.jpg) Harwood in 2022 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Michael Harwood (1984-06-30)June 30, 1984 (age 41)[2] |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina Wilmington |
Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dax Harwood[1] Dennis Laundry[2] KC Anderson[2] KC McKnight[2] Scott Dawson[3] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[3] |
| Billed weight | 223 lb (101 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | Asheville, North Carolina Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina[3] |
| Trained by | The Maestro WWE Performance Center[4] |
| Debut | August 13, 2004 |
David Michael Harwood (born June 30, 1984)[2] is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under thering nameDax Harwood. He is also one-half of the current and record-tying three-timeAEW World Tag Team ChampionsFTR withCash Wheeler. He also makes appearances in their sister promotionRing of Honor (ROH), as well as partner promotionsLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he and Wheeler have won those promotions' respective tag team championships once each.
Harwood was previously known for his time inWWE, under thering nameScott Dawson. In WWE he and Wheeler (then known as Dash Wilder) were known as The Revival, and held theRaw (twice),SmackDown andNXT Tag Team Championship (twice), making them the first ever WWE Tag Team Triple Crown winners, and jointly held theWWE 24/7 Championship along with Wheeler.
Harwood made his professional wrestling debut in 2004. He wrestled for a variety of independent promotions as KC McKnight, most notably forCWF Mid-Atlantic,AWA Superstars of Wrestling and a number ofNWA-affiliated organizations including NWA Anarchy andPro Wrestling Zero1. In 2010, he made an appearance forRing of Honor (ROH) in a dark match prior toROH The Big Bang!. He also wrestled at various North Carolina independents including United Professional Wrestling Association in Wilmington, working with the likes of Zane and Dave Dawson, Daniel Messina, Charlie Dreamer, Marcus Shields, etc.
Harwood signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to theWWE Performance Center, taking the ring name Scott Dawson. He made his television debut on March 7, 2013 episode ofNXT, teaming withJudas Devlin in a two-on-one handicap loss toAdrian Neville.[6] Dawson made a further appearance in anenhancement role on April 10 episode ofNXT, in a six-man tag-team defeat againstThe Shield.[7]
In May 2013, Dawson formed a tag-team with Garrett Dylan, with the two managed bySylvester Lefort. On June 26 episode ofNXT Dawson and Dylan lost a number one contender's match for theNXT Tag Team Championship toCorey Graves andKassius Ohno.[8] The team disbanded shortly afterwards when Dylan was released from the company.[9] Following Dylan's release, Dawson initially worked as a singles competitor with little success and then formed a tag-team withAlexander Rusev, who was also being managed by Lefort. Rusev and Dawson participated unsuccessfully in a contendership battle royal for the NXT Tag Team Championship on September 12 episode ofNXT. Their alliance ended when Rusev turned on Lefort in favor of being managed byLana, and shortly afterwards Dawson suffered a tornanterior cruciate ligament which ruled him out of action for several months.[10]
On his return from injury, Dawson formed a team withDash Wilder, with the two performing extensively atlive events under the name The Mechanics. The duo made their debut on July 31, 2014 episode ofNXT, losing to the team ofBull Dempsey andMojo Rawley. The duo made only one further televised appearance in 2014, losing toEnzo Amore and Colin Cassady on October 23 episode ofNXT, but continued to wrestle extensively at house shows. On the June 10, 2015 episode ofNXT, Dawson facedSamoa Joe in a losing effort during the show's main event.[11]
Dawson and Wilder's team resurfaced and picked up their first televised win on the July 29, 2015 episode ofNXT, defeating Amore and Cassady. The duo were involved in an 8-man tag-team match that was taped prior toNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. AtNXT TakeOver: Respect, Dawson and Wilder were defeated in the semi-finals of theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic by eventual winnersFinn Bálor and Samoa Joe. On the October 21 episode ofNXT, The Mechanics' team name was changed to Dash and Dawson. On the November 11 episode ofNXT, Dawson and Wilder defeated theVaudevillains to win the NXT Tag Team Championship. They subsequently defended the titles against Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady atNXT TakeOver: London. Beginning in February 2016, the duo began performing under the team name The Revival.[12] Dawson made his WWE main roster debut alongside Wilder atRoadblock, once again defending their NXT Tag Team Championships against Amore and Cassady. On April 1 atNXT TakeOver: Dallas, The Revival lost the NXT Tag Team Championship toAmerican Alpha (Chad Gable andJason Jordan)[13] but the two won back the titles from American Alpha two months later atNXT TakeOver: The End.[14] AtNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, The Revival retained the titles againstJohnny Gargano andTommaso Ciampa. On November 19, 2016 atNXT TakeOver: Toronto The Revival lost the tag team titles in a two out of three falls match to #DIY (Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano). They failed in their attempt at winning back the titles atNXT TakeOver: Orlando on April 1, 2017; in a triple threat tag team elimination match.
