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Harry Smith (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Harry Smith is a Canadian
professional wrestler
of English descent. He is currently working for Inoki Genome Federation
and is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he won the Unified Tag Team Championship
along with Tyson Kidd before being released from his contract on August 5, 2011. He is the son of "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
and nephew of Bret Hart
.
He also wrestled under the name DH Smith ("D" for his father Davey Boy Smith
, and "H" for the Hart family
) for WWE's Raw
brand and developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling
.
and uncle Bruce Hart
. He made an early appearance with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on October 5, 1996 at the age of 10 when he teamed with his cousin Ted Annis
against TJ Wilson and Andrew Picarnia at a WWF house show
in Calgary. He also appeared at the conclusion of In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
with the rest of the Hart family. He made his professional debut at the age of fifteen at the Rockyford Rodeo, and went on to become a mainstay of the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling
promotion
. In May 2002, Smith teamed with his father on two occasions, shortly before his father died. Smith was offered a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment in the summer of 2004, but opted to attend college and wrestle in Japan before signing.
In 2004, Smith began teaming with TJ Wilson as the "Stampede Bulldogs", a reference to the "British Bulldogs
", the tag team
composed of his father and his second cousin the Dynamite Kid
. In the same year, Smith formed a stable known as The Hart Foundation Version 2.0 with Wilson, Jack Evans
, and Teddy Hart
. The Hart Foundation Version 2.0 initially performed in Stampede Wrestling before expanding to the United States
, where they competed in Major League Wrestling
.
, wrestling with New Japan Pro Wrestling
as "Black Assassin" and suffered a broken hand in the process. Later that year, Smith left Stampede Wrestling and wrestled several dark matches for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), before embarking upon a second tour of Japan. He returned to Stampede Wrestling in October 2005, and on November 25, 2005 was defeated by T.J. Wilson in the finals of a tournament for the vacant North American Heavyweight Championship.
Smith traveled to England
in January 2006, appearing with One Pro Wrestling
at No Turning Back on January 6, 2006. Smith was billed as the mystery opponent of NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Jeff Jarrett
, ostensibly hand-picked by his uncle, Bret Hart
.
. While there, Smith met with WWE executives, John Laurinaitis
and Carl DeMarco, and signed a developmental contract with on April 4, 2006. He wrestled dark matches for the company before his debut, defeating wrestlers like Rob Conway and Mike Knox
, and losing to Randy Orton
.
Harry debuted in Ohio Valley Wrestling
(OVW), at the February 14, 2007 television tapings, in a tag team match with Kofi Nahaje Kingston
, in which they defeated The Belgium Brawler and Nicholas Sinn
. At the following taping, the duo of Harry and Kofi became collectively known as the Commonwealth Connection and faced La Résistance in a losing effort. Smith was then sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he reformed the "Stampede Bulldogs" with T.J. Wilson.
After WWE ended its relationship with DSW, Smith moved to Florida Championship Wrestling
(FCW). On June 26, Smith won a 21-man battle royal
to become the first ever FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion.
Smith then joined up with his cousins Teddy Hart and Nattie Neidhart to form the Next Generation Hart Foundation. They debuted in a six-person mixed tag team match, losing to Mike Kruel
, Vladimir Kozlov and Milena Roucka. They were later victorious in a non-title match against the OVW Southern Tag Team Champions
, the James Boys. Smith then returned to FCW to form another version of the New Hart Foundation, along with Hart, Wilson and Ted DiBiase, Jr.
. He appeared in a winning effort against Carlito
in a dark match during a taping of Raw
in the United Kingdom
.
On October 16, Smith lost the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship to Afa Jr.
. He was unable to make the referee's ten count and was counted out, due to being in the United Kingdom with WWE.
, defeating Carlito using his father's trademark running powerslam. He dedicated the match to his father. On October 29, Smith and Jeff Hardy
defeated Carlito and Mr. Kennedy.
On November 2, 2007, it was reported that Smith had been suspended for 30 days due to violations of "WWE's Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy". Smith returned to the active roster on December 17 by defeating Charlie Haas
on Heat
. After his return, Smith would wrestle primarily on Heat.
As part of the WWE Supplemental Draft on June 25, 2008, Smith was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Smith, however, returned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) on August 26, without making his SmackDown debut. He made the decision to return to FCW on a full-time basis so he could mature, and put more effort into developing his in-ring work and his personality. On October 30, Smith won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
with TJ Wilson, defeating Joe Hennig and Sebastian Slater, but they lost it to Tyler Reks and Johnny Curtis
on December 11, 2008 at the FCW television taping.
