True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

There's no end of dark and disturbing stories from the world of wrestling, that's why I could fill hundreds of blog posts with endless shocking details of events, murders, scandals, steroid related deaths, cover-ups, mysteries and so much more. In this seventh instalment of my Dark History From The World of Wrestling series, this story is another one of those that is both shocking, disturbing and will leave you with a feeling of anger, injustice and scratching your head in disbelief. I am of course (as you can see from the title) going to be talking about the legendary Bruiser Brody. 

Delving into these stories in the past seven weeks has been like an education in wrestling history for me. I thought I knew a lot of the details of tragic events and the sad endings to some of our legends who are no longer with us but I have learned so much more along the way. In many ways I'm grateful to have gained so much more knowledge, but in another way I am sad because the details of things that have happened have turned out to be so much worse than I originally thought. 

The murder of Bruiser Brody was brought to my attention when I was putting together a list of who I was going to cover and I knew the basics of what had happened to him and that was bad enough. The more I researched the more in disbelief I was at the cold, dark-hearted and self-centred way some people can be and this was something that was quite prevalent in the wrestling world. So many people wanted to get to the top and they would stop at nothing to get there. As well as huge egos, competitive streaks that were off the charts....throw in steroids, money and matches and you potentially have a disaster on your hands. Some people get into wrestling because it is their passion, they do it for the sport and some do it for the money, the power and the fame. Some do it for all of those things but what happens when tensions and rivalries go too far and someone ends up losing their life? Is it worth murder?, cover-ups? and money? No, but in the tragic story of Bruiser Brody you find a legend who was taken out by a fellow wrestler, and other wrestlers who covered it all up. You also find in this story an incredible friendship and a true hero who did his best to protect his friend as well as speak up in an effort to bring the people responsible for his death to justice.  

Bruiser Brody was a man who never needed an introduction, at 6ft 8, weighing 300 pounds he was a mountain of a man who was intimidating and could be tough in the ring and with fellow wrestlers, but at home he was like a teddy bear to those who knew him privately. His shocking death at the age of just 42 on the 17th of July 1988 has forever left a painful mark in wrestling history. Brody was murdered and the people he thought were his friends and colleagues covered it up to protect their own careers and further their own ends. Only one man stood up and tried to do what was right and that was the legendary Tony Atlas. He had a nickname 'The Black Superman' and I think that's very apt for him. 

Tony and Brody had a friendship that had gone back years, first beginning in the 1970s when Brody first appeared on the wrestling scene. They were both old school and helped inspire some of our favourite wrestlers of present time as well as helping shape the world of wrestling to what it is today. Brody had earned his stripes participating in many wrestling promotions all over the world, born Frank Donald Goodish on the 18th of June 1946 in Michigan, USA he was always quite stocky, even as a child. he excelled in sports and put 100% into everything he did. At school he played football and later became a sportswriter before dedicating himself fully to a career of wrestling. He soon found himself under the guidance of wrestling legend Fritz Von Erich so to say that he started at the top was an understatement but it was also his natural strength, build and ability that enabled him to progress and take part in various promotions all over the world. 

Brody was a powerhouse of a wrestler but he could also be a diva too, especially with his attitude around wrestling promoters and bookers. It was no secret that he wasn't happy with some of the paychecks he received over the years but push comes to shove, when he was needed to help draw a crowd he would throw himself into the matches. Brody was a popular wrestler and a fan favourite he knew the industry inside and out and had bags of experience he had accumulated over the years wrestling as far away as Japan for some time. He was a happy family man who doted on his wife and son. 

The incredible contribution to wrestling history that Brody has given is undeniable, despite sadly passing away at just 42 he left behind a huge legacy. He had been everywhere from (WCW) World Class Championship Wrestling to (AJPW) All Japan Pro Wrestling, to (WWWF) the Worldwide Wrestling Federation. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as well as being included in the St Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame, Southern Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newspaper Hall of Fame. 

In July of 1988, Brody along with his wrestling colleagues were in Puerto Rico preparing for a show at a popular venue. it was tipped to be a huge turn out with the fans and that was as understatement, the parking lot was packed and there was fans everywhere. Whenever Bruiser Brody was on the bill to perform, so many fans would be excited to see him in action. At this point in his life, he was a happily married man who had already established his name in the wrestling world and had a son who he adored. There was no love lost with fellow wrestler Jose Gonzalez but the two men had learned to tolerate each other (or so it appeared) and both had been in each other's company on the run up to Brody's shocking death. A friend from way back in the beginning of his career, Tony Atlas, was also there. 

Tony was on his way to the venue that night with a couple and on the way out of his hotel he spotted Brody and Dutch Mantell sitting outside of his hotel. When Tony asked them why they were sitting there and Brody explained that they were waiting for Jose Gonzalez which surprised Tony. Tony ended up convincing Brody and Dutch to get into the car with them and head to the venue to which they agreed. The vehicle was packed and Brody had to sit in the front because he was too big and muscular to sit in the back.

