Dynamite and Davey , livre ebook

Pitch Publishing Ltd - Steven Bell

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292 pages

English

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Dynamite and Davey: The Explosive Lives of The British Bulldogs is the triumphant but ultimately tragic story of Tom Billington and Davey Boy Smith. Cousins born just a couple of years apart in a small mining town near Wigan, Tom and Davey discovered the art of wrestling as schoolboys. Tom went on to become 'The Dynamite Kid', arguably the greatest and most pioneering wrestler in history, but his short temper and determination to reach the top of a sport dominated by naturally bigger men would be his undoing. The more reserved Davey became a global superstar, but followed his cousin not just into exceptionalism, but into heavy substance abuse as well. Ultimately, the extraordinarily dysfunctional world of pro wrestling would prove too much for the cousins from Golborne - one proud, one naive. Together they became the best and most influential tag team of their generation. But they could not escape their demons, and their triumphs eventually submitted to their tragedy. Dynamite and Davey is a gripping cautionary tale.

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Lucha libre profesional

Wrestling

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Publié par	Pitch Publishing Ltd
Date de parution	11 avril 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781801502443
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2022
Pitch Publishing
A2 Yeoman Gate
Yeoman Way
Durrington
BN13 3QZ
www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
Steven Bell, 2022
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright.
Any oversight will be rectified in future editions at the earliest opportunity by the publisher.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library
Print ISBN 9781801500807
eBook ISBN 9781801502443
---
eBook Conversion by www.eBookPartnership.com
Contents
Foreword
Glossary of Terms
Introduction
Prologue: Champions of the World
Part 1: The Dynamite Kid
1. Doctor Death
2. Stampede
3. Hart House
4. A First Time for Everything
5. Shooting Up
6. New Japan
7. Young David
8. Climbing the Ladder
9. Love is all Around
10. Tiger Mask
11. New York, New York
12. The Age of Dynamite
13. And The New
Part 2: The British Bulldogs
14. All Japan
15. Wrestlemania
16. The Wrestling Classic
17. The Night Patrol
18. Have a Nice Day
19. Inevitable
20. Bigger! Better! Badder!
21. Nothing in Moderation
22. Bad Company
23. The Only Way is Down
24. The Sucker Punch
25. Back to the Future
26. The Dogfight of the Decade
27. Crash
Part 3: The British Bulldog
28. The One-Way Ticket
29. The Indictment
30. And We re Off to Wembley
31. The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall
32. Summerslammer
33. Camp Cornette
34. The Trial
35. Gold Rush
36. On the Scrapheap
37. The New Hart Foundation
38. Team Canada
39. The Thanks You Get
40. Rescue Dog
41. One More Run
42. Owen
43. Crippled
Epilogue
Afterword
Acknowledgements
Selected Bibliography and Sources
Photos
For my boy, Bruno;
At just two, you already deliver a
mean diving headbutt, and you love
Daddy s running powerslam
FOREWORD
I MUST ADMIT, when I was first approached by Steven Bell about his desire to write a book about the lives and times of the Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith, I was somewhat sceptical. Many previous accounts about them have been somewhat inaccurate, biased and sensationalised. However, I was so impressed at the considerable research Steven was doing, tracking their entire careers and interviewing different family members as well as credible sources who truly knew them and worked with them, that I knew this book would more than meet my expectations. He has done a tremendous job of narrating a factual, fair and balanced retrospective about them and most importantly the major impact they had on the pro wrestling industry.
Dynamite s arrival here in Calgary in 1978 and Stampede Wrestling would be life-changing for him. His rapid-fire and explosive offence in matches with my brothers Bruce and Bret, as well as other opponents, saved the financially struggling promotion from going under, and soon it was thriving.
Dynamite s success paved the way for Davey Boy to follow his older cousin s career path to Calgary three years later. He certainly couldn t have gotten off to a better start as he was strategically matched in his debut against Dynamite and they had unbelievable chemistry together in the ring. In Tom s eyes, it was a test of how well Davey had learned from their old master Ted Betley - and he passed with flying colours. Britain s two best young stars were shining brightly across the Atlantic. Steven examines their early in-ring and personal relationship as Dynamite continued to challenge Davey s toughness, tolerance and loyalty.
Having the same teacher and early athletic backgrounds, they were able to successfully blend the British and North American styles and keep pace with established stars like the Harts, Dr D David Schultz, Mr Hito, Mr Sakurada, Leo Burke, Jim Neidhart and Bad News Allen, and helped turn Stampede into one of the best promotions in the world.
