Devon Hughes

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Devon Hughes
Ring name(s)	Brother Devon Deadly (BDD) D-Von Dudley Reverend D-Von Brother Devon
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Weight	260 lb (120 kg)[1]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight	280 lb (130 kg)
Born	August 1, 1972 (1972-08-01) (age 37) New Rochelle, New York
Resides	Melbourne, Florida
Billed from	The Southside of Dudleyville New York City, New York
Trained by	Johnny Rodz[2]
Debut	December 1991

Devon E. Hughes^[1] (born August 1, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment as D-Von Dudley. He currently wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Devon.

Along with his tag team partner Mark "Brother Ray" LoMonaco, Hughes is one-half of Team 3D, a tag team formerly known as the Dudley Boyz. Characterized by their unorthodox ring apparel and usage of tables in their matches, Team 3D is one of the most successful tag teams in the history of professional wrestling, having held over twenty world tag team championships. Team 3D is also occasionally a stable, when Ray and Devon's on-screen half-brother Runt is included.

[edit] Professional wrestling career

[edit] Singles career

Hughes was trained by Johnny Rodz and began wrestling in 1991, competing in independent promotions in the Northeast as "A-Train".^[2] He engaged in a rivalry with Latin Lover that was continued in many different promotions.

[edit] Dudley Boys/Team 3D

[edit] Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996–1999)

On April 13, 1996, at Massacre on Queens Blvd, Hughes debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling as D-Von Dudley (sometimes spelled "D'Von" or "Devon").^[1] His character was based on Jules Winnfield, the Bible-quoting hitman portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the 1992 film Pulp Fiction.^[2] Dudley feuded with the other members of the Dudley family (his kayfabe half-brothers), claiming that their comedic antics were not the way true Dudleys should act, and faced Buh Buh Ray Dudley on numerous occasions, defeating him at Ultimate Jeopardy, but losing to him at November to Remember.^[1] Dudley eliminated Dances With Dudley, Dudley Dudley, and Chubby Dudley before joining forces with Buh Buh Ray, Big Dick Dudley, Sign Guy Dudley, and Joel Gertner. Known collectively as the Dudley Boys, D-Von and Buh Buh Ray dominated the ECW tag team division, winning the ECW World Tag Team Championship a record eight times and defeating teams such as The Eliminators and The Gangstas.^[2] D-Von, Buh Buh Ray, and Gertner all achieved a degree of infamy for their vitriolic interviews, which antagonized audiences to a point of near riot.^[1]

[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (1999–2005)

In the summer of 1999, Buh Buh Ray and D-Von left ECW following a pay dispute and joined the World Wrestling Federation, debuting in September..^[2] Throughout 2000 and 2001, the Dudley Boyz engaged in a three way feud for the WWF Tag Team Championship with the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian. The feud incorporated the first triangle ladder match at WrestleMania 2000, and two Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches, the first at SummerSlam in August 2000 and the second at WrestleMania X-Seven.^[3][1] While they were initially villains and were known for driving women through tables, the Dudley Boyz became fan favorites in early 2000.^[1] In early 2001, they were joined in the WWF by Spike Dudley.^[1] In late 2001, the Dudley Boyz won the WWF Tag Team Championship, which they unified with the WCW Tag Team Championship during The Invasion, a storyline where the wrestlers from World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling "invaded" the WWF.^[1]

Following WrestleMania X8, in May 2002 the WWF was renamed "World Wrestling Entertainment" (WWE) and the roster was divided into two brands, Raw and SmackDown!. The Dudley Boyz were separated when Hughes was drafted to SmackDown! and Bubba Ray ended up on Raw. Hughes became a villainous reverend character alongside his protégé Deacon Bautista.^[1] Though the gimmick was a launching platform for Batista's career, it didn't last long and Hughes was betrayed by Batista and he eventually was reunited with Bubba Ray and Spike on November 17, 2002 when he returned to Raw. The Dudley Boyz became a stable in the Raw tag team division over the next sixteen months, feuding with teams such as 3-Minute Warning, La Résistance, and various combinations of the The Un-Americans.^[1] They held the WWF World Tag Team Championship several more times before being traded (along with Booker T) to SmackDown! on March 22, 2004 in exchange for Triple H.^[1]

