Source: WwE.com
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 Smith’s.
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 isn’t Smith’s 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, I’m 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 father’s 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.
“I’ve 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, I’ve learned to stay drug free and I’ll 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, “it’s always been my dream and my goal to come here and I didn’t want anything to stop it or get in the way. Whatever happened with my family and World Wrestling Entertainment, it was years ago. It’s done. It’s happened.”
He continued, “[Because of the past], it’s 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, that’s fine, that’s 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 that’s why I’m 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, it’s comparisons like these that Smith hopes to respectfully surpass as he forges his own legacy.
“I want to be my own person; I don’t 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 I’ve 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 he’ll 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, he’s confident the numerous hours he’s 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. He’s 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 uncle’s insights to scale the ranks of sports-entertainment and hopefully become the greatest himself one day.
“There’s 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. I’m definitely doing a lot of this for them, but I’m doing it for myself, and I’m doing for the WWE fans too.”