, attacking Finlay
during Finlay's match with Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson), using the name David Hart Smith. Smith, Kidd and Natalya formed a new version of The Hart Foundation
, named The Hart Trilogy at first, although on the May 27 episode of ECW, the name was tweaked to The Hart Dynasty
. Smith was victorious in his first match for ECW, defeating Finlay on the May 19 episode, with help from Kidd and Natalya.
On June 29, The Hart Dynasty were traded to the SmackDown brand, and entered a feud with Cryme Tyme
. At the WWE Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October, Smith and Kidd competed in a seven-on-seven tag match with Chris Jericho
, Kane
, Finlay, Matt Hardy
and R-Truth
as Team SmackDown to defeat Team Raw
. In December 2009, they challenged D-Generation X
for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, but were unsuccessful.
The Hart Dynasty appeared at WrestleMania XXVI
, helping Bret Hart during his match against Vince McMahon
, and the following night on Raw they defeated the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz) in a non-title match at Hart's behest, effectively turning face in the process. At the Extreme Rules
pay-per-view, Smith and Kidd earned a Unified Tag Team Championship match by defeating ShoMiz in a tag team gauntlet match (which also included the team of John Morrison and R-Truth
and the team of Montel Vontavious Porter and Mark Henry
). During the 2010 WWE Draft
on the April 26 episode of Raw, The Hart Dynasty, accompanied by Natalya and Hart, defeated ShoMiz to win the Unified Tag Team Championship, when Kidd made The Miz submit to the Sharpshooter
.
The following day, all three members of The Hart Dynasty were moved to the Raw brand as part of the Supplemental Draft. On the May 10 episode of Raw, he was defeated by Chris Jericho
, granting Jericho and The Miz a shot for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship at Over the Limit, but The Hart Dynasty were able to retain. The following night, on May 24, they were attacked by The Usos
(Jimmy and Jey) and Tamina, provoking a feud. At Fatal 4-Way
, The Hart Dynasty defeated The Usos and Tamina in a six-person mixed tag team match when Natalya pinned Tamina, and Smith and Kidd defeated The Usos at Money in the Bank to retain the championships when Smith made Jimmy Uso submit to the Sharpshooter. At Night of Champions
, The Hart Dynasty lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre in a Tag Team Turmoil match which also involved The Usos, Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella, and the team of Evan Bourne and Mark Henry
.
After a failed attempt to regain the championship, in which Kidd was pushed off balance during their double-team Hart Attack move, Kidd and Smith began to have a falling out with one another. This culminated on the November 15 episode of Raw, when Kidd refused to tag in and attacked Smith during a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Nexus
(Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater). ending their partnership. On the December 2 episode of WWE Superstars, Smith beat Kidd in a singles match. Afterward, Smith offered to shake Kidd's hand, but Kidd slapped him across the face. On the next episode of Raw, Kidd defeated Smith in a rematch.
After losing to Kidd on Raw, Smith would be restricted to appearing on Superstars, mostly participating in tag team matches with Yoshi Tatsu or Darren Young. Smith's last match was on the April 28 edition of Superstars, where he lost to Zack Ryder. After months of inactivity, Smith was released from his contract with WWE on August 5, 2011. The following week on Raw CM Punk mentioned Smith being released from WWE. Smith announced on his Facebook that he would be going to wrestle in Japan.
(IGF), losing to Hideki Suzuki. On September 3, he teamed with Bobby Lashley in a losing effort against Kendo Kashin
and Kazuyuki Fujita
.
full-time in Tampa, Florida
and is looking to make his fighting debut in 2012.
and Diana Hart
, and has a sister, Georgia. He is very good friends with TJ Wilson and his cousin Teddy Hart, and used to live with Wilson. Smith is also close friends with his cousin Nattie Neidhart, and the two lived together as children while their fathers were wrestling as a team. Smith lists his father, his uncles Bret Hart
and Owen Hart
, Shawn Michaels
and Chris Benoit
as his influences. He also cites Ted DiBiase
as a big influence.
Smith was involved in a minor controversy over steroids
, when, discussing how his father's drug abuse contributed to his death, Smith commented "I hope to be as big as him someday", leading to concerns over Smith using steroids. Smith claimed that the remarks were taken out of context and that he had learned from his father's mistakes.
Smith appeared on an episode of Hogan Knows Best
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
of English descent. He is currently working for Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
and is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he won the Unified Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
along with Tyson Kidd before being released from his contract on August 5, 2011. He is the son of "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
and nephew of Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
.