On May 27, 2004 the Dudley Boyz kidnapped Paul Bearer, the manager of Paul Heyman's enemy The Undertaker.^[1] On June 27, 2004 at The Great American Bash, The Undertaker defeated the Dudley Boyz in a handicap match.^[4] They also won the WWE Tag Team Championships one more time but were upset by the high-flying team of Paul London and Billy Kidman.^[1] In July 2004, the Dudley Boyz reunited with Spike.^[1] For the remainder of the year, they assisted Spike in his matches for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. In early 2005, the Dudley Boyz were removed from WWE television and sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling while the WWE creative team attempted to devise a storyline for them. The Dudley Boyz returned to WWE television in June 2005 in order to promote ECW One Night Stand, an ECW reunion show.In the weeks preceding One Night Stand they, along with several other ECW alumni, vied with former WCW President Eric Bischoff and his "anti-hardcore crusaders". At One Night Stand on June 12, the Dudley Boyz defeated Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman in the main event.^[5]

On July 5, 2005, WWE announced that it had opted not to continue contract renewal negotiations with the Dudley Boyz.^[6] In August 2005, they were issued with legal notices instructing them not to use the (WWE trademarked) name "Dudley".^[1] Soon after, LoMonaco and Hughes (D-Von) announced that they intended to pursue legal action against WWE.

[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–present)

Brother Devon and Brother Ray in a steel cage at Lockdown

No longer able to use the ring name "D-Von Dudley", Hughes adopted (and trademarked) the ring name Brother Devon Deadly, while LoMonaco became "Brother Ray Deadly". The team also trademarked "The Deadly Brothers" and "Deadly Death Drop". In August and September 2005, Devon and Ray made several appearances on the independent circuit, most notably Hardcore Homecoming, an unofficial ECW reunion show organized by ECW alumnus Shane Douglas, a frequent critic of WWE and Chairman Vince McMahon. On September 21, Hughes (together with LoMonaco) signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, under the name of "Brother Devon".

Devon and Ray debuted in TNA on the October 1 episode of TNA Impact!.^[7] Team 3D quickly established themselves as fan favorites by confronting NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett and his allies, the NWA World Tag Team Champions, America's Most Wanted. Team 3D defeated AMW at pay-per-view events in November and December, but failed to defeat them in a title match at Final Resolution on January 15, 2006 due to the interference of Team Canada.^[8] Devon and Ray continued to feud with America's Most Wanted and Team Canada over the following months. On the April 13 episode of Impact!, an attempted ambush by Team Canada was foiled by the debuting Spike Dudley, identified as "Brother Runt".^[9]

Devon and Ray then took time off to tour Japan, before returning to compete in tag team matches on Impact! and soon began feuding with NWA World Tag Team Champions The Latin American Xchange (LAX). At Final Resolution, they beat LAX by disqualification.^[10] Subsequently, they lost to LAX in a "Little Italy Street Fight" at Against All Odds, and a "Ghetto Brawl" at Destination X.^[11][12] At Lockdown, Team 3D defeated LAX in a Steel Cage match to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.^[13] They feuded with several tag teams before losing the belts to Samoa Joe at Victory Road.^[14]

Devon at a house show in Dublin (January 2009)

At Final Resolution, they teamed with Johnny Devine and took part in an Ultimate X match against the The Motor City Machineguns and "Black Machismo". They won by taking the X Division belt down with a ladder while the referee was not looking.^[15] At Against All Odds, a rematch took place in a Hardcore Street Fight. Early in the match, the Motor City Machine Guns were 'taken out' with two 3-Ds, leaving Jay Lethal to singlehandedly save the X-Division. As a result of their loss at AAO, both Devon and Ray were subjected to weigh-ins prior to their matches. If they weighed in over 275 pounds, they would be unable to compete.^[16] During this time, they engaged in a feud with Christopher Daniels under his Curry Man gimmick, and Shark Boy. At Destination X, Team 3D was given an ultimatum by Jim Cornette—if they weighed in at over 275 pounds, the duo would be fired; but if they weighed in under, they would never again be subjected to the weigh-ins. They were able to weigh in under the mark, but Team 3D would end up losing to Curry Man and Shark Boy after a blinded Ray accidentally helped Curry Man hit Devon with the 3-D.^[17]

