British Bulldog: Missed opportunity?

[Marquis]

Missed opportunity as in the WWE having their first European World Champion. There were numerous times during Davey Boy's career where he could have won the WWE world championship. Most notably in my opinion was his match with Hart at INY 5. Great matches with some of the best, yet never reached that brass ring. Possibly the only European wrestler who will ever come close to winning the WWE championship. Do you think it was fair for him not to win the title? Or it just wasn't his time? Or do you think the WWE missed out on an opportunity by not giving Davey Boy a championship run?

Your thoughts?

 

[BigBadBob]

davey boy was just before my time watcing wwe/f, but being from london i loved everything i saw from him. i guess i just mark out for any british wrestler, i no i do for regal. but remember, not everyone needs a championship run to be remembered, and especialy 10-20 years ago being something like an IC champ meant u wernt necesarily at th top of th card, but u might damn well be the better wrestler than the guy at the top of the card.
hes still fondly remembered, and i dont think he would have been a MAJOR draw outside of europe, so no i dnt think they missed too much

 

[Henry Hill]

davey boy definately deserved to be wwe champion. no doubt. he got very close, though i really think the problem was that even though he was really over, he still wasnt great on the mic and if he had ever won the title then he wouldve lost it rather quickly. his best work was with bret hart and he never really had another opponent that he worked so well with. he had good matches with hbk during his first run and some good main event work in wwe when he came back, but never really had a truly great feud other than with bret.

 

[rowdy ruben]

i agree bulldog should of had a wwe tittle run. it should of happen in 1999 when he came back as a heel. he should have beaten triple h and drop it to the rock. so many wrestlers who had a lot of talent but never had the big one. hes just another name on that list

 

[crapamaniac]

There was just too many bigger better wrestlers around who could give more than daveyboy could at that time so i dont think wwe missed out, he did`nt have that world champion persona. What Daveboy was and should have been longer was one part of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history at a time when the tag team division meant something.

 

[Mr. TM]

I think that Davey Boy Smith just missed being able to be on the same level as a WWE Champion. Althought his matches with Bret Hart were really good while Bret was on top, he just didn't have that needed bump to get over at the time. Although if the WWF at the time had kept the similar momentum, and nothing major had changed over the while, there was no problems with Bret leaving and Davey following, then I think he had a shot. Similar to Jeff Hardy of now, He would have won the title soon enough.

 

[crapamaniac]

I think jeff hardy also slots into the "better in a tag team" catergory as i dont think he`s big enough to hold the big belt. But vince doesnt think so cos watching smackdown now it looks like jeff`s getting a crack at edges world heavyweight title.unbelivable.

 

[Engage87]

I defnintly think that Davey Boy Smith did deserve a title but the timing just never was right for him. Just think he had probably his best shot At in your house when he faced Bret Hart but Hart was so over and better that he didn have a shot but great match. Also I think his next best shot at getting the title was when he faced HBK at in your house also rememeber when they had that controvsy at the end of the match about the pinfall.. Overall he definintly deserved a title, but the timing was just never right for him.. but he definitly will be remembered he was a hell of a talent.. multiple time tag champ, ic champ, european champ guy was awesome a shame died way to soon.

 

[grifdog44]

He definitely deserved a run. He could have helped the WWF reach a new level oversees but they always felt that they had it. His match with Shawn Michaels was priceless. He could have been a worldwide ambassador and shown that it could have been more than just Hogan. It's sad though, because the WWF missed out on several money reigns such as Hennig, DiBiase, Roberts, and several others.

 

[klunderbunker]

I had this debate with Jake once and he brought up a great point: where could Bulldog had have a title reign? Almost every time that he was getting a big push there were far more deserving options for the belt. If you want to talk about 92 when he main evented Summerslam, you're kidding yourself. That was because the show was in England and nothing more. Are you telling me he was supposed to go over Savage or Flair? I doubt that. In 96 HBK was easily a better option. Other than that there's no other time that he was even near the main event, so where else could it have happened/

 

[jmt225]

Part of me wishes Davey Boy could've gotten a transitional run with the WWE Championship because I think he was talented enough for at least that much, but in the overall picture, I can understand why Vince never decided to push him with the belt. The fact is that he wouldn't have been a big draw. His promos sucked, and he didn't have much charisma. Could he work and did he have an awesome look? Yes, but that's not enough to be a long term champion.

Also, I think it was more enjoyable watching him chase the belt, rather then holding it. In the overall picture, he made a great contender, not a great champion.

 

[GameOver]

He got his back injury not long after winning the IC title from Bret, then his career went kinda downhill from there with ongoing pain, and the whole Hart Foundation saga. That whole heel turn on Lex Luger was a mistake IMO too Luger was useless they shoulda just buried him

I agree though he was a prime candidate for a World Title and probably woulda been the first English World Champ as opposed to English American

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The Bulldog was lazy and a waster. It would have been like pushing Jeff Hardy whilst he still had his crack pipe in his mouth. There were better options at the time, and while he had a hand in selling out Wembley in 1992, tours after he was fired still did the same business. So it's not like he was that important to the company.