Norman Smiley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Norman Smiley |
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Smiley in 2003
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| Birth name | Norman Anthony Smiley |
| Born | 28 February 1965 Northampton, England |
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| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Billed from | London, England |
| Trained by |
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| Debut | 1985 |
| Retired | 2008 |
Norman Anthony Smiley, born on February 28, 1965, is a retired professional wrestler from England and America. He still works with WWE as a legend and helps train new wrestlers for NXT. He became famous for wrestling in Mexico with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (from 1991 to 1995) and in America with World Championship Wrestling (from 1997 to 2001). Norman Smiley won important titles like the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Hardcore Championship.
Contents
- Norman Smiley's Early Life
- Norman Smiley's Wrestling Journey
- Championships and Achievements
- See also
Norman Smiley's Early Life
Norman Smiley was born in Northampton, England. In the early 1970s, when he was a young boy, his parents separated. Norman and his mother then moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States.
He went to Miami Beach Senior High School. There, he enjoyed amateur wrestling and powerlifting, which is a sport where people lift heavy weights. He finished high school in 1984.
Norman Smiley's Wrestling Journey
Starting Out in Wrestling (1985–1991)
Norman Smiley learned how to wrestle from Boris Malenko and Dean Malenko. He had his first professional wrestling match in 1985. This was on the independent wrestling scene in Florida.
At first, he was known as "Black Magic." Later, he used the name "Lord Henry Norman." In 1988 and 1989, Smiley wrestled in Japan for a group called the Universal Wrestling Federation. In 1990, he even appeared at a big wrestling event called Starrcade '90: Collision Course. He teamed up with Chris Adams to face Konnan and Rey Misterio.
Wrestling in Mexico (1991–1997)
In 1991, Norman Smiley started wrestling in Mexico for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He was still using the name "Black Magic" there. He achieved a big win by becoming the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. He held this title until 1993, when he lost it to Brazo de Plata.
Brief Time in ECW (1995–1996)
For a short time in 1995 and 1996, Norman Smiley also wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). This wrestling company was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Joining World Championship Wrestling (1997–2001)
Early Years in WCW (1997–1999)
Norman Smiley joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997. His first TV match was on October 9, 1997, where he beat Manny Fernandez. He also appeared at a big event called World War 3 in November, taking part in a large battle royal match.
In February 1998, Smiley returned to TV with a new wrestling character. He started doing his famous dance move called the "Big Wiggle." He tried to win the WCW World Television Championship in June 1998 but lost to Fit Finlay. At another event called Fall Brawl, he lost a match to Ernest Miller.
Later in 1998, Smiley changed his character to become a "heel," which means a bad guy in wrestling. He started making fun of the fans. At Starrcade, he defeated Prince Iaukea. He then had a rivalry with Chavo Guerrero Jr.. In one memorable moment, Smiley destroyed Chavo's toy horse, Pepè, by putting it into a wood chipper. This led to a match at Souled Out in January 1999, which Smiley won.
Becoming the Hardcore Champion (1999–2001)
In late 1999, Norman Smiley started wrestling in the "hardcore" division. These matches allowed wrestlers to use weapons. He won the very first WCW Hardcore Championship by defeating Brian Knobbs at Mayhem in November.
During this time, he earned the nickname "Screamin' Norman Smiley." This was because he would often scream loudly during his matches, pretending to be scared of the weapons. He also started wearing protective sports gear, like football or hockey pads, to the ring. He successfully defended his title against wrestlers like The Wall, Rhonda Sing, and Fit Finlay. He also kept his title against Meng at Starrcade.
In January 2000, Smiley lost the Hardcore Championship to Brian Knobbs. He tried to win it back at Souled Out but was unsuccessful. He then had a rivalry with a group called 3 Count.
Smiley continued to chase the Hardcore Championship. At Spring Stampede, he faced Terry Funk for the vacant title but lost. He even got a manager named Ralphus to help him. They tried to win the title from Funk in handicap matches but couldn't.
On August 14, 2000, Norman Smiley won the Hardcore Championship for a second time by defeating Carl Ouellet. He defended it against KroniK and MI Smooth. However, the WCW Commissioner, Mike Sanders, later took the title away from him in September.
Smiley's last big appearance in WCW was at the Millennium Final event. He took part in a large battle royal and later defeated Fit Finlay in a special "Octoberfest Hardcore match." Norman Smiley stayed with WCW until the company was sold in March 2001. He was not hired by the new owners, the World Wrestling Federation.
Independent Wrestling (2001–2008)
After WCW, Norman Smiley wrestled for other wrestling companies like the X Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling All-Stars. He also continued to wrestle on the independent circuit.
Time in NWA Total Nonstop Action (2002, 2006–2007)
Smiley wrestled briefly for NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) in 2002. He also had tryout matches with WWE in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, he returned to TNA and performed his "Big Wiggle" dance on Jeff Jarrett. He teamed up with Shark Boy in several matches. His final match with TNA was in February 2007.
Working with WWE (2007–Present)
In 2007, Norman Smiley moved to Orlando, Florida. He started working as a trainer for WWE's development territory, which was called Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) at the time. He also had his last WWE match in November 2007.
In early 2010, he began appearing on FCW TV as a general manager. Later, he became a liaison for the FCW president. Since NXT started as a training ground for WWE, Norman Smiley has continued to work there as a wrestling trainer. He helps new wrestlers learn the ropes and get ready for their careers.
Championships and Achievements
Norman Smiley won several championships and was recognized for his wrestling skills throughout his career:
- Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
- CMLL World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- CMLL World Heavyweight Title Tournament (1992)
- Four Star Championship Wrestling
- FSCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Future of Wrestling
- FOW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Global Wrestling Alliance
- GWA Global Television Championship (1 time)
- Independent Pro Wrestling Association
- IPWA Southern Championship (1 time)
- IPWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Joe DeFuria
- Maximum Pro Wrestling
- MXPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- MXPW Heavyweight Title Tournament (2004)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 107 of the 500 best singles wrestler of the PWI 500 in 2000
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW Hardcore Championship (2 times)
- Xtreme Wrestling Alliance
- XWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
See also
In Spanish: Norman Smiley para niños