When they got to the venue, they took their bags into the dressing room to find Jose Gonzalez, Carlos Colon and another wrestler sitting close to each other but saying nothing, the air was tense. Jose got up and walked out of the room. Tony Atlas is an incredible artist and would love to sketch drawings in his spare time. As Tony sat down he began putting the finishing touches to his latest creation before moving on to a drawing of Brody's son that Brody had requested. Tony was so passionate about his work (and still is) that he would refuse to take any money for his pieces. He claimed that he just loved creating art. 

So, just as Brody had produced a photograph of of his son and Jose came back into the dressing room requesting to have a quiet word with Brody. Tony noticed that Jose had a white towel wrapped around his arm. Jose approached the shower and Brody followed him and after a short space of time there was a  dull yell. At first Tony and the others assumed that Jose had punched Brody in the stomach but it soon became clear as Tony tried to keep the pair apart that Jose had stabbed Brody. Tony explained in an interview how incredibly difficult it was trying to hold on to Brody on one hand and trying to keep Jose away with the other. Jose was holding the knife up in the air (that was still dripping with Brody's blood) and as he swung the knife trying to get at Brody again, he clipped his ponytail. It was a miracle at that point that he didn't cut Brody's neck which was what was believed to have been his intention, he really wanted this man dead. Carlos Colon swooped past Tony and Brody and pinned Jose up against the wall telling him to stop. 

There was no way Brody could have defended himself from the unsuspected attack, he followed Jose into the shower area to have the private chat, still holding the picture of his son in one hand, and his gym bag in the other. There's no doubt that if Brody had been aware or planning to harm Jose in any way, he wouldn't have walked in there with his hands full, unknowingly leaving himself open to attack. The way in which Jose stabbed him was cowardly but also in the way that he had caught Brody with the very sharp knife as he aimed from the side. It all happened so fast. Tony was an incredible and brave friend in that moment and as he tried to protect Brody, Brody clung to him as he lay on the floor saying ''Don't let them hurt me any more.'' Tony assured him that nobody was going to come near him and that he would keep him safe until the ambulance arrived. 

In the middle of the commotion, Carlos (who turned out to be another treacherous snake who was also in on the whole plan with Jose) tried to come closer to Brody to which Tony made it clear to back off, he told him ''You come over here, I'm going to knock your freakin head right off your shoulders. Anybody come over here and I'll knock their head off their shoulders.''

Carlos tried to plead with Tony that he was just wanting to check if Brody was ok but Tony knew these guys were not to be trusted, he saw their faces when he saw them all sat together when they first walked in. the whole thing was a set-up. Tony was determined to protect Brody and get him out of there as soon as possible when the paramedics arrived. Brody was still conscious at this time as he tugged on Tony's trouser leg telling him it was ok for Carlos to come over to see him. Tony kept his eye on Carlos as Carlos asked Brody ''Is there anything I can do for you?.'' 

This was the level of callousness Carlos and the others were at. To ask a dying man who you've helped set up, what his last wishes were and furthermore, continue to be complicit in what was to become the cover-up of the circumstances of this man's murder just shows you how coldhearted they were. Brody responded to Carlos with ''Take care of my family.'' 

Tony was trying to keep Brody calm and stop the blood flow as much as possible. Brody was losing a lot of blood and some of his intestines were visible, it was an agonising wait because the ambulance didn't reach them for nearly 2 hours due to the fact that the parking lot was packed full of cars and fans who were still coming into the venue. The show had not begun yet and people were still arriving so it was pure chaos. Eventually a female and male paramedic arrived at the scene and they struggled to lift Brody on to the stretcher. Tony helped and managed to get him on to which Brody, despite the sheer pain he must have been going through, made a joke as Tony was lifting him ''Don't drop me.'' 

Tony responded ''Brother, I curl more than you weigh,'' When Brody was on the ambulance one of the paramedics asked who was going to accompany Brody to the hospital. Without hesitation, Tony climbed on board but dragged another wrestler (who was not connected to the murder plot of Brody) on to the ambulance despite the man saying that he didn't want to be involved 

As soon as the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Tony was horrified to see that nobody seemed to be taking the situation with Brody seriously in Puerto Rico and this was because apparently, the medical staff had previously seen that many stabbings that it had become as common as the cold. Tony was not a man to just sit and wait, he wanted his friend seen to asap, he was losing blood, time was of the essence. He spotted a Doctor sauntering down the lobby reading a newspaper and he told him to please attend to Brody. The Doctor had a half-assed attitude and ended up leaving the room not appearing to be in any hurry. Tony went after him and picked the Doctor up and told him straight that he WILL give Brody the treatment he needed. With that, the Doctor examined Brody properly and could see that this was a matter of emergency so Brody was rushed to the emergency room to be operated on. 

