Dax Harwood Bio
David Michael Harwood, known professionally as Dax Harwood, is an American professional wrestler born on June 30, 1984, in Whiteville, North Carolina. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs alongside Cash Wheeler as one-half of the tag team FTR. The duo currently holds the AEW World Tag Team Championship, a title they have captured a record-tying three times. Harwood and Wheeler also make appearances in AEW’s sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), as well as partner promotions Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where they have won the respective tag team championships in each promotion.
Across more than two decades in the ring, Harwood has built a reputation as one of the most technically sound and hard-hitting tag team competitors of his generation. Whether performing as Scott Dawson in WWE or under his current ring name, he has remained a central figure in modern tag team wrestling.
Early Life and Background
David Michael Harwood was raised in Whiteville, North Carolina, a small community that shaped his early years. His family’s home in Whiteville was later severely damaged by Hurricane Florence, an event Harwood has spoken about publicly.
Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Harwood was an athlete in a different sport. He played college football at East Carolina University before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he earned a degree in business communication. His football background gave him a foundation in conditioning, teamwork, and discipline that would later influence his approach to pro wrestling.
Harwood’s interest in professional wrestling developed during his time on the North Carolina independent circuit, where he began training and working his earliest matches. These formative experiences laid the groundwork for what would become a lengthy and decorated career in the squared circle.
Path to Professional Wrestling
Harwood made his professional wrestling debut in 2004, working on the independent circuit under several ring names, including KC McKnight. He competed for promotions such as CWF Mid-Atlantic, AWA Superstars of Wrestling, and several NWA-affiliated organizations, including NWA Anarchy and Pro Wrestling Zero1. These early years allowed him to develop his craft in front of live audiences and hone the technical style that would later define his work.
In 2010, Harwood made a dark match appearance for Ring of Honor prior to the event ROH The Big Bang!, gaining brief exposure to a national promotion. He also wrestled extensively for North Carolina-based independents such as the United Professional Wrestling Association in Wilmington, working with regional talents like Zane, Dave Dawson, Daniel Messina, Charlie Dreamer, and Marcus Shields. These early opponents and promotions helped shape his in-ring identity and prepared him for the next stage of his career.
Dax Harwood Career
Early Career (2004-2012)
For the first eight years of his career, Harwood built a foundation on the independent wrestling circuit. Wrestling primarily as KC McKnight, he gained experience in regional promotions throughout the southeastern United States. His work ethic and willingness to travel helped him earn a reputation as a reliable and hard-hitting performer, even outside the spotlight of national television.
This period also allowed Harwood to experiment with multiple ring names, including Dennis Laundry and KC Anderson, before eventually settling on the name that would carry him to WWE. By the end of his independent run, he had wrestled for numerous promotions and was ready to take the next major step in his career.
WWE and The Revival (2012-2020)
Harwood signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to the WWE Performance Center, where he adopted the ring name Scott Dawson. He made his television debut on the March 7, 2013 episode of NXT, teaming with Judas Devlin in a two-on-one handicap loss to Adrian Neville. Early in his WWE run, Dawson formed a tag team with Garrett Dylan, managed by Sylvester Lefort, but the team disbanded when Dylan was released. After a brief alliance with Alexander Rusev and a torn ACL that sidelined him for several months, Dawson returned and formed a new partnership with Dash Wilder.
Dawson and Wilder, later known as The Revival, debuted as a team on the July 31, 2014 episode of NXT. By November 2015, they captured the NXT Tag Team Championship by defeating the Vaudevillains, beginning a dominant run in WWE’s developmental brand. They held the NXT titles twice, lost a critically acclaimed two-out-of-three falls match to #DIY at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in 2016, and eventually made their main roster debut at Roadblock. On the main roster, The Revival won the Raw Tag Team Championship twice, the SmackDown Tag Team Championship once, and jointly held the WWE 24/7 Championship, becoming the first team to hold the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Tag Team Championships, completing the WWE Tag Team Triple Crown. Harwood and Wilder were released from their WWE contracts on April 10, 2020.
All Elite Wrestling Era (2020-Present)
On the May 27, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite, Harwood and Wheeler debuted as FTR, saving The Young Bucks from an attack and quickly establishing themselves as fan favorites. After two months of television appearances without contracts, they signed multi-year deals with AEW in July 2020. At AEW All Out in September 2020, FTR defeated Kenny Omega and Hangman Page to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship, becoming the first team to hold tag team titles in both AEW and WWE. They lost the titles to The Young Bucks at Full Gear later that year.