He also wrestled under the name DH Smith ("D" for his father Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
, and "H" for the Hart family
Hart wrestling family
The Hart wrestling family is a Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family is wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, amateur and professional wrestler, promoter and trainer, who not only owned and operated his own wrestling...
) for WWE's Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand and developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
.
Early years (1994-2004)
Smith began wrestling at the age of eight, he was trained by his father Davey Boy SmithDavey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
and uncle Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart (wrestler)
Bruce Dennis Luis Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family.Hart substitute teaches for the Calgary Board of Education.-Career:...
. He made an early appearance with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on October 5, 1996 at the age of 10 when he teamed with his cousin Ted Annis
Teddy Hart
Teddy Annis , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He is currently working on the American independent circuit for promotions such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...
against TJ Wilson and Andrew Picarnia at a WWF house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
in Calgary. He also appeared at the conclusion of In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on July 6, 1997 at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta...
with the rest of the Hart family. He made his professional debut at the age of fifteen at the Rockyford Rodeo, and went on to become a mainstay of the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
. In May 2002, Smith teamed with his father on two occasions, shortly before his father died. Smith was offered a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment in the summer of 2004, but opted to attend college and wrestle in Japan before signing.
In 2004, Smith began teaming with TJ Wilson as the "Stampede Bulldogs", a reference to the "British Bulldogs
British Bulldogs
The British Bulldogs were the team of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Tom Billington , professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America, England, and Japan and is by many considered one of the top tag-teams in history.-Early years :In the 1970s, Dynamite Kid and Davey...
", the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
composed of his father and his second cousin the Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
. In the same year, Smith formed a stable known as The Hart Foundation Version 2.0 with Wilson, Jack Evans
Jack Evans
Jack Edward Miller is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jack Evans. He currently performs for the Mexican-based promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he is the current World Cruiserweight Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is the cousin...
, and Teddy Hart
Teddy Hart
Teddy Annis , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He is currently working on the American independent circuit for promotions such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...
. The Hart Foundation Version 2.0 initially performed in Stampede Wrestling before expanding to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where they competed in Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (2005–2006)
In January 2005, Smith went on a five week tour of JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, wrestling with New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
as "Black Assassin" and suffered a broken hand in the process. Later that year, Smith left Stampede Wrestling and wrestled several dark matches for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), before embarking upon a second tour of Japan. He returned to Stampede Wrestling in October 2005, and on November 25, 2005 was defeated by T.J. Wilson in the finals of a tournament for the vacant North American Heavyweight Championship.
Smith traveled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in January 2006, appearing with One Pro Wrestling
One Pro Wrestling
One Pro Wrestling was a British professional wrestling promotion. 1PW was founded in 2005 by Steven Gauntley until the promotion went into liquidation in 2007; it was restarted within the same year..It ended in August 2011....
at No Turning Back on January 6, 2006. Smith was billed as the mystery opponent of NWA World Heavyweight Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, ostensibly hand-picked by his uncle, Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
.
Developmental territories (2006–2007)
On April 1, 2006, Smith and several of his relatives attended the induction of Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
. While there, Smith met with WWE executives, John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
and Carl DeMarco, and signed a developmental contract with on April 4, 2006. He wrestled dark matches for the company before his debut, defeating wrestlers like Rob Conway and Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
, and losing to Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
.
Harry debuted in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
(OVW), at the February 14, 2007 television tapings, in a tag team match with Kofi Nahaje Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
, in which they defeated The Belgium Brawler and Nicholas Sinn
Nick Cvjetkovich
Nicholas "Nick" Cvjetkovich is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his stint in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he worked on its SmackDown brand as Kizarny.-Training and beginning:...
. At the following taping, the duo of Harry and Kofi became collectively known as the Commonwealth Connection and faced La Résistance in a losing effort. Smith was then sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he reformed the "Stampede Bulldogs" with T.J. Wilson.
After WWE ended its relationship with DSW, Smith moved to Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW). On June 26, Smith won a 21-man battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
to become the first ever FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion.
Smith then joined up with his cousins Teddy Hart and Nattie Neidhart to form the Next Generation Hart Foundation. They debuted in a six-person mixed tag team match, losing to Mike Kruel
Mike Kruel
Michael "Mike" Mayo, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Mike Kruel. He began his career in the independent circuit, wrestling in Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, East Coast Wrestling Association and USA Pro Wrestling, while occasionally making...