Tony waited an agonising hour which felt like a lifetime, not sure what the outcome was going to be. At this point, Brody was so strong that he had held on for so many hours. It was a miracle that he was still alive after Jose first stabbing him and then having to wait, bleeding profusely until the ambulance arrived nearly two hours later. a Doctor finally came back to the room and fortunately told Tony that Brody was in a stable condition, his vitals were fine and it all looked good. It was great news and basically a miracle. The Doctor told Tony, that Brody was going to be pretty much sleeping after having the surgery and suggested he could leave, get some sleep, some food and return in the morning. Tony didn't feel 100% about leaving but he felt that Brody was in good hands. 

Instead of going back to the hotel, Tony returned to the venue because he had been scheduled to participate in a match that night with the legendary wrestler, The Iron Shiek. As he walked into the dressing room that had been the scene of the horrendous crime just hours before, he recalled being disgusted at the sound of laughing and cheering voices. The same monsters who were all part of the attempted demise of Brody seemed to be in high spirits despite the fact also that Brody's blood was still on the floor and tiles. 

Tony did his match with the Iron Shiek and returned to the dressing room to see a policeman there. It turned out that everyone there had given a statement, a completely different version of events and a fake story about a crazed fan stabbing Brody. Tony tried to tell the policeman the truth but found himself out in the cold as the others were trying to create a cover-up. With so many witnesses saying this horrific result was by the actions of a crazed fan the policeman could only go with what the majority were saying. It also was revealed later that Carlos was a huge figure on that particular island who had a lot of money and powerful friends in high places, even in politics. 

Tony decided he was not going to back down and planned to make a proper statement himself and take another fellow wrestler with him for added protection, not that he needed it. He probably did this as way of having someone else witness that he had reported the truth to the police. Tony later went to the police with none other than Sika Anoa-i (for the younger wrestling fans, this is Roman Reign's late and legendary father). Sika actually volunteered to go with Tony. Watching the interview in which Tony was telling this story made me smile because he said that Sika (who was also built like a man mountain) was tough and if you had Sika Anoa-i with you, you didn't need anybody else. 

Tony decided to go back to his hotel room but as he made his way up the stairs he was stopped by a wrestler Savio Vega, who was stood in front of him holding Tony's bag. In the confusion Tony asked him if everything was ok and Savio told him that there was a bunch of guys waiting for him in his room and it sounded like they were planning to kill him. Tony left the hotel and to this very day he is forever grateful to Savio for saving his life for they were indeed waiting for Tony because they knew he was telling the truth about what had happened. 

After spending hours and hours walking around, Tony did a lot of thinking and decided that he was going to go to his hotel and just confront them, to hell with the consequences, he would fight for his life if needs be. When he got to the hotel room, there was nobody to be seen. He just wanted to get off of that island. Brody was still in the hospital and Tony believed him to be stable and in safe hands as he got on the plane and travelled home. However, he was later to find out that Brody had shockingly died reportedly as a result of his injuries which further confused Tony as to why the Doctors seemed so confident that all was ok. 

Tony later revealed that he was later told that after he had left the hospital, two guys apparently had arrived looking for Brody and confronted the medical staff. These men threatened the staff to stop working on Brody and the next thing anyone knew, Bruiser Brody (real name: Frank Donald Goodish) was deceased at the age of 42. 

Fans and fellow wrestlers who had known Brody since the 70s, were heartbroken. His family were overcome with grief as one could imagine. There was a pathetic farce of a trial which was unbelievable and just goes to show how corrupt certain people can be. Jose Gonzales got away with the murder, it was declared self-defense. Apparently the jury didn't seem to care that there was a true story to all of this and the fact that they men had lied, originally telling the police that it was a crazed fan. It was obvious what had gone on but witnesses were not even contacted until later. There was a convenient delay in information getting to them so they didn't find out that they had been summoned to trial until the trial had come to a conclusion. Tony, who was the key witness to the whole situation, was not even called to testify. It was a whole cover-up and they let these people away with murder. Jose may have been the one with the knife (who physically stabbed Brody and wanted to keep on stabbing the poor man and had to be held back) but the others helped set it all up and covered it all up too. There was no investigation as to what went on in the hospital as soon as Tony was told to leave. 

To this very day, nobody had been held accountable for the death of Bruiser Brody. The truth has come out and it has spread far and wide thanks to the internet, a lot of wrestling fans know the full truth now but these men never faced justice and a young married father lost his life at the age of 42. The people responsible are now in their 70s and it's highly unlikely now that they'll face justice in a court of law but the public know them and see them for what they truly are. Brody is continually remembered, not only for his shocking death but for his incredible legacy as one of the all time wrestling greats. Tony Atlas is a global treasure in my opinion who deserves to be protected. What an incredible person Tony is and even to this day he has never changed his story of the events and he talks of Brody with such fondness. 