FTR’s success extended beyond AEW. In 2022, they won the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Supercard of Honor XV and the AAA World Tag Team Championship, and at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, they added the IWGP Tag Team Championship, becoming triple champions across three promotions. FTR won the AEW World Tag Team Championship a second time in 2023, holding the titles for much of the year before losing them to Big Bill and Ricky Starks. In 2024, FTR feuded with The Young Bucks and the Blackpool Combat Club, later forming the trio Rated FTR with Adam Copeland. At Full Gear on November 22, 2025, FTR defeated Brodido to win their record-tying third AEW World Tag Team Championship, cementing their legacy as one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history.
Style and Strengths
Dax Harwood is widely recognized for his old-school, technically driven approach to professional wrestling. He blends strong-style strikes with a deep understanding of tag team psychology, making him a natural fit for traditional tag team wrestling. His work with Cash Wheeler is defined by coordinated double-team maneuvers, deliberate pacing, and a willingness to tell long-form stories inside the ring. Harwood has repeatedly cited the influence of teams like the Brain Busters and the Midnight Express, and his matches with teams such as DIY and The Briscoe Brothers have been praised as some of the finest tag team wrestling of the modern era.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Harwood’s most celebrated matches is the two-out-of-three falls contest between The Revival and DIY at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in 2016, which he has called his favorite on-screen match. In 2022, FTR’s match with The Briscoe Brothers at ROH Supercard of Honor XV was named by Harwood as the best match of FTR’s career. The team also made history as the first to hold the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Tag Team Championships, and as the first to hold tag team gold in both AEW and WWE.
Dax Harwood Career Wins
Throughout his career, Dax Harwood has captured major tag team championships across WWE, AEW, ROH, AAA, and NJPW. As a singles competitor or in tag team action, he has built a resume defined by long reigns, critically acclaimed matches, and consistent success on the biggest stages in professional wrestling.
AEW World Tag Team Championship Highlights
FTR has won the AEW World Tag Team Championship a record-tying three times. Their first reign began at All Out in 2020, the second in 2023, and the third at Full Gear in 2025. Across these reigns, FTR defended the titles against top teams including The Young Bucks, The Lucha Brothers, Best Friends, and Aussie Open. The partnership with manager Tully Blanchard, and later Stokely Hathaway, played a significant role in their early and recent successes in AEW.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond AEW, FTR won the ROH World Tag Team Championship, the AAA World Tag Team Championship, and the IWGP Tag Team Championship in 2022, holding all three titles simultaneously. In WWE, Harwood won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice, the Raw Tag Team Championship twice, and the SmackDown Tag Team Championship once as part of The Revival, making them the first WWE Tag Team Triple Crown winners. Harwood and Wheeler also jointly held the WWE 24/7 Championship during their final months with the company.
Dax Harwood Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dax Harwood’s family is rooted in Whiteville, North Carolina, where he was raised and where his family home was severely damaged by Hurricane Florence. Limited public information is available about his parents or siblings, and he has kept details of his family life largely private outside of his immediate household.
Personal Life
Harwood has been married to Maria Nickolopoulos since 2012. Together, the couple has a daughter, Finley Gray, born in 2014. Harwood earned a degree in business communication from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington after transferring from East Carolina University, where he had previously played college football. In May 2020, Harwood named his all-time favorite match a two-out-of-three falls bout between The Revival and American Alpha at a live event, and called the TakeOver: Toronto match with DIY his favorite on-screen contest.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a defining year for Dax Harwood and FTR. After spending the early months of the year feuding with the Death Riders and competing in the AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament, FTR reunited with Adam Copeland to form Rated FTR. The trio made an impact at Worlds End in late 2024, taking out the Death Riders, and continued their alliance into 2025, though internal tensions eventually led FTR to turn on Copeland at Dynasty in April 2025.
Following the heel turn, Stokely Hathaway was revealed as FTR’s new manager, and the team defeated Daniel Garcia and Nigel McGuinness at Double or Nothing in May 2025. They continued their winning ways at All In, defeating The Outrunners in the Zero Hour pre-show, and found themselves involved in major title picture storylines throughout the summer. At All Out in September 2025, FTR faced Adam Copeland and Christian Cage in a high-profile bout, though they came up short.
FTR’s 2025 campaign peaked at Full Gear on November 22, when they defeated Brodido to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship for a record-tying third time. The victory further cemented FTR’s place among the greatest tag teams in wrestling history. With the titles back around their waists and a new manager in their corner, FTR enters the remainder of 2025 with momentum and a clear target on their backs as the top team in AEW.
