VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Technique Full Of Spirit

Johnny Smith takes to the air

Another "British Bulldog," Johnny Smith (John Hindley), has just celebrated his 10th Anniversary with All Japan Pro-Wrestling. Johnny Smith --- a lot of wrestlers and fans have much respect for his shape, his skill, and his pacing of a match, which he can satisfy everybody with. He is said to be one of the most underrated (underutilized) wrestlers in the world today. He should be in the spotlight much more. Though he is usually categorized as just a "supporting player," you will be satisfied with his techniques full of spirit.

Actually, Smith's very first Japan tour was with New Japan Pro with Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow, Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer, Bad News Allen, and Mike Moore (a wrestler from Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory) from June 29 to August 2, 1987. Smith followed Dynamite Kid and started to wrestle for All Japan Pro; his first tour was with Abdullah the Butcher, Giant Kimala (Sugar Bear Harris), Ricky Steamboat, the Road Warriors, Johnny Ace, the Terminator (Mark Laurinaitis), Paul Ellering, Jerry Oates, and Doug Sommers from February 23 to March 8, 1989.

Magazine coverboy Johnny Smith with Masanori

John Hindley was born in Warrington, England, United Kingdom on August 7, 1965. Outside the ring, he is always a soft-spoken gentleman. He debuted as a pro wrestler in January 1982, when he was 16 years old. He moved to Calgary from England to work for Stampede Wrestling in 1985 and became the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion.

Stampede Wrestling's British Commonwealth Mid Heavyweight Title:

8/1/86 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Great Gama (Singh) beat Johnny Smith in a tournament final.
8/8/86 Calgary, AB Johnny Smith beat Great Gama to win the title (1st time).
9/18/86 Calgary, AB Les Thornton beat Johnny Smith.
6/10/88 Calgary, AB Johnny Smith beat Chris Benoit to win the title (2nd time).
6/17/88 Calgary, AB Chris Benoit beat Johnny Smith.
6/24/88 Calgary, AB Johnny Smith beat Chris Benoit to win the title (3rd time).
1/13/89 Calgary, AB Chris Benoit beat Johnny Smith.
7/7/89 Dawson Creek, British Columbia Johnny Smith beat Chris Benoit to win the title (4th time).
7/8/89 Grande Prairie, AB Chris Benoit beat Johnny Smith.

After wrestling for New Japan Pro from June 29 to August 2, 1987, Smith had a very tough feud with Chris Benoit for the title. Then, he was introduced by Dynamite Kid as an All Japan Pro gaijin (foreign) wrestler. He replaced Davey Boy Smith as Dynamite Kid's tag team partner. In those days, there were the Viet Cong Express (Hiroshi Hase & Fumihiro Niikura) and "Vokkan Singh" (Smith's very good friend, Gary Albright) in the Stampede area.

The Viet Cong Express (L-R--Hiroshi Hase & Fumihiro Niikura), August 19, 1986, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)

P.W.F All Asian Tag Team Title (All Japan Pro Wrestling):

3/4/89 Fuji, Shizuoka
Footloose (Samson Fuyuki & Toshiaki Kawada) beat Jerry Oates & Johnny Smith (17:49 Fuyuki beat Oates) to keep the title.
5/17/90 Hiroshima Prefectural Gym
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Davey Boy Smith & Johnny Smith (17:22 Misawa beat Johnny) --- Title was held up by the champions.
6/5/90 Chiba Park Gym
Akira Taue & Shin-ichi Nakano beat Davey Boy Smith & Johnny Smith (17:49 Nakano beat Johnny) --- Taue & Nakano became the 52nd champions.
4/6/91 Osaka Gym
Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith beat Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (18:06 Kid beat Kikuchi) --- Kid & Smith became the 54th champions.
4/20/91 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas) beat Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith (12:16 Furnas beat Smith) --- Can-Am became the 55th champions.
10/1/97 Osaka Gym #2
Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori beat Johnny Smith & Sean Morgan (Sean Morley / Val Venis) (23:39 Omori beat Morgan) to keep the title.
1/9/98 Kagoshima City
Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield (Jungle Jim Steele) beat Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori (24:33 Smith beat Omori) to keep the title.
5/31/98 Funabashi, Chiba
Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield beat Takao Omori & Tamon Honda (26:30 Wolf beat Honda) to keep the title.
7/15/98 Niigata City
Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield beat The Head Hunters A & B (18:23 Wolf beat Head Hunter A) to keep the title.
9/5/98 Toyama City
Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield beat Jun Izumida & Giant Kimala #2 (22:15 Wolf beat Kimala) to keep the title.
10/6/98 Niigata City
Tamon Honda & Jun Izumida beat Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield (23:11 Izumida beat Smith) --- Honda & Izumida became the 64th champions.

Wolf Hawkfield (Jungle Jim Steele), Masanori, and Johnny Smith

It will be very good opportunity for Johnny Smith --- Bruce Hart (Stu Hart 's second son of eight brothers and four sisters) and Ross Hart (seventh son) are going to organize and bring "Stampede Wrestling" back at the Pavilion on Stampede Grounds on Friday, April 2 (7:30 p.m.), and at the Northlands Agricom in Edmonton on Saturday, April 3. It is the place where a lot of young aspiring wrestlers were willing to take risks to get discovered on "good old Friday." "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith (fourth daughter Diana's husband), Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (first daughter Elizabeth's husband), and Tatanka are confirmed to be there, and Benoit and Chris Jericho are both trying to get permission from WCW (Stu Hart had founded and promoted the "Stampede Wrestling" circuit for over 30 years since 1948. Many great wrestlers, including Stu's sons Smith, Keith, Bruce, Bret, and Owen, Dynamite Kid, Junkyard Dog, Chris Benoit, and Brian Pillman, had been trained in "The Dungeon" in the Hart family's home. They closed the office on September 14, 1984, when Stu sold the local rights to Vince McMahon and the WWF.)

Johnny Smith, June 24, 1986, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada