Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith vs Civilians

Date: 1981 (exact date unknown)
Location: Canada (exact city unknown)
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Unfortunately very little is known about this incident. When Davey Boy Smith died in 2002, Bret Hart (a close friend of his, as well as his brother-in-law) told a story from their early days in Stampede wrestling.

The year was 1981, just a few years after Smith and Hart started in the business. The two traveled together often on the road and became friends, which lasted for years and the two would go onto have one of the most famous matched of all-time headlining SummerSlam ’92 at Wembley Stadium. On this night in ’81, the future rivals were driving in a car, with Lou Thesz in the back seat. Thesz himself is considered by many to be the greatest wrestler of all-time. At this point he was 65 years old, but still in great shape and well regarded as a legit shooter who knew how to handle himself in real situations.

As they were driving, six guys in a car next to them started causing trouble. It’s not clear if they were wrestling fans or knew the guys were wrestlers, but before long they were making threats. While Smith and especially Hart were much smaller back then they would later be known for, they were both very tough men. Hart had spent a lifetime in his father’s dungeon learning grappling and submission moves, and Smith was a natural powerhouse.

Hart and Smith got out of the car and began fighting with the men in the other car. Even though there were six of them, it’s likely one or more of them sat in the car. Still outnumbered, Hart and Smith held their own, and Smith ended up slamming one of them hard on the pavement.

The funny part was that Thesz was stuck in the back seat and struggling to get out and help, even at his age.

The scene is eerily similar to the incident in Syracuse, NY fourteen years later. Both scuffles involved Davey Boy Smith fighting with guys near the car and slamming them down. Also, in Syracuse, Smith was so big he had trouble getting out of the back seat, just as Thesz did here. We’re not sure what it is about wrestlers and back seats, as we’ve never had problems getting out of them, especially in emergency situations like this.

We wish we had more details, but it’s a cool story involving three bonafide legends in a situation where they were outnumbered and still held their own.