In a big man s game which was dominated at that time by monster heavyweights like Andr the Giant, Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody and Hulk Hogan, Dynamite and Davey did whatever it took to improve their look and add size to their frames. They lifted weights fanatically and, like many of their peers, utilised anabolic steroids and growth hormones to achieve the well-sculpted muscular physiques they developed. In the process, they still maintained their agility and flexibility which was a strong testament to their work ethic and conditioning. Unfortunately, it was their introduction to steroids which later led to an excessive use of painkillers and other prescription drugs and would ultimately take both a physical and mental toll on them.
Steven also takes us through the behind-the-scenes developments resulting in the pair jumping from New Japan to All Japan at the height of the Japanese promotional war in 1984 as Dynamite and Davey became one of the most sought-after attractions in the world.
That leads to the creation of the British Bulldogs and their amazing three-year ride in the WWF. With a rapid rise in the highly competitive tag team division, they became big stars, rivalling Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage for popularity and launching a new wave of Britannia not seen since the British invasion of music stars in North America in the 1960s. They had truly achieved their dream of conquering the world and making it to the top. In terms of box office attendance, merchandise sales and the consistent quality of their matches, they are unquestionably one of the greatest tag teams of all time.
Steven considers the humanistic traits and behaviours of Dynamite and Davey, which became emboldened as their profiles grew. There are first-hand accounts of their propensity for mischief and pranks, usually pulled on unassuming wrestlers or fans and often with damaging consequences. This would be encouraged by some people but resented and scorned by others.
We also see their fierce loyalty to friends and allies; the conflicts with those they didn t see eye to eye with; their intense pride and level of competitiveness. Steven analyses Dynamite s role as a leader and Davey s role as a follower; Tom s quick temper and desire to settle scores physically; Davey s protectiveness of others around him, but his impulsive reaction to situations and inclination to be led by Dynamite.
We also come to terms with the tremendous price paid for their high-impact style in the ring as they would each suffer from numerous debilitating injuries. Sadly, this would negatively affect their work-rate and lead to an addiction to painkillers and various stimulants and depressants in order to perform night after night and survive the hellish lifestyle on the road with time spent between shows, hotels, nightclubs, gyms, airports and highways.
Sadly, both Dynamite and Davey succumbed to their ring injuries and deteriorating health caused by years of use of steroids, painkillers, alcoholism, and other lethal substances. The fallout for each led to shattered careers, broken marriages, strained family relations and financial destitution.
Steven assesses the highs and lows of their careers and personal lives through the lens of the pro wrestling eye which clearly shows the transformation from the smaller regional territories to a multimillion-dollar global industry in the 80s and 90s. The British Bulldogs were a major part of this revolution on so many levels, from their remarkable athleticism and incredible matches to their mass global appeal. They influenced so many other wrestlers who carefully studied their matches or were lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with them early in their careers. This long list includes Owen Hart, Chris Benoit, Brian Pillman, Doug Furnas, Phil Lafon, Johnny Smith, Jushin Liger, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio Jr, Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Wade Barrett, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus - all of whom would become major stars.
Davey s son Harry and nephew Tyson Kidd formed The Hart Dynasty and captured the WWE tag team title in 2010. Harry has become a polished technician excelling in mixed martial arts and submission-style grappling.
Niece Natalya (Nattie Neidhart) won the WWE Divas title in the same year and the Smackdown Women s world title in 2017. Nephew Teddy Hart (Annis) is an exceptionally talented yet controversial figure with a somewhat unconventional style.
Dynamite s nephews Thomas and Mark have recently made their ring debut in Britain, fittingly as the Billington Bulldogs as a dedication to their uncle Tom, and show a lot of promise. Dynamite and Davey would both be proud of all of these achievements and we look forward to their bright futures.
Many lessons and insights can be learned from the triumphs and defeats of Dynamite and Davey. Undeniably though, they should be best remembered for how much they contributed to the pro wrestling industry. They made promoters a lot of money, helped establish other stars, entertained fans all over the world and continue to inspire a new generation of young talented superstars. Most importantly, they achieved a standard of excellence in the ring that few others can aspire to. These are reasons why they each deserve to be inducted in every true Hall of Fame both as singles stars and as a team. Indeed, their lasting legacy will continue. This book covers it all, and it is essential for you to read.
Ross Hart
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The fascinating subculture that is professional wrestling has almost evolved its own