Diana Hart Smith, the wife of the late “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, was recently interviewed by Sky Sports while promoting her book Cauliflower Heart. She spoke about Harry Smith, who is her son, and today’s wrestling product. Here are the highlights.
On how her son is doing outside of the WWE and working NJPW:
He has gone on to become NWA Tag Team Champion and IWGP Team Champion with his partner Lance Archer, who you may remember as Vance Archer in WWE. Harry is now being billed as Davey Boy Smith, Jr but he is not riding on his father’s coattails in any way. He is progressing so fast that I wish I could keep up with him.
I don’t know if WWE really knew what they were doing with him. One day he was in a black vest and a cowboy hat and the next day they wanted him to be doing a running powerslam like his dad. Then they would say: ‘We want you to be your own character and wear pink and black’. I never saw someone go through so many character changes, it was like he was in commercials, not wrestling. There was nothing for him to really sink his teeth into and I was frustrated. I think they tried to make a silk purse into a sow’s ear.
On today’s wrestling product:
I don’t see a lot of performers winging it or improvising. Years ago, people were interviewed moments after a match and had to come up with something while they were still sweating and the adrenaline was flowing; it felt so organic and spontaneous. I’m not saying there aren’t elements of that anymore but there are lots of second chances now with interviews backstage. In ring, meanwhile, some of the manoeuvres I see are unbelievable and so athletic, but I get the feeling fans are waiting for a crazy move rather than watching to see a natural narrative play out.
You can read the entire interview here.
