9 Wrestlers Who Could Have Been WWE Champion In The 1990s
2. The British Bulldog
Early WWF is often stereotyped as full of performers who are big, impressive bodies and nothing else.
However, Davey Boy Smith was all of that, and a charismatic, larger-than-life figure who attracted his country, his kingdom, and his continent to wrestling. The Bulldog was part of the main event of SummerSlam 1992, and his win against Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship is one of the biggest genuine pops in history.
That doesn't have a happy ending, however.
As over as Davey was, he couldn't avoid the steroid scandal that affected WWF throughout 1992 through 1994. However, late in '94, the Bulldog was able to find his way back into the company. After a heel turn, he was able to hold his own in title matches against Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. And by early 1997, he was getting fairly over as a babyface as part of his tag team with Owen Hart - so much so that he was originally going to be programmed against then-heel Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.
Whether as a heel in '96, or a face in '97, The British Bulldog was more than deserving at a shot at the WWF Championship, given his look and crowd reaction.