10 Second Generation Wrestlers That Should Have Known Better
9. Harry Smith
Now paying tribute to his father as 'Davey Boy Smith Jr' in New Japan Pro Wrestling, it's astonishing to think that Harry Smith has been a professional wrestler for a longer period than his famous father's prime years.
Debuting in the charred remains of Stampede Wrestling in 2004, he worked briefly for New Japan in 2005, before a spell on the independent scene earned him a developmental contract with WWE in April 2006. After five mixed years in the system, he gambled on himself and returned to Japan, first for the Inoki Genome Federation before gaining massive traction back in NJPW and Pro Wrestling Noah in the super-over Suzuki Gun stable.
Clearly oppressed by the inane limitations of the ham-fisted WWE framework during his tenure, Smith has carved out a body of work many felt was beyond his skill-set, even during his passable Tag Team Title run in the Hart Dynasty with in-laws Tyson Kidd and Natalya.
His ancestral ties were obviously a vital ingredient in getting him into the industry so many members of his extended family were inexorably linked to, but 2007 WWE Wellness Test violation for steroid use stirred worry that he was doomed to repeat his Dad's biggest mistakes.
Famed for his physique, Davey Boy Smith was notoriously massive throughout his career, and his tragic 2002 death came as a result of heart attack in-part thanks to years of drug abuse. It remains somewhat surprising that Harry even persisted in the business that accelerated his father's untimely demise.