Norman Smiley facts for kids

Norman Anthony Smiley (born February 28, 1965) is a retired professional wrestler from England and America. He is currently signed with WWE as a legend and works as a trainer for NXT.

Norman Smiley is famous for his time in Mexico with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre from 1991 to 1995. He also wrestled for the American company World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1997 to 2001. During his career, he won important titles like the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Hardcore Championship.

Norman Smiley's Early Life

Norman Smiley was born in Northampton, England. In the early 1970s, when he was a child, 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. He finished high school in 1984.

Norman Smiley's Wrestling Journey

Starting His Wrestling Career (1985–1991)

Norman Smiley began his wrestling training in 1985. He learned from Boris Malenko and Dean Malenko. He started wrestling in Florida on the independent circuit.

At first, he was known as "Black Magic." Later, he used the name "Lord Henry Norman." In 1990, Smiley even wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) at a big event called Starrcade '90: Collision Course. He teamed up with Chris Adams in a match.

Wrestling in Mexico (1991–1997)

In 1991, Norman Smiley started wrestling in Mexico for a company called Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. He used his "Black Magic" name there.

He became the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. He held this title until 1993, when he lost it to Brazo de Plata.

Time in Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)

For a short time in 1995 and 1996, Norman Smiley also wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). This company was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

World Championship Wrestling (1997–2001)

First Years in WCW (1997–1999)

Norman Smiley joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997. He made his first TV appearance on Pro on October 9, 1997. He won his first match against Manny Fernandez.

He also appeared at the World War 3 event in November 1997. He took part in a large battle royal match. After being off TV for a bit, he returned in February 1998 on Nitro. He had a new character and showed off his famous dance move, the "Big Wiggle."

Smiley got his first chance at a title in WCW in June 1998. He tried to win the WCW World Television Championship from Fit Finlay, but he didn't succeed. At another event called Fall Brawl, he lost a match to Ernest Miller.

In December 1998, Smiley started playing a "bad guy" character. He made fun of the fans for saying his name wrong. At Starrcade, he defeated Prince Iaukea. He then had a rivalry with Chavo Guerrero Jr.. Smiley even destroyed Chavo's toy horse, Pepè, using a wood chipper! This led to a match at Souled Out in January 1999, which Smiley won.

Becoming Hardcore Champion (1999–2001)

In late 1999, Smiley started wrestling in the hardcore division. This meant matches often involved using weapons. He entered a tournament for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He beat Bam Bam Bigelow in a hardcore match.

Norman Smiley then became the very first WCW Hardcore Champion. He won the title by defeating Brian Knobbs at Mayhem in November 1999. During this time, he earned the nickname 'Screamin' Norman Smiley. This was because he would often scream loudly in his matches, as if he was scared of the weapons. He also often wore protective sports gear to the ring.

He successfully defended his title against wrestlers like The Wall and Rhonda Sing. He also kept his title against Meng at Starrcade. He lost the Hardcore Championship to Brian Knobbs in January 2000.

Smiley then had a rivalry with a group called 3 Count. He also teamed up with The Demon to win a tag team match at Uncensored. In April 2000, all WCW titles were reset. Smiley faced Terry Funk for the vacant Hardcore Championship, but Funk won.

Smiley continued to chase the Hardcore Championship. He even got Chris Jericho's former helper, Ralphus, to be his manager. Together, they once stole a wrestling championship from some kids! Smiley and Ralphus tried to win the title from Terry Funk multiple times but couldn't.

In August 2000, Smiley defeated Carl Ouellet to win his second Hardcore Championship. He defended it against KroniK and MI Smooth. However, the WCW Commissioner, Mike Sanders, later took the title away from him.

Smiley's last big appearance in WCW was at Millennium Final. He took part in a large battle royal. His final story in WCW involved teaming with Glacier. Glacier would often take his time getting to the ring, which caused Smiley to lose his matches. Smiley stayed with WCW until the company was sold in March 2001. He was not hired by the new company.

Independent Wrestling (2001–2008)

After WCW, Norman Smiley wrestled for other wrestling companies. These included the X Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling All-Stars. He then returned to wrestling on the independent circuit.

NWA Total Nonstop Action (2002, 2006–2007)

Smiley also wrestled for NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) for a short time in 2002. He later had tryout matches with WWE in 2003 and 2004.

In 2006, he returned to TNA and wrestled in several matches. He even did his famous "Big Wiggle" dance on Jeff Jarrett. He teamed with Shark Boy in some matches. His last match with TNA was in February 2007.

Working for 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 2010, he started appearing on FCW TV as a general manager. He was also known as a contact person for the FCW president.

Since then, FCW has become NXT. Norman Smiley has continued to work as a trainer for WWE in NXT, helping new wrestlers learn the ropes.

Championships and Awards

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
  • CMLL World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Four Star Championship Wrestling
  • FSCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Future of Wrestling
  • FOW 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)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 107 of the 500 best singles wrestler of the PWI 500 in 2000
  • Ranked No. 375 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
• 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