Davey Boy Smith was born November 27, 1962, in Golborne, England, to parents Sid Smith and Joyce Billington. Sid and Joyce already had one son, Terrence, before Davey arrived. Davey was born in his parents’ flat (apartment) on Leigh Street, and his birth certificate was filled out by hand — where “David” was written right next to the sex of the baby (“boy”), leading to the unique name Davey Boy.

Although born in England, Davey and his family emigrated to Australia until Davey was five years old, at which point they returned to England. Sid and Joyce later had two daughters, Tracy and Joanne. The family eventually moved nearby to a council house where Davey’s father Sid still lives.

During his childhood, Davey suffered a severe case of measles in his eyes, leaving his eyesight badly impaired. Over time, his vision improved somewhat with the help of strong eyeglasses — though he was reluctant to wear them. He wrestled largely on instinct until receiving laser surgery in his 30s.

Davey’s older first cousin, Tom Billington, grew up around the corner from the Smiths’ home. Tom would later become famous as The Dynamite Kid, a professional wrestler who left England for Calgary, Alberta, in 1978 to join Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling. Davey followed him at 18, starting his own wrestling journey with Stampede Wrestling in the spring of 1981. Both Davey and Dynamite were trained by Ted Betley (Beckley) of Warrington and also trained at the famed Snake Pit under the legendary grappler Billy Riley, known for his brutal catch wrestling style.

Growing up, Davey loved cricket, European football, and Olympic diving. But at age 15 — the minimum age a boy could turn pro in England — he left school to pursue wrestling full-time. In his spare time, he developed a passion for weightlifting, training often with Irish professional bodybuilder Walter O’Malley.

Davey’s first major break came through tag-teaming with British legend Big Daddy (Shirley Crabtree). At age 18, he worked with his friend Steven Peacock in South Africa before moving to Calgary to wrestle for Stampede Wrestling alongside his cousin Tom. The two cousins’ unique style — combining English stubbornness, a Western-Canadian big-man style, and mathematical match strategies — made them highly sought-after performers, especially in Japan where they reached a near “god-like” status.

When Davey arrived in Calgary in April 1981, he met Diana Hart in the front hall of the Hart House. They soon began dating and married at the Hart House in October 1984. Their son Harry was born August 2, 1985, followed by their daughter Georgia on September 26, 1987.

Davey quickly became part of the Hart family, living with Bret “Hitman” Hart from 1981 to 1984 and training at BJ’s Gym, owned by Diana’s brother-in-law BJ Annis. He also developed a close friendship with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, another family member by marriage.

By 1985, Davey and Dynamite joined the WWF (now WWE) alongside Bret and Jim. There were many deep family ties between the Harts, the Dynamite Kid, and the wrestling world at large.

In 1989, feeling the need for a change, Davey and Dynamite left WWF to work in Japan and for Stampede Wrestling. Dynamite returned to England in 1990, while Davey and his family relocated to Florida.

Davey returned to the WWF as a singles competitor. Around the same time, satellite television (SKY TV) exploded in popularity across the UK and Europe, and WWF Wrestling became one of its major hits. Davey’s return made him a household name in England.

The family moved to Land O’ Lakes, Florida, near their relatives the Neidharts in 1992. That same year, Davey challenged Bret “Hitman” Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam ’92 at Wembley Stadium. It became one of the most memorable matches in wrestling history, selling out 80,000 tickets in eleven hours — a record-breaking feat. Davey defeated Bret in under 45 minutes, with Diana emotionally caught between her brother and husband at ringside.

After a brief run in WCW following his WWF departure later that year, Davey toured the UK from 1993–1994 and returned to WWF to be in Bret’s corner during his iconic steel cage match against Owen Hart. Davey and Owen later teamed up, sometimes managed by Diana, and Davey even captured the European Championship by defeating Owen in Berlin, Germany.

Davey eventually became part of the new Hart Foundation, a legendary faction including Bret, Owen, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman, and Davey himself.

Davey left WWF during the infamous 1997 Survivor Series (the “Montreal Screwjob”). He paid a large sum to break his WWF contract and joined Bret and Jim at WCW in early 1998. Sadly, later that year at WCW’s Fall Brawl event, Davey injured his back after being slammed onto a concealed steel trap door beneath the ring.

That November, while still recovering, Davey’s younger sister Tracy passed away from cancer at just 27 years old. Struggling with severe back pain and addiction to painkillers, Davey entered rehab. It wasn’t until nearly five months after his injury that doctors discovered his back was broken and infected.

Shortly after leaving rehab, Davey returned to England to say goodbye to his mother Joyce, who passed away from stomach cancer in February 1999. Despite his own pain, she had kept her illness hidden to protect him.

Hospitalized for months with a broken back, Davey’s wrestling career faltered. Owen Hart visited him at Rockyview Hospital and arranged a conversation with Vince McMahon to bring Davey back to WWF. Davey was set to return — until Owen’s tragic death just weeks later.

Though Davey briefly returned to WWF, he struggled with lingering injuries and the loss of loved ones. By late 2000, he entered rehab again and was released from his contract.

In May 2002, Davey wrestled alongside his son Harry in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On May 17, he spent the day with his family before heading to Fairmont, British Columbia, for the weekend. Tragically, Davey Boy Smith passed away from heart failure on May 18, 2002.

His legacy lives on through his children, Harry and Georgia. Georgia is now CEO of the British Bulldog brand, running thriving social media pages dedicated to her father’s memory. Harry wrestles around the world as Davey Boy Smith Jr., carrying on his father’s legacy in the ring. In 2021, Harry returned to WWE following Davey’s Hall of Fame induction in Tampa, Florida.