Curtis Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curtis Hughes |
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Hughes in May 2001
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| Born | December 7, 1964 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Big Cat Big Cat Hughes Curtis Hughes Gotch Gracie Mr. Hughes The Ruffneck |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Billed weight | 374 lb (170 kg) |
| Billed from | Kansas City, Kansas |
| Trained by | Sonny Myers Bob Geigel |
| Debut | 1983 |
Curtis Hughes (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional wrestler. He is also known by his ring name Mr. Hughes. He became famous for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He also worked for other wrestling companies. Today, he trains new wrestlers and still performs on the independent circuit.
Professional Wrestling Career
Early Career (1988–1990)
Curtis Hughes briefly played football at Kansas State University. After college, he trained to become a professional wrestler. His trainers were Sonny Myers and Bob Geigel. He started wrestling in 1988. He first wrestled for Central States Wrestling. Then he joined the American Wrestling Association. There, he was a "face" (a good guy) called Curtis "The Cat" Hughes.
World Championship Wrestling (1990–1992)
In 1990, Hughes joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was first known as Big Cat. Later, he changed his character to Mr. Hughes. This was a "heel" (bad guy) gimmick. He wore a suit and always looked serious.
Mr. Hughes became a bodyguard for other wrestlers. He was part of a group called The York Foundation. He also worked as a bodyguard for Lex Luger and his manager Harley Race. Mr. Hughes often helped Luger win matches. He would distract Luger's opponents. This helped Luger win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Because of his interference, Mr. Hughes was sometimes banned from ringside. In 1992, he teamed up with wrestlers like Big Van Vader and Cactus Jack. Later that year, he became a "face" again. He went back to being Big Cat. He teamed with Junkyard Dog.
World Wrestling Federation (1993)
After a short time in another company, Hughes joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1993. He was part of a story involving The Undertaker and Harvey Wippleman. Mr. Hughes stole The Undertaker's special urn. But he lost all his matches against The Undertaker. He then had to give the urn back. He left the WWF later that year.
Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1994, 1996, 1998)
In 1993, Hughes started wrestling for Eastern Championship Wrestling. This company later became Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He became the bodyguard for Shane Douglas. Douglas was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Hughes often teamed with Douglas. He also wrestled in single matches. He was sometimes called "The Ruffneck." During this time, he also wrestled in other companies. These included the American Wrestling Federation and the World Wrestling Council.
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Return to the WWF (1997, 1999)
Hughes returned to the WWF two more times for short periods. In 1997, he was a bodyguard for Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He was later replaced by Chyna. In 1999, he came back as a masked wrestler named "Gotch Gracie." This was a trick. He soon revealed himself to be Curtis Hughes. He became the new bodyguard for Chris Jericho. Hughes had lost a lot of weight by this time. He teamed with Jericho for a while. But Jericho eventually turned on him. Hughes then left the WWF again.
World Wrestling Alliance and Independent Circuit (1999–Present)
After 1999, Curtis Hughes continued wrestling on the independent circuit. He also became the head trainer at the WWA4 Wrestling School in Atlanta. He helped many new wrestlers learn the ropes. He even co-hosted a local wrestling TV show. During this time, he lost more weight.
In 2007, Hughes had a big "feud" (rivalry) with Jerry Lawler in Memphis Wrestling. They had a match that ended in a disqualification. Hughes still wrestles occasionally. In 2012, he won a big "battle royal" match. This made him the Peachstate Wrestling Alliance Heritage Champion. In 2016, he stepped down as head trainer at WWA4. His student, AR Fox, took over the role.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Galaxy Wrestling Federation
- GWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Independent Wrestling Network
- IWN Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Union
- IWU Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Peachstate Wrestling Alliance
- PWA Heritage Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #62 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993
- PWI ranked him #412 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
- Southern States Championship Wrestling
- SSCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Other titles
- ASW Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
See also
In Spanish: Curtis Hughes para niños
