The British Bruisers

The British Bruisers were a professional wrestling tag team that competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling. The team consisted of The Dynamite Kid and Johnny Smith. The Bruisers were created by All Japan to replace Dynamite's previous team The British Bulldogs after Davey Boy Smith left All Japan to return to the World Wrestling Federation and trademarked the "British Bulldog" name.^[4]

History

In September 1990, Davey Boy Smith pulled out of the yearly World's Strongest Tag Determination League to return to the World Wrestling Federation.^[4] For the upcoming tag league, All Japan would pair Dynamite Kid with another British wrestler: Johnny Smith and the two would become the British Bruisers^[5] as Smith trademarked "The British Bulldog" name for his WWF return.^[5] For the 1990 WSTL, The Bruisers would ultimately finish in 9th place with 6 points.^[6]

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.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[9] 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.^[10] On December 6, 1991, Dynamite Kid wrestled his retirement match teaming with Smith to defeat Johnny Ace and Sonny Beach.^[9]

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.^[3][9] Dynamite would continue to wrestle in his native England between January to April 1994.^[11] 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^[9] before needing to use a wheelchair.^[4]

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^[8] and winning the Unified World Tag Team Championship in 2001 with Taiyo Kea^[12] before eventually retiring after a much-publicized April 2003 hospitalization.^[2]

In wrestling

• Dynamite Kid
  • Diving Dynamite Swan dive headbutt^[13][14][15]
  • Kneeling belly to belly piledriver,^[15] sometimes while hooking the opponent's leg^[14]
  • Superplex^[15] – innovated

• Johnny Smith

• British Bomb (Sitout crucifix powerbomb)^[15]
• British Fall (Scoop lift dropped into an inverted DDT)^[16]
• Death Valley driver^[15]

• Entrance themes

• "Car Wars" by Tom Scott

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time)

• Tokyo Sports
  • Special Achievement (1991)- Dynamite Kid^[17]

References

External links

• http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/d/dynamite-kid.html
• http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/j/johnny-smith.html