A legacy reborn
By Zack Zeigler & Craig Tello
October 26, 2006
From Randy Orton to The Rock, WWE has had its share of remarkable third generation Superstars. But never has there been a young rising star in WWE preceded by a legacy as great as Harry Smiths.
Smith is the son of the late British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith and Diana Hart, the sister of Bret Hit Man Hart and Owen Hart names synonymous with excellence in the realm of sports-entertainment.
At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, the 20-year-old Smith may be a new name to many WWE fans. Without question, he is one Superstar-in-the-making that is not only driven by a legendary bloodline, but also an insatiable hunger for success.
Developing the tools passed down through the legendary Hart family, perhaps the biggest question isnt Smiths ability but whether he can endure the tremendous pressure accompanied by his namesake as he embarks on his career.
Obviously, coming from a big wrestling family with such a great legacy, whether people like to admit it or not, Im going to be compared to the likes of my father, my Uncle Bret and my Uncle Owen, claimed Smith.
In addition to the overwhelming pressure hovering over his career, Smith
discussed his fathers battle with drug addiction an addiction that
ultimately led to the self-destruction of the former Intercontinental and
World Tag Team Champion.
When Davey Boy Smith died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 39, to a
young Harry,it was an ominous reminder that life as a WWE Superstar can
overwhelm and cause people to make horrible and potentially deadly,
decisions.
Ive seen a lot of what wrestling can do to a family, specifically with my
dad, he explained. My father had a very bad drug addiction and seeing it
firsthand, Ive learned to stay drug free and Ill stay drug free for the
rest of my career and the rest of my life.
In addition to the devastating loss of his father, Smith has seen and
experienced a number of very personal travesties within his family
related to their involvement in sports-entertainment. These past issues
included the well documented and controversial departure of his Uncle
Bret from WWE in 1997, and the even more tragic accidental death of his
Uncle Owen in 1999.
Whether through tragedy or loss, Smith said, its always been my dream
and my goal to come here and I didnt want anything to stop it or get in
the way. Whatever happened with my family and World Wrestling
Entertainment, it was years ago. Its done. Its happened.
He continued, [Because of the past], its very possible that people in my
family might have thought this is not the right path for me, but it's never
been said to me. Even so, thats fine, thats their opinion but this is what
I want to do. A couple of my uncles said maybe you should take another
thought at getting into [sports-entertainment]. But, I knew what I
wanted to do and thats why Im here.
Growing up in the Hart family afforded Smith the unique opportunity to
develop an understanding of the sports-entertainment industry since his
emergence from the cradle. Arguably the most significant lessons he
learned were not his in-ring training, but rather those of the taxing,
strenuous lifestyle of being a WWE Superstar. This, Smith said, was not only
apparent in the passing of his father but also in profound conversations
with family members associated with sports-entertainment.
Being on the road the majority of the time
and consistently performing in front of fans is in some cases too much
for some people to handle.
Ever since I was younger, it has been my dream to make it to WWE, he
insisted. Nothing would stop me from achieving my goal of becoming a
WWE Superstar.
In order to fulfill that dream, Smith began training to become a WWE
Superstar at the ripe age of 16 in an environment known for breeding
success: the Hart family Dungeon. Embarking on his career from the very
location where names like Chris Jericho and Edge (and of course, the Harts
themselves) started their careers, Smith went on to compete overseas in
Japan.
Four years later, the incredibly framed Smith has honed his mat skills
and inked a deal with WWE. Considering himself a hybrid athlete with
the ability to overpower opponents much like his father, the British
Bulldog, Smith is also surprisingly agile, displaying the mobility of his
WWE Hall of Fame uncle, Bret. Still, its comparisons like these that Smith
hopes to respectfully surpass as he forges his own legacy.
I want to be my own person; I dont want to be a British Bulldog No. 2,
said a poised Smith. I want to show [WWE fans] that I have heart and
desire; I want them to respect me for who I am, not just because of what
family Ive come from or who my father is. I want to prove myself and go on
my own merits.
Finally bringing his goal to fruition, Smith has devised a whole new set
of aspirations in WWE. Being the son of a WWE Legend, Smith knows hell
have huge shoes to fill. But, by keeping his priorities in order and his
eyes locked on the ultimate goal of becoming the youngest WWE Champion
in history, hes confident the numerous hours hes sacrificed to train will
all pay off. On his way to the top, Smith says he will always have the
support of his family, especially the Excellence of Execution himself, his Uncle
Bret.
I still talk to Bret on a regular basis, Smith said. In no way shape
or form is he against [my signing with WWE] at all. Hes definitely
positive and all the way supportive of me coming here. I call him and we
discuss how my matches have been going on the road.
Smith said that he believes The Hit Man is truly the greatest WWE
Superstar of all time and will make good use of his uncles insights to
scale the ranks of sports-entertainment and hopefully become the greatest
himself one day.
Theres going be a lot of pressure on me, he admitted. I would
definitely like to make my family proud and carry on the Hart family
name. Im definitely doing a lot of this for them, but Im doing it for
myself, and Im doing for the WWE fans too. |