Stephon Smith (born August 21, 1989) is an American professional wrestling referee, and former professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW),[1] and has previously worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Ring of Honor, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and WWE.[2][3]

Stephon Smith
Stephon Smith in 2023
Born (1989-08-21) August 21, 1989 (age 35)
Baltimore, Maryland
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Stephon Smith
Stephon J. Baxter III
Rump Thump
Hokus
Debut2007

Career

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Smith began his career in 2007 on the independent circuit. He had a short professional wrestling career under the ring name Rump Thump, notably holding the OVW Television Championship.[4][5]

Smith signed with WWE in October 2019 and began refereeing on NXT.[6] He was released on August 6, 2021, and joined All Elite Wrestling in February 2022.[7][8] He made his AEW pay-per-view debut at Revolution.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Released WWE employee signs with Tony Khan's AEW". February 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Gunier, Robert (February 26, 2022). "Former WWE Referee Stephon Smith Signs With AEW". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Neumann, Sean (March 14, 2023). "AEW's Stephon Smith Nearly Quit The Wrestling Business Before Becoming A Referee". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "Ohio Valley Wrestling TV" OVW TV #788 (TV Episode 2014) - IMDb. Retrieved May 12, 2024 – via m.imdb.com.
  5. ^ "Stephon Smith: Profile & Match Listing - Internet Wrestling Database (IWD)". www.profightdb.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Former WWE NXT Referee Stephon Smith Comments On His Release". August 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "Stephon Smith, NXT Referee, Released By WWE | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  8. ^ SP3 (February 16, 2022). "Former NXT Referee Stephon Smith Appears On AEW Dark". WrestleTalk. Retrieved May 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Stephon Smith Discusses How He Got An Opportunity To Join AEW | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
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