Harry Smith with the ASW Title
To say Harry Smith is a busy man is an understatement. Since his release from the WWE in August he has wrestled in Japan, in India for the new TNA spinoff Ring Ka King, and around North America. It isn’t an exaggeration to say Smith has had more matches since August then he had in a long time in WWE prior to being future endeavoured.
“That is certainly a very accurate statement. I’ve been more busy now than my last six months to year with WWE. I usually train during the week with strength and conditioning in the morning, or running. Then at night is kickboxing, wrestling, or jiu jitsu. Sometimes all three in the day. Then on the weekends it’s shows or overseas trips to Japan or India. It’s been a lot of hard work, but great!”
The son of “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith and Diana Hart spoke to SLAM! Wrestling via e-mail from India in advance of appearing this weekend at WrestleReunion in Los Angeles. There for the second set of Ring Ka King tapings, the co-holder of the promotions tag team belt (with Chavo Guerrero) apologized for being late in responding as he had been ill with food poisoning.
“Ring Ka King was a good experience. Teaming with Chavo was great, both being a part of wrestling families, I think we had good chemistry and formed a good team. My first tour of India I came home and got sick, and this tour I got food poisoning. The Indian people are so friendly and have great hearts, but the food and surroundings I’m not so sure about,” he said. Smith will be facing Guerrero in Edmonton for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance on February 18th at the Century Casino.
“I think it will be a great match-up, and one I’m definitely looking forward to. I hope we can team up and/or wrestle each other in other promotions too.”
Smith is the current PWA champion. That belt is in addition to the Ring Ka King tag titles, and heavyweight championships in the West Virgina based All Star Wrestling, San Jose’s Big Time Wrestling, as well as recently being crowned the first title holder of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s Chicago-based Revolution Pro Wrestling. As someone touted as a future star when he signed with WWE in 2006, that promoters are putting faith in him as their champion means a lot.
“I guess you could say it is a form of redemption. WWE never did give me a full and fair chance. Even when Tyson Kidd and I were tag team champions, everything we were involved in was sort of meant to not get over. I felt more times then not, we looked like a couple of cowards hiding behind Uncle Bret (Hart). I think WWE missed out on a big chance to make money with me, with my family’s name in Canada, and the UK too. Now, I’m champion in several promotions, doing mixed martial arts, more busy now than ever. So it’s WWE’s loss, not mine.”
Smith, who has been wrestling as Brakkus Smith in some instances, has added more mixed martial arts to his style, and is seriously considering expanding his career in that direction as well.
“Yes, I like to use a variety of submission holds and suplexes I’ve learned from Billy Robinson and Josh Barnett in my pro wrestling. Mixed martial arts could very well be a new career for me actually. I don’t want to take any chances though, so I want to make sure my skills are 100 per cent there. There’s a lot of great fighters out there, and with my name and being a pro wrestler once I start taking fights I’m going have a lot of heavyweights wanting to take me on. So once I start I have to 100 per cent ready. It’s going to take some more time though. I’d say on average to learn mixed martial arts good, you need two years of training. Striking, grappling, wrestling, conditioning, strength, etc. Everything has to become second nature. Like Billy Robinson says, ‘If you think about doing a move when you’re shooting you’ve missed it, and it’s too late.'”
Fans who saw more in Smith then what was presented on WWE TV are now salivating at some of the possible “dream matches” that could occur on the independent wrestling scene. Names like Roderick Strong, Chris Hero, Low-Ki and Kevin Steen are just a few of the possible opponents.
“Those names would be great matches. I wrestled Kevin Steen on the Resistance Pro debut show, and it was very good. I’d like to wrestle Fit Finaly more, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, and Josh Barnett. I saw Josh Barnett’s New Year’s Eve pro wrestling match versus Hideki Suzuki and thought it was great. I think we could do something very similar. Lots of other great talents over in Japan I’d like to wrestle with too.”
One of those dream matches occurs Saturday night on the Pro Wrestling Superstars card at the LAX Hilton, as part of WrestleReunion. Harry will face Davey Rickards in a match that many expect could steal the show.
“I’m definitely looking forward to wrestling Davey Richards on Saturday. He was someone that was at the top of the list of people who I’d like to face now that I’m free. Davey and I wrestled each other five years ago in Pinnacle Wrestling in Seattle, Washington. We must have went 25 minutes or so, and I think it was just an awesome match. Five years later, I think we’ve both grown as wrestlers, with both of us gaining a lot of experience and knowledge on pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. So I think we’ll top the last match we did. Champagne afterwards. That’s the life.”
In addition to Los Angeles this weekend, Smith will also be appearing at WrestleReunion in Miami April 1st, and in Toronto April 15-16th. What interested him in being part of all three WrestleReunions?
“The money,” he joked. “I’ve heard a lot about WrestleReunion, and I like to see the variety of wrestlers they bring in. It’s really great to see WR is expanding up to Canada. I have a lot of friends in the Toronto area as well, so it should be a great time too. Being that WrestleReunion is in Los Angeles is a bonus as I’m going to be staying after for mixed martial arts training with Josh Barnett in Fullerton.”
It might be a little strange for Smith to be in Miami Wrestlemania weekend yet not at the event itself, the first time in several years. Don’t expect him to be hanging out at WWE events with friends still in the company, he said.
“More than likely not. Mania is a busy week, I’ll probably be in and out. Unless I can find some other interests in Miami like going for a workout with my dad and I’s good friend, The Warlord. He’s not far from Miami. Otherwise more than likely be seeing former WWE friends at WrestleReunion. I haven’t really thought about not being at Wrestlemania, I’ll miss all the free drinks and celebration at the Wrestlemania afterparty though.”
For some a WWE release marks a death knell to their career. For Harry Smith it seems to have rejuvenated him. He has big expectations for what this year will bring.
“2012, I think, is going to be a great year for me, despite getting food poisoning in India. I’m really looking forward to the WrestleReunion weekends, great matches, mixed martial arts, grappling and just being in the now. Arigatou! Obrigado! I’m learning Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese. I want to go to Brazil sometime soon and train too. 2012 will be my year! Tchau!”
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Jason Clevett first met a young Harry Smith 15 years ago, and is excited to be hanging out with his friend this weekend. He is settled in to his LA hotel room, preparing for the crazy weekend in store.