It was announced earlier this morning on WWE’s “After The Bell” podcast with host Corey Graves, that “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.

Bulldog’s son, Davey Boy Smith Jr., joined Graves, Natalya and Tyson Kidd for the Hall of Fame announcement and revealed that he will be doing the honors for his father that day. It was previously reported that WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was expected to induct his late brother-in-law, but that’s not the case. The entire Hart Family was scheduled to travel to Tampa to at one point to be there for the induction, but there’s no word yet on if they still plan to make the trip because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been long overdue, but I’m really excited and glad to induct my father into the Hall of Fame,” Smith Jr. said on the podcast. “It’s something great not only for my family but for the WWE Universe as well, and I’m so excited and jacked up about it.”

WWE issued the following official announcement on Bulldog’s induction:

British Bulldog to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Week in Tampa. The news was first broken by the official WWE podcast, WWE After the Bell with Corey Graves.

British Bulldog joins Batista, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Shawn Waltman, The Bella Twins and JBL in the Class of 2020.

Smith first broke into the squared circle as a teenager in his home country of England, competing alongside his cousin, Dynamite Kid. The two Brits soon caught the eye of The Hart Family, who brought them to Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling. There, Smith and Dynamite grew as competitors, both as rivals and tag team partners.

Known as The British Bulldogs, the two quickly became one of the most impressive tag teams in the world. Smith’s raw power was the perfect complement to Dynamite Kid’s speed and precision. The two debuted in WWE in 1984 and quickly became one of the WWE Universe’s most beloved tandems as they engaged in a rivalry with The Hart Foundation. At WrestleMania 2, with heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne in their corner, The Bulldogs defeated The Dream Team to capture the World Tag Team Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

At the tail end of the 1980s, Smith & Dynamite Kid left WWE to compete internationally, but Smith returned in 1990. Competing as The British Bulldog, he once again became immensely popular with the WWE Universe, this time as a singles competitor. Bulldog’s return to WWE was highlighted by two huge victories in his homeland. First, he outlasted 19 other Superstars to win a 1991 Battle Royal in London’s Royal Albert Hall. One year later, in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, he defeated Bret “Hit Man” Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1992 in what is widely regarded as one of WWE’s finest matches.

The British Bulldog would continue to be a globally renowned Superstar throughout the 1990s with stints in WCW as well as WWE, where he became the first-ever WWE European Champion, Hardcore Champion and held the World Tag Team Championship once again, this time with Owen Hart.

Although British Bulldog passed away in 2002, his impact on WWE cannot be denied, and he is more than deserving of enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame!

Don’t miss British Bulldog take his place in sports-entertainment history at the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and streaming live on WWE Network!

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week. It will air live on the WWE Network.

Japanese pro wrestling legend Jushin Thunder Liger is still rumored for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class, but he has not been confirmed. Below is the updated announced line-up:

* Batista (possibly inducted by Fit Finlay)

* The nWo’s Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman (inductor TBA)

* The Bella Twins (inductor TBA)

* JBL (possibly inducted by WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons)

* “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith (inducted by his son, Davey Boy Smith Jr.)

Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

https://twitter.com/DBSmithjr/status/1238111218621124608

“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.

There’s no word yet on when WWE will announce the induction or who will posthumously induct The Bulldog, but Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Bulldog’s induction has been confirmed.

Bulldog passed away at the age of 39 on May 18, 2002. He is a former WWE Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion.

Bulldog’s family has pushed for his Hall of Fame induction for several years now, calling on other wrestlers to record video messages and make social media posts in support of the induction. It’s interesting to note that Bulldog’s son, David Hart Smith, recently returned to WWE programming for an appearance on The Bump, as Wrestling Inc. noted before at this link.

Regarding other 2020 inductions, it was noted that the reports of The Bella Twins and Jushin Thunder Liger going into the Hall this year are correct.

WWE has previously confirmed the headliners for this year – Batista and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman).

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week.

Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 Class.

Source: Wrestling Inc.