On the Raw afterWrestleMania 33 April 3 episode ofRaw, The Revival answered an open challenge issued byThe New Day. The Revival defeatedThe New Day, and afterwards attackedKofi Kingston, who was not participating in the match. The team was on hiatus due to Wilder's injury. Wilder returned seven weeks later on the May 22, 2017 episode ofRaw, walking backstage during the sneak attack onEnzo Amore,Big Cass would later accuse both Wilder and Dawson as the attackers, but they denied this. Two weeks later, on theRaw afterExtreme Rules, The Revival also denied their involvement during the sneak attack on Cass, bringing out another suspect inBig Show.
The June 19, 2017 episode ofRaw revealed that The Revival had nothing to do with the attack and that Cass was never attacked.Corey Graves finally came to the conclusion that Cass was indeed the culprit behind Enzo's sneak attack after The Revival stated their alibi of being innocent. Wilder returned to in ring competition on the June 26 taping of Main Event aired on June 30, teaming with Dawson to defeatKarl AndersonandLuke Gallows by pinfall, Dawson would have his first pinfall loss toKalisto the following week.
On August 7, 2017, WWE announced that over the weekend of August 5–6 at a live event in Canada, Dawson suffered an injury to his right bicep in a match againstCesaro and Sheamus. He was out of action for 5 to 6 months. Dawson returned on the December 18 episode ofRaw with Wilder to defeatHeath Slater andRhyno.The Revival participated in the Raw Tag Team Eliminator tournament to crown new champions, but lost in the semi-finals toMatt Hardy andBray Wyatt. At SummerSlam 2018 Pre-show, The Revival lost toBo Dallas andCurtis Axel in an attempt to become the new Raw Tag Team champions.[15] AtSurvivor Series, they were part of Team Raw, but lost to Team SmackDown in the 10-on-10 Survivor Series tag team elimination match.[16]
Following this they began a feud against Lucha House Party and suffered various losses in handicap matches. On the December 17, 2018 episode ofRaw, they defeated Lucha House Party, The B-Team and AOP in a Fatal 4-Way Match receiving a title shot for the Raw Tag Team Titles. During the next two Raw episodes they challengedBobby Roode andChad Gable for the titles but Dawson and Wilder were unsuccessful to win the matches in controversial fashion.
