Johnny Smith (wrestler)

This article is about the wrestler. For the chairman of the National Coal Board, see John Hindley, 1st Viscount Hyndley.

John Hindley
Born	(1965-08-07) 7 August 1965 Warrington, England
Spouse(s)	Jane Hindley
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Johnny Smith John Savage Dynamite Smith
Billed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Billed weight	248 lb (112 kg; 17.7 st)
Billed from	Warrington, England
Trained by	Ted Bentley
Debut	1982
Retired	2003

John Hindley (born 7 August 1965) is a retired British professional wrestler best known by his ring name Johnny Smith.

Career

All Star Wrestling (1982–1985)

Hindley was trained by his nephew Ted Betley firstly in Winwick Warrington and then Port Erin, Isle of Man. He made his debut in January 1982 at the age of 16 at Gloucester Leisure Centre, under the name John Savage. He wrestled in the United Kingdom for a couple of years having regular TV bouts with Alan Kilby and Drew McDonald before moving over to Canada with his wife Jane.

Stampede Wrestling (1985–1989)

Joining Stampede Wrestling in 1985, Hindley was billed as Davey Boy Smith's brother, Johnny Smith. He was there involved in a storyline in 1988 where they had a heated rivalry, eventually his storyline sister and brother in-laws Diana Hart and Owen Hart also got involved after Johnny disrespected the Hart family. In February 1989, he began feuding with Dynamite Kid after interfering during a British Bulldogs-Karachi Vice rematch, attacking him from behind and cutting his hair. In May, Dynamite had turned on Davey Boy Smith, and Johnny began teaming with Dynamite as The British Bruisers, feuding with Davey Boy and Chris Benoit.

New Japan, All Japan, and Indies (1987-2003)

In 1987, he went on his first Japanese tour in New Japan Pro Wrestling. In February 1989, he followed The Dynamite Kid to wrestle for All Japan Pro Wrestling and replaced Davey Boy Smith as Dynamite Kid's tag team partner in September 1990, forming the tag team: The British Bruisers.

In between tours in All Japan, Hindley would wrestle the independent circuit in the United States and Canada, as well as brief stints in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

On 10 April 2003, Hindley collapsed prior to his match at an All Japan Pro Wrestling show. Paramedics were called to the Hiroshima Arena and Hindley was rushed to a local hospital, having lost feeling in some parts of his body, but was in stable condition at a local Japanese hospital. The Japanese media is suggesting the collapse was related to the use of painkillers. Keiji Mutoh attempted to downplay this story in the Japanese media but with very little luck. Some believe this incident to be connected to a previous injury. Sometime after the incident, Hindley retired. He was planning to make a comeback in March 2004 for IWA Japan, but chose to remain retired due to health reasons.

Personal life

Hindley is married to a woman named Jane.

Reputation

According to Dynamite Kid's autobiography, Pure Dynamite, Hindley was an English gentleman and a modest personality, as he was one of the few foreign wrestlers that did not negotiate anything at all, letting Giant Baba pay him what he thought was fair. Another story was a Japanese fan made him a ring jacket, but misspelled his name "Jhonny." The fan was so nice and generous to him that he didn't have the heart to point out the mistake and kept and wore the jacket.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • British Bomb (Sitout crucifix powerbomb)
  • British Fall (Scoop lift dropped into an inverted DDT)
  • Death Valley driver
• Signature moves
  • Double underhook powerbomb
  • European uppercut
  • Front missile dropkick
  • German suplex
  • Hammerlock piledriver
  • One shoulder powerbomb
• Entrance themes
  • All Japan Pro Wrestling
    • "Lost In You" by Rod Stewart (1989–1992)
    • "Car Wars" by Tom Scott (1990–1991, 1993) – as part of The British Bruisers
    • "Hot & Bothered" by Cinderella (1992–1997)
    • "Speed TK Re-Mix" by TK (1997–2001)
    • "Dark Angel Theme" by Chuck D and MC Lyte (2001–2002)
    • "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles (2002–2003)
  • Extreme Championship Wrestling
    • "Sad But True" by Metallica (1996, 1999)
  • New Japan Pro Wrestling
    • "Crash Landing" by Tony Banks (1987)

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Dynamite Kid (1), and Wolf Hawkfield (1)
• World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Taiyō Kea

• Canadian Rocky Mountain Wrestling
  • CRMW Heavyweight Championship (2 Times)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him 116 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1997
• Stampede Wrestling

• Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (4 times)