It's such a sad story and another example of how you think you can trust people but you just never know what some people's true intentions are. Jose and Brody had their moments, there was a lot of tense moments between the pair of them but on the run up to the murder, they appeared to be friends. Jose had spent some time with Brody that week and all was well, obviously he was planning his murder the whole time. I guess these heartless men didn't count on Tony Atlas standing up against them and so they ended up planning to murder him too,  thankfully they failed. If there's any justice in this, it is that these guys are remembered as murderers, Tony and Brody are thought of as heroes. To think that Brody was holding the picture of his beloved son is heartbreaking but he loved his family so much and his character 'Bruiser Brody' was so much different to the man he was at home. His family miss him dearly as do many of his fans. It was a terrible waste of a huge talent that never should have happened. In a dressing room full of witnesses and Tony was the only one with the decency and bravery to stand up for what was right. 

RIP Frank Donald Goodish, your legacy continues. RIP also to Sika Anoa'i . I also wish the best for Brody's family, Tony Atlas and Savio Vega. 

Brody was cremated and his ashes were given to his family. 

What are your thoughts on this very dark part of wrestling history? I would love to read them below or by email (jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com)

Further reading and sources: 

- Bruiser Brody | WWE Superstars

- Bruiser Brody | Wikipedia

- Brody: The Triumph And Tragedy of Wrestling's Rebel by Larry Mattysik & Barbara Goodish

- Tony Atlas Interview | Monte & The Pharaoh

- Tony Atlas | Wikipedia

- WWE | Wikipedia

- Jose Gonzalez | Wikipedia

- WWE Network 

- WWE Encyclopedia by DK

- WWE 50 by Kevin Sullivan

- WWE Ultimate Superstar Guide by Jake Black

- Tony Atlas: Too Much Too Soon by Tony Atlas

- The History of Pro Wrestling: And 30 Iconic Personalities by Taylor K Reade

I am nearly at the end of this series, I have two wrestlers to write about in my upcoming posts, please let me know what your thoughts have been on this series and if there's anyone you would like to see me cover. 

In the meantime, I hope you will join me on my Socials and I hope you will come back for the eight instalment in my Dark History From The World of wrestling series. Stay safe and take care until next time....x 

*Please be aware that I will be sharing some sensitive details in this post that will include child abuse, elderly abuse and addiction. I will, as always, aim to be as sensitive as I can be with sharing the details without taking away from the facts of the case. If you have any questions or comments about the post, please feel free to email at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*

From a appalling childhood plagued with physical and psychological abuse at the hands of an alcoholic mother and struggles financially, when Juana Barraza became one of the most respected female wrestlers Mexico had ever seen, it was seen as a story of triumph despite the odds against her. At a time when female wrestlers were still working hard to be taken seriously, Like Chyna, Juana was helping pave the way for strong female wrestlers who had overcome many difficult barriers in their private lives to work their way to the top through sheer grit, hard work and determination.

The future looked bright for Juana, who wrestled under the name 'La Dama Del Silencio' meaning 'The Lady of Silence'. For her build, strength and demeanor it seemed an odd choice of name for her character but nonetheless, wrestling fans were in awe of what she was able to achieve in the ring. Juana didn't just catch the attention of wrestling fans in Mexico, people from all over the world were transfixed with her wrestling abilities and it seemed that she would go far, maybe end up in America at some point? The possibilities for her seemed endless but unfortunately Juana's life was to take another road, a very, very dark one at that.

Born Juana Dayanara Barraza Samperio (shorted to Juana Barazza) in Epazoyucan, Hidalgo (Mexico) on the 27th of December 1957. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, her childhood was hell. Her mother was a chronic alcoholic who basically did anything to ger her hands on booze...even if it meant prostituting out her own daughter in order to get alcohol. Juana's life was a nightmare, a horrendous non-stop ordeal which would shape the rest of her life. She ended up pregnant as a result of one of the horrendous r*pes that she was forced to endure. She soon found herself the mother of four children and struggling to make ends meet when she finally did escape her mother. 

The road to freedom from her mother's evil abuse was not an easy one and more tragedy was to come for Juana when her son was murdered during an attack and robbery, he sadly passed away from his injuries. With so much pent up anger and several scars from her childhood, Juana threw herself into training and workouts. People would comment on how strong she seemed and that she should get into sports especially wrestling. Juana became a wrestler and wasn't sure if it would work out but it did. It took a lot for her to be able to stand in front of a crowd of people and prove herself as an athlete alongside other professional wrestlers but like Chyna (who I wrote about in a previous post in this series) she gave it her all and won the hearts of wrestling fans.

Everything was going great but the pain and memories of what happened in her childhood never escaped her. She may have been able to escape her Mother's evil grasp but the horrible memories that remained were not as easy to escape from. Despite her success as a wrestler she was suffering with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and had never had professional help and guidance in how to manage these painful thoughts and memories. 

In an attempt to block out the pain she turned to alcohol and drugs but these were a temporary fix. As they wore off the memories and dreadful thoughts would come rushing back and her addictions were becoming expensive to maintain. Soon enough her wrestling career was suffering and eventually she found herself turning her back on what was to be a promising career by further spiralling out of control. Filled with anger at the past and anger that her career was ruined, she blamed her mother for everything and the more she would sit and dwell on the past, the more angry she became. 

Sadly, Juana began to look at older women with misplaced hostility, she would see them and think of her mother. Thinking of the past she would fantasize about revenge and she would make herself feel better by taking her anger out on poor, defenceless elderly women. She would cast these innocent women in the role of her mother and she would murder them, often by strangulation. Juana would target an elderly woman and would appear on her doorstep dressed in smart clothing, with a fake ID, a stethoscope (which she often used to strangle her victims) and government papers in the pretence that she was a government official who was there to provide support and advice on how the women could claim welfare. It was cold and calculating how she was able to manipulate these vulnerable women by appearing to be nice and friendly until she had gotten into their homes. 

For seven years, Juana stalked the streets of Mexico City murdering elderly women in what she would later say was in revenge for her childhood and the abuse she endured from her mother. The police found a difficult task on their hands when trying to investigate these murders as any witnesses that did come forward described the possible perpetrator as a 'man dressed in women's clothing'. With this common description given, the police questioned numerous transsexual prostitutes but seemed to be getting nowhere. Eventually they were able to come to a conclusion that the murderer was a woman with masculine features and there was an information poster that was shared around which fit the description of Juana. As she looked like the image she was brought in for questioning and her fingerprints matched 40 of the crime scenes in which elderly women had been strangled. 

With the evidence all stacked against her she had no choice but to give in and confess. She said she murdered the women because of her mother. She claimed that she was helping society by murdering these elderly women. Juana was found guilty in March of 2008. She confessed to just three of the murders but her DNA was found in all of the cases that she was suspected of. She was found guilty of murdering eleven women but suspected of killing as many as 40. She was sentenced to 759 years in prison so it's a certainty that she will die behind bars. 

Juana is currently serving her sentence at Santa Martha Acatitla, a maximum-security women's prison in Mexico City. She is reportedly a model prisoner who spends her time cooking for fellow prisoners, making money by selling tacos and personal training sessions. Despite being behind bars, Juana uses some of the money she makes to help support her family on the outside. She had also said to have had some romantic relationships with various men through a pen-pal service, even been married at one point but has since divorced. 

The story of Juana is a heartbreaking one, her childhood of misery which was so traumatic that it affected the rest of her life. She tried to make something of herself and she was doing so well but the anger of the past had eaten away at her and innocent people were murdered. She not only managed to destroy her career, her life, herself but also the lives of these poor women and their loved ones. It's just a really tragic story all around. If only she had gotten the proper psychological help that she needed but even then, the horrendous abuse that she suffered was something that would never be able to be healed fully, she would probably need intense counselling and possibly medication for the rest of her life. In the poor circumstances in which she and many others were living, it just wasn't possible. 

My heart goes out to the innocent women who were murdered and their families. I also feel for the trauma that Juana went through in her childhood, nobody deserves that. The only positive we can take from this is that she is behind bars and nobody else can come to harm at her hands again and also hopefully there is the opportunity there for her to have professional help for her trauma. 

Further Reading & Sources: 

- Juana Barraza: Article | BBC News

- Juana Barraza | IMDB

- Juana Barraza: Article | The Guardian

- Juana Barraza | Wikipedia

-  Juana Barraza: Article | New York Post

- Mexico City | Wikipedia

- Lucha Libre | Wikipedia

Thank you as always for checking out my latest post, in particular this sixth part of my Dark History From The World of Wrestling, I really appreciate it. I welcome your thoughts either below in the comments section or by email: jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com

I hope you will join me in the seventh part of this series and in the meantime, I hope to see you on my Socials

Take care until next time......x 

 

I'm not going to lie, after spending a considerable amount of time looking back over, researching and thinking about the stories and the lives of the people I have written about so far in this series. it does leave you with a feeling of sadness. I have to admit that whilst going back over the story of The Bulldogs (The British Bulldog - Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid - Tom Billington) I found myself shedding tears. This may sound odd but I was overcome with emotion when I was finishing off my notes about Tom Billington and for some reason or another, I found tears streaming down my face. Did I know him personally? No. Was he an amazing person that deserves my tears? Probably not. As I tried to understand my reaction to this all I can explain it as, is the wasted talent of someone who really did have it all at one point and destroyed himself in the process.

The Bulldogs were around before I had gotten into wrestling but I knew who they were and how important they had been to wrestling history and how they had inspired so many of our favourite wrestlers of recent times. To know of their legendary status and then to learn of what happened to them was heartbreaking. Although saddened by the outcome for both of these men, the story of Tom Billington (Dynamite Kid) was the one that got to me the most because he became a monster in a lot of ways and ended up back in England, living in a council house on welfare. There's nothing wrong with living in a council house (I grew up in them) but he was a wrestling legend and he threw it all away, in fact a better way to describe it is 'destroyed', he basically destroyed what he had worked so hard for and he hurt the people who loved him most. All he had left to show for it in the end was a stack of video tapes of recorded past glories and to me it just saddened me. He was confined to a wheelchair with not a penny to his name and that's all he had left until he passed away at the age of 60 on the very same date that he was born. It's just tragic all the way around, both for Tom and for Davey. 