Dave Meltzer ofThe Wrestling Observer reported that the duo asked for their release from their WWE contracts following their match against Lucha House Party on the January 14, 2019 episode ofRaw.[17] On the February 11, 2019 episode of Raw, Dawson and Wilder defeated the team of Roode and Gable to win the Raw Tag Team Championships.[18] They lost their titles atWrestleMania 35 to the team ofZack Ryder andCurt Hawkins. On the August 12, 2019 during a scheduledtag team match atRaw episode post-SummerSlam in which The Revival were facing Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado andGran Metalik, withKalisto),R-Truth ran out from backstage, being chased by several wrestlers. The match was called off and The Revival performed a "Hart Attack" on Truth and simultaneously pinned him to become the first co-champions of the24/7 Championship. Moments later, R-Truth pinned Dawson, with the help of Carmella, and regained the title.[19] The Revival began to align themselves withRandy Orton in a feud againstThe New Day. On September 15 atClash of Champions, The Revival defeatedXavier Woods andBig E for theSmackDown Tag Team Championship, making them the first team to hold the Raw Tag Team Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship, andNXT Tag Team Championship.[20][21] The Revival was drafted to SmackDown as part of the2019 WWE Draft.[22] On April 10, 2020, both Dawson and his tag team partner Dash Wilder were released from their WWE contracts.[23]
On the May 27, 2020 episode ofDynamite, Harwood and Wheeler made theirAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut as FTR, savingThe Young Bucks from an attack byThe Butcher and The Blade thus establishing themselves asbabyfaces in the process, and began going by the respective ring names Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.[24] They made their in-ring debut on the June 10 episode ofDynamite, where they defeated The Butcher and The Blade.[25] During the following weeks, FTR had interactions with The Young Bucks and the AEW World Tag Team ChampionsKenny Omega andHangman Page, including a match atFyter Fest where FTR and The Young Bucks were defeated byThe Lucha Bros and The Butcher and The Blade in aneight-man tag team match.[26][27] In July 2020, after appearing on AEW television for two months without signing contracts, Harwood and Wheeler signed multi-year contracts with AEW.[28][29]
On the August 12 episode ofDynamite, FTR hosted Tag Team Appreciation Night where they invitedArn Anderson and Tully Blanchard andThe Rock 'n' Roll Express to the show. However, after a scuffle between Tully Blanchard and Ricky Morton, FTR attacked Rock 'n' Roll Express thus turning heel in the process.[30] The following week, FTR recruited Blanchard as their manager as they defeatedPrivate Party.[31] On the August 27 episode ofDynamite, FTR defeatedThe Natural Nightmares,Best Friends andThe Young Bucks in a Gauntlet match to earn anAEW World Tag Team Championship match atAll Out.[32] At All Out, they defeated Omega and Page to capture the titles, making them the first team to have held tag team titles in both AEW and WWE.[33]
On September 16, 2020, FTR defeated Jurassic Express membersLuchasaurus andJungle Boy in a non-title match following interference from Blanchard.[34] On September 30, 2020, FTR successfully defended their tag team titles onDynamite againstSCU membersFrankie Kazarian andScorpio Sky.[35][36][37] On October 7, 2020, FTR retained their titles after defeatingHybrid2.[38][39][40] On October 14, 2020, they again successfully defended their tag team titles, this time against Best Friends.[41][42] On November 7, 2020 atFull Gear, FTR lost their titles to The Young Bucks in a match which saw manager Tully Blanchard banned from ringside.
On the March 10, 2021 episode ofDynamite, FTR and Blanchard attackedThe Inner Circle along withMJF,Wardlow, andShawn Spears, with their new group being namedThe Pinnacle.[43] On the October 16 special episode ofDynamite, FTR - disguised as luchadors calledLas Super Ranas (The Super Frogs) - defeatedThe Lucha Brothers to win theAAA World Tag Team Championship for the first time. After The Pinnacle dissolved FTR turned face, after siding with MJF's rivalCM Punk.
FTR made a surprise appearance atROHFinal Battle, attacking the newly-crownedROH World Tag Team ChampionsThe Briscoe Brothers and setting up a match between the two teams, which took place atSupercard of Honor XV. FTR won the match and becameROH World Tag Team Champions for the first time, and with their AAA Tag Team Titles, became double champions. On June 26, 2022, FTR added theIWGP Tag Team Championship fromNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) when they won aThree-wayWinner Takes Alltag team match against IWGP ChampionsUnited Empire (Great-O-Khan &Jeff Cobb) andRoppongi Vice (Rocky Romero &Trent Beretta) atAEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, making them triple champions (AAA, ROH, IWGP). AtDeath Before Dishonor, FTR defended their ROH Tag Team Championships against The Briscoes, in a two out of three falls match.[44] FTR lost the ROH titles atFinal Battle to The Briscoes in aDog Collar match,[45] and the AAA titles toDralistico andDragon Lee atAAA Noche de Campeones.[46]