, Vladimir Kozlov and Milena Roucka. They were later victorious in a non-title match against the OVW Southern Tag Team Champions
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. As of 2011, the current champions are Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver, known as The Elite in their fourth reign...
, the James Boys. Smith then returned to FCW to form another version of the New Hart Foundation, along with Hart, Wilson and Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
. He appeared in a winning effort against Carlito
Carly Colon
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
in a dark match during a taping of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
On October 16, Smith lost the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship to Afa Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr. is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu.-World Xtreme Wrestling:...
. He was unable to make the referee's ten count and was counted out, due to being in the United Kingdom with WWE.
Early appearances (2007–2009)
He made his television debut as "DH Smith" on the October 22, 2007 episode of RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, defeating Carlito using his father's trademark running powerslam. He dedicated the match to his father. On October 29, Smith and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
defeated Carlito and Mr. Kennedy.
On November 2, 2007, it was reported that Smith had been suspended for 30 days due to violations of "WWE's Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy". Smith returned to the active roster on December 17 by defeating Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
on Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. After his return, Smith would wrestle primarily on Heat.
As part of the WWE Supplemental Draft on June 25, 2008, Smith was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Smith, however, returned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) on August 26, without making his SmackDown debut. He made the decision to return to FCW on a full-time basis so he could mature, and put more effort into developing his in-ring work and his personality. On October 30, Smith won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
The Florida Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their tag team division...
with TJ Wilson, defeating Joe Hennig and Sebastian Slater, but they lost it to Tyler Reks and Johnny Curtis
Johnny Curtis
Jonathan Curtis is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand under his ring name Johnny Curtis. He also performs in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. He was the winner of the fourth season of NXT.- Early Career :Curtis...
on December 11, 2008 at the FCW television taping.
The Hart Dynasty and departure (2009–2011)
On April 15, 2009, Smith was drafted to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, without making any appearances on SmackDown. Smith made his ECW debut on May 12, as a villainHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, attacking Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
during Finlay's match with Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson), using the name David Hart Smith. Smith, Kidd and Natalya formed a new version of The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
, named The Hart Trilogy at first, although on the May 27 episode of ECW, the name was tweaked to The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty was a professional wrestling stable that appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and WWE Diva Natalya...
. Smith was victorious in his first match for ECW, defeating Finlay on the May 19 episode, with help from Kidd and Natalya.
On June 29, The Hart Dynasty were traded to the SmackDown brand, and entered a feud with Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
. At the WWE Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October, Smith and Kidd competed in a seven-on-seven tag match with Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
, Finlay, Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
as Team SmackDown to defeat Team Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
. In December 2009, they challenged D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, but were unsuccessful.
The Hart Dynasty appeared at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, helping Bret Hart during his match against Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, and the following night on Raw they defeated the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz) in a non-title match at Hart's behest, effectively turning face in the process. At the Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules (2010)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
pay-per-view, Smith and Kidd earned a Unified Tag Team Championship match by defeating ShoMiz in a tag team gauntlet match (which also included the team of John Morrison and R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and the team of Montel Vontavious Porter and Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
). During the 2010 WWE Draft
2010 WWE Draft
The 2010 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft was the eighth Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The Draft took place over two days: the first day was televised live for three hours on April 26, and the second part, the "Supplemental Draft", was held on April 27...
on the April 26 episode of Raw, The Hart Dynasty, accompanied by Natalya and Hart, defeated ShoMiz to win the Unified Tag Team Championship, when Kidd made The Miz submit to the Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
.
The following day, all three members of The Hart Dynasty were moved to the Raw brand as part of the Supplemental Draft. On the May 10 episode of Raw, he was defeated by Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, granting Jericho and The Miz a shot for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship at Over the Limit, but The Hart Dynasty were able to retain. The following night, on May 24, they were attacked by The Usos
The Usos
The Usos are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso. The Usos appear in WWE, competing on the SmackDown brand. The pair were previously managed by Tamina...
(Jimmy and Jey) and Tamina, provoking a feud. At Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
, The Hart Dynasty defeated The Usos and Tamina in a six-person mixed tag team match when Natalya pinned Tamina, and Smith and Kidd defeated The Usos at Money in the Bank to retain the championships when Smith made Jimmy Uso submit to the Sharpshooter. At Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
, The Hart Dynasty lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre in a Tag Team Turmoil match which also involved The Usos, Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella, and the team of Evan Bourne and Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
.
