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What's the story?
Despite putting out two solid shows, there's still a long way to go for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Before the new promotion kickstarts its weekly TV series on the TNT Network in the fall, the company will need to fill its roster up with the best talents from around the world.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. is one of the names currently on AEW's radar, as per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. However, there is a complication that needs to be addressed.
In case you didn't know...
Davey Boy Smith Jr. is the son of the legendary British Bulldog. He was trained by Bret Hart and his father before making his professional debut at the age of 15.
Smith Jr. would go on to wrestle for various promotions since debuting in the early 2000s, some of which include New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), World of Sport Wrestling, Major League Wrestling (MLW), Pro Wrestling Noah and WWE.
Smith Jr. was picked up by WWE in 2006, after which he wrestled in the company's former developmental system - Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) for a year before making his main roster debut. He tasted success as part of the Hart dynasty alongside Tyson Kidd and Natalya, and would also win the Tag Team titles on two occasions with Kidd.
After leaving the WWE in 2011, Smith wrestled on the independent circuit, that would eventually pave the way for a return to NJPW. He won the IWGP Tag Team titles thrice with Lance Archer and enjoyed a successful spell before quitting the company again to sign a contract with Major League Wrestling.
The heart of the matter
As revealed on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Davey Boy Smith Jr. has drawn attention from Pro Wrestling Noah and All Japan Pro Wrestling, Those aren't the only companies keeping tabs on his status though as AEW is also in the race to get him on board.
The speculation is backed by the fact that AEW commentator - the iconic Jim Ross, has always been high on Smith and his work.
The only hindering factor here is that Smith Jr. is currently under contract with MLW. Jimmy Havoc and MJF, who are also contractually bounded to MLW, have made AEW appearances off late, but their deals are expected to come to an end soon.
Meltzer explained the situation in detail by saying, "I don’t think once AEW has television they’ll want to use guys under MLW contract, but I also think they’ll make whatever exception they have to for MJF. For MLW, having a guy on AEW shows that they are pushing is positive, to a point. If Smith is going to be in the MLW title picture, which is the case, he shouldn’t work AEW as just a guy, and that’s tough. Obviously, with MJF it’s not an issue."
What's next?
Davey Boy Smith Jr. is 33 years old and has a wealth of experience in the industry. It's evident that he would be a great signing, however, for that to happen, AEW will have to be broker a deal that is favourable to both MLW and Smith himself.
