 Harry Smith |
REAL NAME: Harry Smith
6' 6", 251 pounds
BORN: August 2, 1986 in Calgary, Alberta
NICKNAME: "Bulldog" Harry Smith
With a pedigree that includes a track star named "Handsome" Harry Smith, a former WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion father, the late Davey Boy Smith, not to mention the entire Hart family's influence on his mother's side, it's no wonder that many mat watchers have "Bulldog" Harry Smith pegged for greatness.
After having been in attendance for no less than a half dozen Wrestlemanias and SummerSlam '92 (where his father defeated his uncle Bret Hart) Smith made his own WWE debut in 1996 at the age of 10, when he teamed with Ted Annis (who himself was only 16) to defeat T.J. Wilson and Andrew Picarnia, at a WWE house show in Calgary. He had already made his pro debut, two years earlier at the age of 8, making him what is believed to be the youngest wrestler ever to set foot in the ring for a pro match.
It would be another five years after his WWE debut before his career really began, and one of his early matches came in a tag match for Top Rope Championship Wrestling in Manitoba, which partnered him with his late father, just days before the former WWE Tag Team Champion passed away in 2002.
After having wrestled professionally since he was in high school, Smith would return to the WWE in 2003, working a dark match against Randy Anderson. However, the stay was short and Smith returned to Stampede Wrestling,and by the end of the year, had begun his chase of North American Champion Karnage. By then, Smith could boast a resume that included matches against future NWA Champion AJ Styles and future WWE Tag Team Champion Rene Dupre.
On January 16, 2004, Smith defeated Karnage and won the North American title in Calgary. Just prior to that victory, however, Smith would work a couple of shows for Major League Wrestling, teaming with T.J. Wilson as the Stampede Bulldogs. It would not be the last success that Smith would have in the tag team ranks. He would capture a pair of Stampede International Tag Team Championships. The first came on March 26, 2004 when he teamed with Apocolypse while the second began with a win teaming with with Kirk Melnick on May 28th.
In July 2004, it was announced that Smith would finish college before heading to WWE. Instead Smith would leave Stampede Wrestling and reteam with T.J. Wilson to win a 60-minute Iron Man Tag Match against Duke Durrango and Greg Pawluk on October 9, 2004, for the PWA Tag Team titles in Edmonton. Smith would spend the rest of 2004, splitting time between Stampede and PWA.
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In January 2005, shortly after he and Wilson dropped the PWA title to the Funky Bunch, Smith headed out on his first tour of Japan where he defeated Hiro Saito for New Japan Pro Wrestling and suffered a hand injury that required surgery.
After his return to North America, Smith left Stampede Wrestling, working a pair of dark matches for WWE (defeating Teddy Hart but later losing to George King) and for PWA again. But by October, he was back wrestling in Stampede Wrestling, battling Duke Durango and competing in the tournament for the North American title, where he lost to former tag partner, T.J. Wilson in the finals.
Smith did branch out, however, heading to England to battle Jeff Jarrett on behalf of his uncle Bret, then returning home to win the AWA Pinnacle Title and battle A.J. Styles in an ultimately losing cause in Pro Wrestling Elite.
Finally, on April 4, 2006, WWE signed Harry Smith to a a developmental contract and are expected to bring him up to Raw or Smackdown in June.
--- compiled by John M. Milner
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