, and pulling him up off the canvas with two hands full of hair. Smith, for his part, kept trying to reverse Hart’s offense, turning a clothesline into a backslide, and dumping Hart off the top rope with a press slam.
Things turned around the 20-minute mark, with Smith — even in his weakened state from Hart’s varied offense — using several power moves to his advantage. Several minutes later, both men connected with clotheslines, downing both wrestlers. With the advantage set at even, Hart was able to secure his finisher, the Sharpshooter, but Smith was able to get to the ropes. Seconds later, a whip to the ropes saw Hart attempt a sunset flip; Smith countered into a roll-up, and pinned the champion to a raucous reaction from the English crowd.
After 30 minutes of back-and-forth action, Smith had gained the victory to the delight of his fans. Even in defeat, Hart embraced Smith, congratulating him for not only a job well done, but for giving him one of the finest matches of his career. The British Bulldog had plenty of great matches against the likes of Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels, and more, but never had the son of Britain shined like he shined that night in Wembley Stadium.
Even if he did nothing else in his career, Davey Boy Smith gave us one of the most compelling and riveting half-hours of wrestling.
Thank you, Davey Boy.
