Allied Powers (professional wrestling)

History

Starting up

The tag team of Lex Luger and Davey Boy Smith was formed on January 2, 1995, edition of Monday Night Raw when they defeated the team of Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka during Luger's feud with Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. They also had a series of matches at house shows that month against Bigelow and King Kong Bundy. The following month, Luger was wrestling Bundy when Tatanka interfered; Smith came to the ring to help Luger. Smith had also been a tag team partner and ally of Luger's real-life friend Sting in World Championship Wrestling during 1993.

World Tag Team Championship shot

The Allied Powers defeated the Blu Brothers, a team of Jacob Blu and Eli Blu, in the opening match of WrestleMania XI. They continued to feud with Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. Smith and Luger continued to compete as singles wrestlers, but they teamed up regularly and defeated such teams as Men on a Mission, Well Dunn, The Heavenly Bodies, and the team of Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie.

Ending

The team's success declined in August 1995 and fans began booing only Smith and kept cheering for Luger, and they lost a match to Men on a Mission on August 11. The following night, on a Madison Square Garden house show, Smith grabbed the mic and asked fans to tone down their "U.S.A." chant out of consideration to him, but they refused and kept on doing the chant. Smith deserted Luger by walking away during the scheduled match against the Blu Brothers. During the match, Smith turned heel after hitting Diesel from behind and assisting Men on a Mission in an attack on the champion. Luger took the opposite side in the feud between Mabel and Diesel, as he got involved at SummerSlam to prevent Sir Mo from interfering on Mabel's behalf. With no long-term contract, Luger signed with WCW, appearing on the first episode of Monday Nitro on September 4, 1995, thus ending the Allied Powers.

Aftermath

In a subsequent interview, Smith, now managed by Jim Cornette (and thus an ally to former foes Owen Hart and Yokozuna) explained that he had turned because of resentment at American fans' only chanting "U.S.A.", implying support for Luger only, and how when he wrestled Owen Hart, he heard chants of "We want Bret! We want Bret!". A rebuttal interview with Luger was supposed to take place, but was canned after Luger left the WWF. Smith went on to feud with Diesel and other faces while Luger, now in WCW, became a tweener who only sought the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Smith, along with The Hart Foundation stablemate and relative Jim Neidhart, would leave the WWF after the Montreal Screwjob in November 1997, and join WCW. On June 29, 1998, Smith and Neidhart lost to Luger and Sting in the only match in which the former tag team partners met. Smith returned to WWF in fall of 1999 and was released again in May 2000.

Smith died of a heart attack on May 18, 2002, at 39 years old.

References

References

1. (March 2009). "[[WWE Encyclopedia]]". [[Dorling Kindersley]].
2. "RAW 1995 results". Online World of Wrestling.
3. "Ring Results: 1995". The History of WWE.
4. "Profile at OWW". Online World of Wrestling.
5. "WrestleMania XI results". Complete WWE.
6. "Diesel vs. King Mabel for the WWE Championship". WWE.