After a failed attempt to regain the championship, in which Kidd was pushed off balance during their double-team Hart Attack move, Kidd and Smith began to have a falling out with one another. This culminated on the November 15 episode of Raw, when Kidd refused to tag in and attacked Smith during a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Nexus
Nexus (professional wrestling)
The Nexus was a villainous professional wrestling stable in the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, that competed on its Raw brand. The group originally consisted of all eight rookies of NXT season one and shifted their roster several times throughout their existence...
(Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater). ending their partnership. On the December 2 episode of WWE Superstars, Smith beat Kidd in a singles match. Afterward, Smith offered to shake Kidd's hand, but Kidd slapped him across the face. On the next episode of Raw, Kidd defeated Smith in a rematch.
After losing to Kidd on Raw, Smith would be restricted to appearing on Superstars, mostly participating in tag team matches with Yoshi Tatsu or Darren Young. Smith's last match was on the April 28 edition of Superstars, where he lost to Zack Ryder. After months of inactivity, Smith was released from his contract with WWE on August 5, 2011. The following week on Raw CM Punk mentioned Smith being released from WWE. Smith announced on his Facebook that he would be going to wrestle in Japan.
Return to the Independent Circuit (2011-present)
On August 27, 2011, Smith, working under his real name, made his debut for Japanese Inoki Genome FederationInoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
(IGF), losing to Hideki Suzuki. On September 3, he teamed with Bobby Lashley in a losing effort against Kendo Kashin
Kendo Kashin
Tokimitsu Ishizawa , better known by his ring name Kendo Kashin , is a Japanese professional wrestler...
and Kazuyuki Fujita
Kazuyuki Fujita
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....
.
Mixed martial arts career
After his departure from WWE, Smith began training mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
full-time in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
and is looking to make his fighting debut in 2012.
Personal life
Smith is the son of Davey Boy SmithDavey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
and Diana Hart
Diana Hart
Diana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs...
, and has a sister, Georgia. He is very good friends with TJ Wilson and his cousin Teddy Hart, and used to live with Wilson. Smith is also close friends with his cousin Nattie Neidhart, and the two lived together as children while their fathers were wrestling as a team. Smith lists his father, his uncles Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
and Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
, Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
as his influences. He also cites Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
as a big influence.
Smith was involved in a minor controversy over steroids
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
, when, discussing how his father's drug abuse contributed to his death, Smith commented "I hope to be as big as him someday", leading to concerns over Smith using steroids. Smith claimed that the remarks were taken out of context and that he had learned from his father's mistakes.
Smith appeared on an episode of Hogan Knows Best
Hogan Knows Best
Hogan Knows Best is an American television show produced by Pink Sneakers Productions and centered on the family life of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan . Often focusing on the Hogans' raising of their children, and on Hulk Hogan's attempts to manage and assist in his children's burgeoning careers...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Camel clutch — 2007–2008
- Running powerslam — 2007-present
- Saito suplex — 2008-present
- SharpshooterSharpshooter (professional wrestling)The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
— 2010-present
- Signature moves
- Arm drag
- Big boot
- Bulldog Bite (Standing or seated dragon sleeper)
- BrainbusterBrainbusterA brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto his/her back so that the opponent lands on his/her head while remaining...
- Elevated Boston crab
- Guillotine leg drop
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations- Back
- Delayed vertical, sometimes from the second rope
- German
- Northern Lights
- Powerslam
- Triple belly-to-belly
- PowerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
- Scoop powerslam
- With Tyson Kidd
- Hart Attack
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Diana HartDiana HartDiana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs...
- Nattie Neidhart / Natalya
- Bret HartBret HartBret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
- Diana Hart
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Canadian Bulldog"
- "Bulldog"
- Entrance musicMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Rule, Britannia!Rule, Britannia!"Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740...
" (2007) - "New Foundation" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(2009–2010) - "Attitude" by Chris Goulstone (2010–2011)
- "Rule, Britannia!
Championships and accomplishments
- AWA Pinnacle Wrestling
- AWA Pinnacle Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Florida Championship WrestlingFlorida Championship WrestlingChampionship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
- FCW Florida Tag Team ChampionshipFCW Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe Florida Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their tag team division...
(1 time) – with TJ Wilson - FCW Southern Heavyweight ChampionshipFCW Southern Heavyweight ChampionshipThe FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their heavyweight division...
(1 time)
- FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
- Prairie Wrestling Alliance
- PWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with TJ Wilson
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #69 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Apocalypse (1) and Kirk Melnick (1)
- Stampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipStampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
(1 time)
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tyson Kidd
- WWE Tag Team ChampionshipWWE Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
(1 time) – with Tyson Kidd
- Other titles
- NGW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)