I was originally going to write this post sorely on Davey Boy Smith (The British Bulldog) but knowing the heartbreaking and unbelievable life and tragic death of Tom Billington (Dynamite Kid) and how these guys were not only cousins, iconic tag team members but how they ended up so close to the Hart family. it's funny sometimes with the wrestling world that a lot of people are linked somehow and The British Bulldogs (as Tom and Davey called themselves and their tag team) did make it all away across the pond not only to train in the infamous Hart Dungeon by the legendary Stu Hart, but they helped put British wrestling on the map. They were pioneers, especially Tom who many (including Bret Hart) have referred to as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. 

Another fact that saddens me (and I can understand why) is that Tom Billington will never be included in the WWE Hall of Fame and as we go along in this post you will probably understand why too. It doesn't make it any more less sad that his name will never be included especially after everything he achieved and sacrificed since he was 13 years old. Davey Boy Smith was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020, Davey had his troubles but Tom's past behaviours and actions were not those that can be papered over so easily no matter how much time has passed. 

If you're a wrestling fan you will no doubt know the story of both of these men and if you are new to wrestling then you will probably have noticed the difference in how fans talk about Davey as opposed to Tom. Davey is looked back on with sadness and fond memories are shared. With Tom, there is negativity and a list of things he had done but who is to blame for that? Nobody but Tom, Some people will make excuses for his behaviour and say it was all drugs but he was a handful since he was a child, the steroids just amplified what was already there. 

So, as both of these men led extremely wild and complicated lives I have had to break it down because so much had gone on with the pair of them that I could fill 5 blog posts just on them alone. In this post I aim to give you a brief background of Davey and Tom, their stories and the tragic endings for both of them. 

So let's dive briefly in to the background of Tom, Davey and what was to become of one of the most infamous tag teams in wrestling history, The British Bulldogs. 

Thomas Wilton Billington was born in Golborne, Manchester (England) on the 5th of December 1958. It was almost as if he was born to be a wrestler because he had that competitive streak in his blood and came from a line of bare-knuckle boxers as well as having and ancestor (James Billington) who had been a wrestler. He had two sisters and a brother and was quite quiet as a child who didn't pay much attention to his school work. He was quick to temper and due to having the male role models in his family being boxers in the past, he wanted to follow in their footsteps but he was self conscious about his size. He was considered small but skinny, fast and quick. Tom never wanted to be labelled as small and skinny. He started training intensely at the tender age of 13 and was determined to build himself up. He was introduced to Ted Betley (Dr Death) who was a former wrestler and Ted trained him for about three years. It wasn't long before he was making a name for himself in British wrestling and beyond. 

Tom was a natural in the ring and exciting to watch, it was like he had years of experience already under his belt but he was still very young. At this point British wrestling was pretty much underground, there was a small following but nowhere near as huge as it was to become in the 1990's leading up to present day. Overseas it was huge and people often look back and comment about how the 80s and 90s were the glory days of wrestling. Tom caught the attention of the Harts and soon found himself on a plane to Calgary to train at the famous 'Dungeon' where the talent he already had was made even stronger. When he arrived at the Dungeon he compared himself to some of the other wrestlers who were training and he felt inadequate as he was 5 ft 7, for him this was an issue and he was very insecure about his height, this would lead him to try and overcompensate later by taking human growth hormones to make himself as big as he possibly could. (When Tom began taking steroids he was reported to have gained at least 30 to 40 pounds) With his performance and dedication to his craft everyone was impressed, even seasoned legends such as Stu Hart. Tom took everyone by storm and due to the fact that British wrestling seemed to be a lot more technical, almost taken more seriously than American wrestling he was able to bring some of that flavour too but had to learn how to be a bit more theatrical as was the usual routine with Canadian/American wrestling. The Dynamite Kid was making waves and it wasn't long before his cousin (who was just a few years younger than him) Davey followed in his footsteps. 

Davey was also a hot headed young kid from humble beginnings just as his cousin Tom was. He'd been having some trouble at school and in his local area, it seemed that these kids had bags of energy and short fuses so it was put to Davey that he channel his energy into something positive. Davey already admired his older cousin and had an interest in wrestling so he started training too and soon found himself appearing on UK TV at just 15 years old. He ended up alongside Tom in the states as he had proven to be a talented wrestler too. 

Looking back, it was amazing what they were both able to achieve in the late 70s into the 1980s, this was back at a time where (in British wrestling at least) it wasn't the glitz and glamour affair of today, it was rougher and not as polished, it was very rough and dare I say it....more a man's sport but when the Bulldogs ended up in the states, they saw the difference and adapted to a more glamorous tone. As the years went on they had widened their experience by wrestling in other countries as well as Japan. The Bulldogs, especially the Dynamite Kid ended up gaining a reputation for having a unique style of combining elements of European, Japanese and American wrestling. Everyone was excited to see what they would do next when they did perform in the ring either individually or as a tag team. 

