My approach to covering, researching and documenting pro wrestling is in an ongoing timeline contained in 90-year, 80-year, 70-year, 60-year, 50 year and 40-year time frames. Late in 2025 as I was posting cards from a 50-year timeline in 1975, I posted some cards and results from the Gulf Coast Territory, based in Mobile, Alabama, it included the tag team of The Original British Bulldogs of Ted Heath and John Foley.
My social media channels immediately lit up with questions and surprise from readers who were astonished that Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were not the original British Bulldogs. The thing about professional wrestling is, the more recent the occurrence, the more likely you will find it, sometimes several times as you rewind the timeline. During my research for the Dory Funk, Sr book, I was surprised to find The Four Horsemen in Amarillo in the 1930s.
The origins of the British Bulldogs team name trace back to the mid-1970s to a pair of rugged British grapplers: Ted Heath and John Foley. Active primarily in the mid-1970s American regional territories, this original incarnation of the British Bulldogs blended traditional British catch-as-catch-can wrestling with theatrical flair, complete with a stuffed bulldog mascot named Winston. Their partnership not only predated the more famous version but also laid subtle groundwork for international wrestling tropes, influencing the sport’s evolution in subtle ways. This essay delves into their backgrounds, formation, career highlights, and lasting legacy, drawing on historical accounts to illuminate an often-overlooked chapter in tag team history.