On the November 28 episode of Impact!, Team 3D turned into fan favorites, joining The Front Line. After appearing to join The Main Event Mafia, they double-crossed them, and attacked along with The Front Line leaders Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Rhino.^[18] At Lockdown Team 3D won the TNA World Tag Team Championship and retained the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Beer Money, Inc..^[19] At Slammiversary they lost the TNA tag titles to Beer Money, Inc. and on the July 30 edition of Impact! the IWGP tag titles to The British Invasion of Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams. On October 18, 2009, at Bound for Glory, Team 3D captured their 24th tag team championship when they defeated Beer Money, British Invasion, and The Main Event Mafia's Scott Steiner and Booker T in a Full Metal Mayhem Tag Team match. With both the IWGP and TNA Tag tiles on the line, they captured the IWGP titles which were formerly held by The British Invasion.^[20] During the following weeks Team 3D turned heel and aligned themselves with Rhino in a battle against the younger talent of the company.^[21][22] On the November 19 edition of Impact! Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment graduate Jesse Neal joined Team 3D and Rhino^[23] and two weeks later Suicide joined Morgan, Hernandez and Dinero to level the playing field.^[24] At Final Resolution Morgan, Hernandez, Dinero and Suicide defeated Neal, Team 3D and Rhino in an eight-man elimination tag team match.^[25]

[edit] Personal life

Hughes father, Preston was a bishop, and his mother, Renee Washington, is a priest.^[26] Hughes and his high-school sweetheart and ex-wife, Yessenia (known as Yessi), have three boys, twins Terrence & Terrell (born in 1995) and another son Matthew (born in 2002).^[26] Their names are tattooed on his upper biceps. In the summer of 2009, Devon got engaged to his new partner.^[27]

He is also a singer as shown when he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in WWE on an episode of Raw. He opened a smoothie shop, 3D's Power Blendz, in Melbourne, Florida, and with Brother Ray, opened Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment in Kissimmee, Florida.

In Edge's 2004 autobiography "Adam Copeland on Edge" and the WWF/E Fanatic Series Tables, Ladders & Chairs, it was revealed that Hughes is "deathly afraid of heights".

[edit] In wrestling

Devon posing with a fan.

• Finishing moves
  • Piledriver – ECW; used as a regular move in WWF/E / TNA
  • Testify (Rope hung neckbreaker)
  • Saving Grace / Lifting reverse DDT, Sometimes while falling forward or spin the opponent in mid-air
  • Snap scoop powerslam pin – WWE; used as a regular move in ECW / TNA
  • Powerbomb – 1999, used as a regular move thereafter

• Signature moves
  • 360º corkscrew back elbow smash
  • Delayed vertical suplex
  • Diving headbutt
  • Inverted leg drop bulldog
  • Lou Thesz press followed by multiple punches
  • Reverse DDT
  • Swinging neckbreaker
  • Running leaping shoulder block
  • Russian legsweep
  • Sidewalk slam
  • Spinebuster

• Managers
  • Sign Guy Dudley
  • Joel Gertner
  • Paul Heyman
  • Jenna Jameson
  • Stacy Keibler
  • Batista
  • Johnny Devine

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • World's Strongest Tag Team League (2005) – with Brother Ray.

• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Other honoree (1997) – with Brother Ray

• Extreme Championship Wrestling
  • ECW World Tag Team Championship (8 times) – with Buh Buh Ray Dudley

• HUSTLE
  • HUSTLE Super Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Brother Ray

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times, current) – with Brother Ray

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Match of the Year (2000) with Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz in a Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000^[28]
  • PWI Match of the Year award (2001) with Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven^[28]
  • PWI Tag Team of the Year (2001) – with Bubba Ray Dudley^[29]
  • PWI ranked him #36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2001^[30]

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Brother Ray
  • TNA World Tag Team Championship (2 time) – with Brother Ray

• World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bubba Ray Dudley
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bubba Ray Dudley
  • World Tag Team Championship (8 times) – with Bubba Ray Dudley

• World Wrestling Organization
  • WWO International Championship (1 time)^[1]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (2006) TNA Reverse Battle Royal on TNA Impact!^[31]

• Other titles
  • NEW United States Championship (1 time)
  • NSWA United States Championship (1 time)^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Professional wrestling portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Devon Hughes

• TNAWrestling profile
• Online World of Wrestling profile
• Official website
• The official 3D Power Blendz! website
• Devon Hughes at the Internet Movie Database
• D-Von Dudley still looking higher
• Former Dudley Boyz trademark new names
• Outside the ring: Brother Devon