As well as having eventful careers in the ring their personal lives were something to behold too. Both of the cousins had romances with women who were close to the Hart family, cementing their connection to the iconic family even more. Davey marrying Stu and Helen's daughter Diana a day after her 21st birthday and had two children with her. Tom married the sister of Bret Hart's wife and they had a son and a daughter together. I had mentioned in my previous post about how close the Hart family were and they took Tom and Davey into their family and treated them the same as they treated everyone else. 

With success on their side, beautiful wives, children and a hit with wrestling fans across the globe, all should have been well for Tom and Davey but events, over inflated egos and steroids were to poison not only their personal relationships but their reputations as a whole. In the case of Tom Billington, I mentioned earlier that I found myself shedding tears because I saw what became of the man and the path that he went down. Tom had it all (even Ozzy Osbourne was a huge fan - I had to get that in there somewhere) and instead of becoming a good person with it, he became a monster who's reputation was so toxic that today any chance of him being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is highly unlikely. The guys were never angels, even before they hit the big time, both were known for being quick tempered and competitive but although those traits were negative it's what in part helped them become such great wrestlers. Adding steroids and other substances into the mix was just a recipe for disaster and it caused other people close to them to suffer and eventually their careers would suffer as a result. 

Tom was a bully and Davey would be behind him joining in and this was all happening not as part of a storyline but just because Tom felt like it. Backstage in the locker room Tom would pick on new wrestlers, younger wrestlers, anyone who he saw as a potential threat and on one of these nasty occasions, Tom and Davey reportedly got into another wrestler's hotel room after they had spiked the man's drink with a sleeping pill, shaved off his eyebrows and defecated in the man's training bag. The constant harassment from Tom drove this man into having a break down and leaving the wrestling business. The Dynamite Kid was seen as an icon for so many kids and up and coming wrestlers (I mentioned in my Chris Benoit post about the huge impact he had on Chris who practically worshipped him) but the way he was throwing his weight around backstage, bullying people and then it became known that he was abusive to his wife. He created a very uncomfortable atmosphere and fellow wrestlers began losing all respect for him and he ended up being taken down a peg or two when one of his 'victims' who'd had enough of the bullying grabbed a fist full of coins and punched him in the face knocking his teeth out. This completely stunned Tom as well as humiliated him. People still talk about that to this day, many believing that it was him getting his just deserts for the way he had treated other people. 

Both Davey and Tom had addiction problems, refusal to take time off from various injuries sustained and constant drama caused by them in their personal lives it got to the point where Vince McMahon was wanting rid of them due to their bad reputations and for learning that they'd been taking steroids and Vince was already under fire at that time so didn't need any more drama. Davey who was deemed the lesser evil of the two ended up trying to distance himself from Tom's bad reputation. He may have joined in on the bullying at times but was never a major player he just did what Tom told him to do. Tom came across as a very intimidating person and people enjoyed watching this in the ring but he was even worse in his personal life and with some of the other wrestlers he encountered. Out of the pair of them it seemed that Davey was the one who could possibly turn his life around and repair some of the damage that had been caused. Tom on the other hand just got worse and at one point pointed a gun at his pregnant wife after she told him to leave due to the constant abuse she had endured whenever he was home. His wife and kids didn't want him around because he was frightening. 

Despite the ups and downs of Davey's wrestling career, it is fair to say that Vince McMahon did try his best to support him. I know that will raise a few eyebrows with me speaking of Vince in a sort of positive light but Vince did pay for Davey's rehab and always gave him chances when other doors were closed. 

It just goes to show you how bad Tom's reputation was that people were willing to give Davey a chance despite his troubles but they had washed their hands with the guy who had basically inspired other wrestlers and helped put British wrestling on the map and proved to be a huge draw in the beginning. 

The relationship between Davey and Tom soured and continued to sour. In the matches that Davey and Tom participated in, Davey felt he was the one doing all of the work due to Tom's back injuries where he shouldn't have been wrestling, Tom's behaviour was getting worse and more toxic. Despite Davey doing his best to support him Tom blamed Davey for his injuries and things were just never the same between them. Eventually the pair would cut ties altogether when, after a road accident Davey was left pretty shaken up and determined to turn his life around so he returned to WWF determined to make a go of things but this time without Tom, he wanted to go solo. In what some would say was a bit of a backstabbing move, Davey trademarked 'The British Bulldog' so that Tom could no longer use it and the pair reportedly never spoke to each other again after that. 

Davey tried to turn things around but his addictions were still very much in control of him and more drama in his personal life didn't help matters either. He assaulted a man in a bar who he believed had been making inappropriate comments to Diana and the man ended up in the hospital with head injuries. He was originally charged with aggravated assault but these charges were later dropped. 

