Some of the most talented athletes ever to grace the squared circle have been second generation wrestlers. Second generation competitors have been around so long in fact that third generation wrestlers are beginning to emerge. The Rock, Randy Orton and Teddy Hart are all third generation talents with varying levels of success.
With proven success being drawn from second generation stars whether it is Bret Hart, Curt Hennig or Dean Malenko it is a wonder why mainstream American wrestling is not better utilizing those with wrestling heritages. While Harry Smith, the son of longtime wrestler, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith may be able to get booked regularly in Canada, the same cannot be said for him in the WWE.
To prove this point, three individuals descended in one form or another from past wrestlers will be analyzed. Two of these individuals currently have contracts with a major wrestling promotion while one does not.
As mentioned earlier, Harry Smith is currently not being used by the WWE. However he has been employed by the company since the first half of the year and made his in-ring debut for his current run with the WWE in May 2006.
First and foremost it must be noted that he is perhaps the most mishandled of all the members of wrestling dynasty’s currently active in the wrestling industry. Just barely in his twenties, Smith has already toured Japan, bounced back from a broken hand and carried several championships.
In terms of wrestling skills, out of all the third generation Hart family members, his style is that which most resembles the techniques used by Bret, Owen and Bruce Hart. Unlike Teddy Hart, the oldest of the third generation Harts, his skills depend less on high flying maneuvers and spot wrestling and is much more grounded. While Nattie Neidhart also uses a style more akin to traditional Hart wrestling, Harry seems to have a better sense of timing in regards to holds, knowing when and where to use them.
For all of Smith’s skill however, he is not without flaws. Perhaps the biggest strike that can be made against him is his young age. While Smith has allegedly been pulled off the WWE Raw road crew because the creative team did not have any plans for him, earning more experience could not hurt.
Unlike TNA and Ring of Honor, WWE is very careful to make sure that their talent stays in a few select locations. While Smith could have gained more experience in Canada, Japan and other regions, which employ countless independent stars, with the WWE he basically only has two options. Though Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling have proven to be more than capable training grounds for young wrestlers, they do not tour in the same manner that the WWE does. Additionally the diversity present on the independent scene is not as overwhelming in either of these groups.
For these reasons Smith as of now is trapped. Unlike young workers who traveled all over the independent scene before entering mainstream American wrestling such as C.M. Punk, Mickie James and Steve Corino, Smith’s experience was much more limited. With the recently renamed Kenny Dykstra’s current success in the WWE however, the possibility of a Harry Smith push is never completely out of the question as they are the same age.
Though Smith was mentioned as having the edge over Nattie Neidhart in one respect, she is far from anything to scoff at. Still in her twenties, Neidhart has become a regular competitor for Stampede Wrestling and has toured areas such as England and Japan.
Unlike her father, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Nattie competes with a mixture of speed and agility, which helps to keep her matches quick and entertaining. Given her origins it may come as a surprise that she is commonly the smaller competitor in her bouts.
Out of the three wrestlers being explored in this column, she currently is the only one without a WWE contract. This may come as a shock if one was not aware of the current mess that is the WWE women’s division. While Mickie James may be a talented performer and is holding the WWE Women’s Championship, the division is based much more on looks over athletic ability.
Indeed it can be argued that athletic ability may actually be looked down upon by those behind the division. After all one would hardly expect the same competitor putting on a twenty minute classic match in a bra & panties match the following week. Why Neidhart is not currently wrestling for either TNA or the WWE is debatable, but the fact that the athletic ability of women has been undercut in recent years may be a valid reason.
Since the real families in professional wrestling are not always utilized appropriately, it may come as no surprise that neither are the fake ones. Christopher W. Anderson made his debut wrestling for a promotion in America’s limelight more than half a decade ago. Then known as C.W. Anderson, from 1999 to 2001, Anderson wrestled for ECW and has barely been seen since.
From Anderson’s style to his look to his very aura, he gives the impression that he is related to either Arn Anderson or Ole Anderson. This helped him gain credibility as a heel during his initial run in ECW during a time when the promotion was focusing more on its hardcore matches than technical wrestling.
The most likely reason that Anderson has only had a brief appearance in the reformed ECW is that the Anderson Family was never a gigantic name across the United States. For all the passion felt for the Andersons in areas such as the Carolinas and Minnesota, apathy is felt for their legacy throughout much of the wrestling community.
Still trotting out Christopher W. Anderson in a few Anderson Family hotbeds could not hurt. This year, ECW’s December to Dismember was held in Georgia, a state that acted as a home for WCW, where Arn Anderson spent the final years of his wrestling career. Now that Arn Anderson and Christopher W. Anderson are currently both employed by the WWE, a segment involving the two could have at least drawn a response from the live crowd. Instead fans were treated to Matt Striker versus Balls Mahoney.
Wrestlers do not have to come from a wrestling family in order to be successful or talented. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Chris Benoit and Mick Foley all came from families with no wrestling backgrounds to speak of and proved to be talented and successful. Still coming from a wrestling legacy helps to place knowledge in the minds of new generations of competitors and if this is not a benefit, it should at least not be an obstacle.
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