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.
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 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. 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 ==