After Owen Hart's tragic death (I previously covered Owen's story here) Davey had caused some tension with Bret Hart because he made comments about Owen's death just being a tragic accident. Davey wasn't with the WWF at this time but he was looking to return and Bret felt betrayed both by what he had said about Owen and also about him wanting to return to WWF. Vince always kept the door open for Davey under the condition that he was 100% clean but he could never conquer his demons. Like his cousin Tom, he was very abusive to his wife and had threatened to kill her. He was in a very bad place and a Doctor had told him that he had an enlarged heart. He was supposed to be taking things easy but he continued to push things. 

On the 18th of May 2002 (at the age of just 39 years old) Davey Boy Smith aka The British Bulldog sadly passed away due to a heart attack. His death was determined to be from complications of having a heart that was too big for his chest despite evidence of steroids and other substances in his body. The levels of these substances were not enough to have contributed to his death according to the medical examiner.

Not to play down the tragedy of his death but another soap-opera style detail in this sad and unbelievable story is that Dave had been on holiday at the time of his death.....with Bruce Hart's estranged wife Andrea. He reportedly had two funerals, The Hart family paid their tributes and another one was held by Andrea. 

Davey was buried back in Golborne, England, the very place he was born, so he basically came back home to rest and his memorial stone is a beautiful black monument. There is calls for a statue of The British Bulldog to be placed in his hometown as a tribute to him. To this very day there is tribute accounts to Davey, people like to focus on the good times. 

With Tom, despite all of his achievements there's still that black shadow of his behaviour towards others and the pain and hurt caused. I know there was an episode of 'Darkside of The Ring' which focused on Tom but I have yet to see it. I know the details revealed in the programme shocked many fans as some were unaware of the full extent to the problems as well as the horrible incident with him threatening his wife with the gun. There's just too much negativity towards others that makes one find it a bit difficult to try to find some light in the darkness when it comes to Tom, all I can say is the truth that he was a pioneer, a very talented man but also a very troubled man. He gave his life to wrestling and sacrificed it all including his sanity. Davey passing away at the age of just 39 was so tragic and everyone did all they could to help him but having been in that life since a young teenager (it's unclear when Tom first introduced Davey to steroids but we know they were both young and continued to take them throughout the years) one can only imagine how difficult it was to try and break free. These steroids don't only wreak havoc with the human body, they also destroy the mind.

Despite health problems continuing to plague him and ending up back in England penniless, living in a council house on welfare, Tom managed to survive somehow to the age of 60. The age of 60 is still a young and tragic death but considering how much substances he had taken over the years and the damage to his body he was quite strong to last that long. Tom was also confined to a wheelchair and I know a lot of his downfall was his own doing but it doesn't fill me with pleasure to see what became of him. I just find the whole thing so sad. Some people visited him, he did receive letters and well-wishes from fans who still respected him for what he had done for wrestling. The achievements he made were still recognised by many but what a truly sad ending to an unbelievable story of two young boys who left England and became wrestling superstars for a time in wrestling history. Tom died on the same date that he was born, his cause of death has never been determined for whatever reason but we do know that he was suffering from depression. Tom was cremated and no other details are known. I know it's not appropriate to speculate these types of situations but the day of his death being his 60th birthday, the state of his health and the circumstances must have been incredibly difficult for him. Tom had a vast amount of video tapes from his glory days and it's kind of heartbreaking to think of him sitting there watching the tapes remembering the good times, no longer the strapping young man that he was, full of energy living his best life in the states, living the dream, his wrestling dream and then for it all to come to what it did, it's just so sad and what else can you say?

I'm not a fan of bullies but I think he didn't deserve what became of him. Some people say he had changed his ways and had a different outlook on life. I hope that despite everything that happened he at least maybe knew that there was an appreciation for what he did achieve. 

RIP Davey and Tom. Aside from the dark times, your contribution to wrestling forever remains unmatched and you will never be forgotten. Thank you for paving the way for others with a dream. 

Further Reading & Sources:

- Dynamite & Davey | Book by Steven Bell

- Pure Dynamite: The Autobiography of Tom 'Dynamite Kid' Billington | Book by Tom Billington

- Davey Boy Smith | Find A Grave

- Tom Billington | Find A Grave

- The British Bulldogs | Wikipedia

- Davey Boy Smith | Wikipedia

- Best of The British Bulldog | WWE Network/Netflix

- British Bulldog | WWE

- British Bulldog: Article | BBC News

- The British Bulldog | Instagram

- WWE Hall of Fame

- WWE Hall of Fame | Pro Wrestling

- Golborne | Wikipedia

I would love to know your thoughts on this post, Davey and Tom. If you've made it this far, thank you. As always I appreciate it. I hope you will join me for part six in my Dark History From The World of Wrestling Series. In the meantime, I hope to see you elsewhere on my socials. Take care until next time x