British Bulldogs The British Bulldogs were the team of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Tom Billington ( better known as the Dynamite Kid ) , professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America , England , and Japan and is by many considered one of the top tag - teams in history . History . Early years ( 1983 - 1984 ) . In the 1970s , Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith both began their careers in England , teaming up because of their family relations . The two were soon invited to join Stampede Wrestling by talent scout Bruce Hart . During their time in Stampede , Dynamite and Davey Boy began a heated feud as Dynamite provoked Smith by saying he was a test - tube baby . The Dynamite / Davey Boy feud would continue in New Japan Pro Wrestling , where they became involved in a three way feud that also involved The Cobra over the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship . After they settled the feud , the two started to team as the British Bulldogs both in NJPW and Stampede Wrestling . In March 1984 , the Bulldogs would win the Stampede International Tag Team Championship for the first time . In 1984 , the Bulldogs left NJPW to go to its bitter rival All Japan Pro Wrestling , effectively severing all ties to New Japan to this day . World Wrestling Federation ( 1984 - 1988 ) . In 1984 , Vince McMahon bought out Stampede Wrestling . The buyout meant that the British Bulldogs joined the World Wrestling Federation along with Smith ’ s brother - in - law Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart ( The Hart Foundation ) . Initially the Bulldogs still toured with AJPW , but soon after they became WWF - exclusive . The British Bulldogs ' first and probably most well known feud was with the Hart Foundation , whom they knew well from their Stampede days , and thus were able to produce a series of outstanding matches that helped elevate both teams in the WWF . The Bulldogs next major feud was with the then - WWF World Tag Team Champions , " The Dream Team " of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake . The Bulldogs wrestled Valentine and Beefcake for close to a year , coming close to but never winning the tag titles . The stage was set for a " final " tag title match at WrestleMania 2 . With " Captain " Lou Albano and Ozzy Osbourne in their corner , the duo won the WWF World Tag - Team titles . The Bulldogs continued their feud with the Dream Team and also defended regularly against the former championship team of The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff . In December 1986 , Dynamite Kid suffered a serious back injury during a match in Hamilton , Ontario , forcing him out of the ring for a longer period of time ( during this period Davey Boy Smith would defend the titles with various replacement partners ) . On January 26 , 1987 , the British Bulldogs lost the titles to the Hart Foundation in a match that saw Dynamite Kid so debilitated that he was carried to the ring by Davey Boy Smith and saw little physical action . The match would air on February 7 on WWF Superstars of Wrestling . After being given time off to recuperate , the Bulldogs returned to the ring to continue their feud with the Hart Foundation and “ Evil Referee ” Danny Davis ( who , in the storyline , cheated to help the Hart Foundation win the title ) . The teams met at WrestleMania III , where the Bulldogs teamed with Tito Santana to take on the trio . When the Bulldogs returned , they were given a real , live Bulldog ( Matilda ) that would accompany them to the ring and even be the center of the Bulldogs ' feud with The Islanders when they “ dognapped ” it ( according to the storyline ) . The Bulldogs last pay per view was at 1988 Survivor Series . The Bulldogs competed in a 10 tag team match where Mr . Fuji attacked Demolition and joined forces with the Powers of Pain , who won the match by eliminating the heel team Los Conquistadores . The Bulldogs left the WWF after the 1988 Survivor Series , quitting the federation after backstage altercations between Dynamite Kid and Jacques Rougeau . Stampede Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1988 - 1990 ) . After leaving the WWF , the Bulldogs returned to their old “ home ” in Stampede Wrestling and also resumed touring with All Japan Pro Wrestling , where they had moderate success as a tag team , but it was not as magical seeing these two wrestle there , as years of steroid abuse made them too large , physique - wise , and Dynamite Kid ’ s back injury from years prior had made his previously exciting moveset more limited . They had feuds with the Cuban Commandos and Karachi Vice in Stampede and won the Stampede International Tag - Team titles for the second time on December 12 , 1988 . After losing the titles to Karachi Vice on December 30 , 1988 , Dynamite Kid turned heel by re - igniting the feud with Davey Boy Smith , joining forces with his former manager J . R . Foley and his future British Bruisers partner Johnny Smith . Despite the split in Stampede , The British Bulldogs remained as a tag team in AJPW , at the request of Giant Baba . In September 1990 , Davey Boy Smith abruptly withdrew the Bulldogs from AJPW ' s annual Real World Tag League Tournament by returning to the WWF , and fabricating to the All - Japan office that Dynamite was in a serious car accident and couldn ' t compete . Since Davey Boy Smith had trademarked the term " The British Bulldog " during the Bulldogs ' previous run in the WWF , he decided to return to the WWF as The British Bulldog and would send people to the United Kingdom to warn the promoter every time a flyer was distributed promoting Dynamite Kid as a " British Bulldog . " As a result of these actions , Dynamite passionately despised Smith for a long time . Johnny Smith would end up taking Davey Boy Smith ' s spot in the Real World Tag League tournament , and the duo ( known as The British Bruisers ) continued to compete in All - Japan Pro Wrestling . The duo managed to capture the AJPW All - Asia Tag Team Championship , but the partnership was short - lived ; the years of steroid abuse , working a high - impact style and cocaine usage caught up with " the Dynamite Kid " Thomas Billington as he suddenly announced his retirement on December 6 , 1991 . Davey Boy Smith died on 18 May 2002 , and Dynamite Kid now uses a wheelchair .