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 her son Harry Smith, her niece Natalya finally getting more involved in WWE storylines and shared her thoughts about today’s wrestling product:
On how her son is doing outside of the WWE and and his WWE run:
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 Natalya becoming more involved in WWE storylines:
“About time! It bothered me for so long that, in my opinion, she was being wasted or underutilised as she is such a gifted athlete. That’s something she gets from her dad, Jim Neidhart, who who could get out of bed and bench press 400lb with a hamburger in his hand! Seriously, though, it’s great she is being involved more and getting the credit she deserves.”
on her niece Natalya working hard to get where she is:
“She sure has. She learnt a lot growing up with Harry and Tyson Kidd, who she is now married to, while she has always had heart and drive, something that convinced Tokyo Joe, someone who exclusively trained men, to train her over in Japan. Natalya can wrestle, grapple, be a showman and talk on the microphone, while she is also smart, sensitive, clean living and a great ambassador. I think so much of her and admire her so much.”
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.”
