Harrison Norris Jr. (born August 22, 1966), is an American Gulf War U.S. Army veteran,[3] retired professional wrestler and former 2001 Toughman heavyweight champion, best known by his ring name Hardbody Harrison and sometimes Hardbody Harris.[4] In 2008, he was sentenced to life in prison for his part in a sex trafficking and forced labor ring.[5]
Hardbody Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harrison Norris Jr.[2] August 22, 1966 Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Conviction(s) | Peonage, Forced Labor, Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking, Witness Tampering, Criminal Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice[1] |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Professional wrestling career | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Hardbody Harrison Hardbody Harris The Colorado Crusader The Georgia Blond |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Trained by | WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | 1995 |
| Retired | 2001 |
Early life
editHarrison graduated from high school in Pensacola, Florida, after which he enlisted in the United States Army and saw action in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.[6] He served as a platoon and motor sergeant, and received an honorable discharge in 1995.[6]
Professional wrestling
editHe then trained at the WCW Power Plant and later in 1995, debuted in World Championship Wrestling as a jobber. He appeared on WCW Monday Nitro as well as 1997's Starrcade. In 2000, he was a party to a multi-plaintiff lawsuit filed by Sonny Onoo, Bobby Walker and several other former WCW talents against former parent company AOL Time Warner alleging racial discrimination; the suit was settled out of court for which Harrison received a sizeable payout.[7]
In 2000, Harrison also appeared in Toughman competitions which broadcast from 1999 to 2001 on FX show Toughman.[8] In 2000, he was the show's heavyweight champion.[4]
In March 2001, WCW was bought by the World Wrestling Federation and Harrison's contract was not retained.
Criminal charges
editOn August 18, 2004, Harrison was arrested by the Smyrna Police Department in Smyrna, Georgia on three counts of false imprisonment and after spending one night in jail, he was released on a $55,000 bond the next day.[9]
On August 23, 2005, FBI agents served a search warrant and raided Harrison's two homes in Bartow County, Georgia.[10] On October 18, 2005, he was arrested by the FBI on a nine count federal indictment for false imprisonment and trafficking women for commercial sex acts.[11][12] On November 22, 2007, he was found guilty and convicted by a federal jury in Atlanta, Georgia on charges related to keeping eight women as sex slaves.[3][13][14] During proceedings, for which he served as his own attorney, Harrison contended the women lived in his homes with his wife and child because they wanted to train as professional wrestlers, and that he had helped them quit drugs.[3] Witnesses contended that Harrison manipulated the women psychologically, forced them to have sex with him, and required them to participate in large sex orgies involving up to eight men at a single time.[2] The victims contended that Harrison's rigid training regimen, consisting of a wide variety of exercises and household chores, and having to memorize a series of "commandments" was designed to make them attractive prostitutes, and that he pimped them out to nightclubs, trailer parks, apartments, hotels, in the back of Norris’ truck, and in other locations in North Carolina and northern Georgia until a few of the women went to the police.[2] Failure to complete chores or breaking rules required the women to pay money to Harrison, creating a never-ending debt cycle.[2]
After conviction, Harrison was sentenced to life in prison on April 1, 2008.[15][5]
References
edit- ^ "United States v. Harrison Norris, Jr. – CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Feagans, Brian (November 15, 2007). "Former wrestler fighting charges he kept sex slaves". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c Associated Press (November 22, 2007). "Pro Wrestler 'Hardbody Harrison' Convicted of Holding 8 Women as Sex Slaves". Fox News. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Hall, Eric (March 4, 2002). "Ambridge policeman trains for Toughman Contest national finals". The Times. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b "Former Wrestler Sentenced on Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Charges". justice.gov. United States Department of Justice. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Golianopoulos, Thomas (2008). "Hard times". King Magazine.
- ^ "WCW wrestler who sued the company sentenced to life in prison". prowrestling.net. April 1, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Dempsey, John (July 27, 1999). "'Toughman' scores big for FX". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ "Hardbody Harrison". September 27, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "FBI agents raid home of former pro wrestle Breaking New". August 23, 2005. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Former pro wrestler faces sex charges". October 18, 2005. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Wrestler Hardbody Harrison had a Side Hustle That Earned Him a Life Sentence". October 27, 2020. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Ex-wrestler convicted in Georgia forced prostitution case". November 22, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Former Wrestler Found Guilty on Human Trafficking Charges in Georgia". November 23, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ ""Hardbody" Harrison sentenced to life in prison". wwe.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016.