After their return atRevolution, FTR defeated The Gunns, on the April 5 edition ofDynamite to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships for the second time.[47] FTR would go on to successfully defend their titles against various teams such asJay Lethal andJeff Jarrett atDouble or Nothing,[48] The Young Bucks atAll In,[49] andAussie Open atWrestleDream.[50] FTR lost the titles toBig Bill andRicky Starks on the October 7 episode ofCollision.[51]
Going into 2024, FTR would feud withJon Moxley andClaudio Castagnoli of theBlackpool Combat Club, with Moxley and Castagnoli defeating FTR at theRevolution event in March.[52] In April 2024, FTR would participate in a tournament to determine the next AEW World Tag Team Champions. They lost to The Young Bucks in aladder match in the finals atDynasty.[53] FTR would go to feud with The Young Bucks from the rest of the summer facing them in May atDouble or Nothing in anAnarchy in the Arena match, and in August atAll In in a three-way tag team match for the tag titles, also involvingThe Acclaimed, both ended in defeat for FTR.[54][55] In late 2024, FTR once again began feud with the Blackpool Combat Club, now known as theDeath Riders. On December 28 atWorlds End, FTR along withAdam Copeland appeared after the main event and took out the Death Riders. The trio of FTR and Cope were named "Rated FTR".[56]
On April 6 atDynasty, Rated FTR unsuccessfully challenged the Death Riders for theAEW World Trios Championship. After the match, FTR attacked Cope, turning heel in the process.[57] On the April 23 episode ofDynamite,Stokely was revealed as FTR's new manager.[58] On May 25 atDouble or Nothing, FTR defeatedDaniel Garcia andNigel McGuinness.[59] On July 12 atAll In Zero Hour, FTR defeatedThe Outrunners. On the main show, FTR sat ringside during the AEW World Tag Team Championship match betweenThe Hurt Syndicate, JetSpeed, andThe Patriarchy. After the match, FTR joined The Patriarchy in attackingChristian Cage, but would be fended off by a returning Adam Copeland.[60] AtAll Out on September 20, FTR were defeated byAdam Copeland and Christian Cage.[61] AtFull Gear on November 22, FTR defeated Brodido to win their record-tying third AEW World Tag Team Championships.[62]
After winning theIWGP Tag Team Championships atAEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, FTR made their first appearance forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling, at Music City Mayhem, where they teamed withAlex Zayne, in a losing effort toUnited Empire's,Aussie Open andT. J. Perkins.[63] After the match, Aussie Open challenged FTR to a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championships.[64] FTR made their first IWGP Tag Team Championship defense on night one ofRoyal Quest II, defeating Aussie Open in the main event.[65] On January 4, 2023 atWrestle Kingdom 17, FTR lost the IWGP Tag Team Championships toBishamon (Hirooki Goto andYOSHI-HASHI), ending their reign at 192 days.[66]
Harwood made hisvideo game debut as a playable character inWWE 2K17,[67] and has since appeared inWWE 2K18,[68]WWE 2K19,[69] andWWE 2K20.[70] After join All Elite Wrestling, he appeared in their debut video gameAEW Fight Forever under the same name.[71]
Harwood has been married to Maria Nikolopoulos since 2012. Together, they have a daughter, Finley Gray (born 2014).[72] He played college football atEast Carolina University before transferring to theUniversity of North Carolina at Wilmington and getting a degree in business communication.[73] His family's home inWhiteville, North Carolina, was severely damaged byHurricane Florence.[74]
Harwood stated in a May 2020 interview that, out of all his matches up to this point in time, his all-time favorite was atwo-out-of-three falls match between The Revival andAmerican Alpha which took place during alive event, while his favorite on-screen match was The Revival's two-out-of-three falls match againstDIY atNXT TakeOver: Toronto in 2016. He said: "In WWE, that'll be our legacy. I'm very very proud of that match."[75] In a November 7, 2020 interview, Harwood described FTR's upcoming match withThe Young Bucks atFull Gear as a "dream match". He added: "When you go around calling yourself the best tag team of the generation, you cannot get too much more pressure than that. So, this match, to a lot of people, it is a dream match and it is a match we are excited about."[76] On November 11, 2020, four days after Full Gear, Harwood released a statement on his Twitter page expressing praise for this match with the Young Bucks and hoped for a rematch.[77][78] On April 4, 2022, Harwood stated on Twitter that their match withThe Briscoe Brothers atSupercard of Honor XV was the best match of FTR's career, also describing it as "their masterpiece".[79]
1 Dawson andDash Wilder simultaneously pinnedR-Truth to become co-WWE 24/7 Champions.
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
