Curtis Hughes

While briefly attending Kansas State University, Hughes played on their football team.[2] After leaving university, he trained for professional wrestling under Sonny Myers and Bob Geigel. He debuted in 1987 for Central States Wrestling, before moving to the American Wrestling Association as a face under the ring name Curtis "The Cat" Hughes.

He moved to World Championship Wrestling in November 1990, where he was called Big Cat. At Starrcade 1991 in Tokyo Dome, he was billed as Big Cat Hughes, and subsequently became known as Mr. Hughes, a heel enforcer gimmick with a suit and constant frown. He was a member of The York Foundation faction.[2] He later became bodyguard for Lex Luger and his manager Harley Race, coming down to ringside with Race in the closing moments of Luger's win of the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship, distracting opponent Barry Windham so that Luger, under orders from Race, could administer a piledriver to win the match and the championship. Champion Luger, manager Race and bodyguard Hughes formed a heel faction, inflicting beatdowns to Luger's challengers and with Hughes and Race interfering in Luger's title matches. This ultimately resulted in Hughes being banned from ringside for Luger's high profile title defences against Ron Simmons at Halloween Havoc 1991 and Rick Steiner at Clash of the Champions XVII. Still managed by Race, in early 1992 he also teamed frequently with Big Van Vader, Cactus Jack and Vinnie Vegas.

In summer 1992, near the end of his WCW run, he turned face and became Big Cat again, teaming with Junkyard Dog to feud with The Vegas Connection.

After a short stint in the United States Wrestling Association, Hughes briefly joined the World Wrestling Federation, as part of the feud between The Undertaker and Harvey Wippleman. Hughes stole The Undertaker's urn, but then lost every match between them and relinquished it. He left WWF soon after. During his stay, he also lost to Mr. Perfect by disqualification in the 1993 King of the Ring. Hughes' last televised match was against Tatanka, which he lost via countout when his sunglasses cracked into his eyes. Hughes was released the next day.

In October 1993, Hughes debuted for Eastern Championship Wrestling. After the promotion was renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1994, he became bodyguard for Shane Douglas during Douglas' first and second ECW World Heavyweight Championship reigns. He frequently teamed with Douglas, as well as wrestling in singles matches, nicknamed "The Ruffneck".

During this period, he also made appearances in the American Wrestling Federation, where he was a part of Shiek Adnan Al-Kaissey's heel stable.

Hughes (right) with Chris Jericho, during his short stint as Jericho's enforcer in 1999

Hughes made two more brief appearances for the WWF. First, in 1997 as Hunter Hearst Helmsley's bodyguard before being replaced by Chyna.[5] Then in 1999 he returned again as a masked opponent for Chris Jericho called "Gotch Gracie". This was later revealed to be a set up when both attacked Ken Shamrock and "Gracie" revealed himself to be Jericho's new bodyguard (as Curtis Hughes). Hughes was notably smaller in this run having lost a significant amount of weight. He aligned himself with Jericho and Howard Finkel (who was Jericho's lackey at the time) however Jericho turned on him during a tag team match and Hughes lost Finkel in a poker game to the APA. He then left the WWF again.

In 1999, Hughes lost a lot of weight and began working on the independent circuit and later became head trainer at the Atlanta-based World Wrestling Alliance's WWA4 Wrestling School. In late 2003, Hughes worked for the newly formed All World Wrestling League/Big Time Wrestling. In 2006, WWA4 launched a locally-aired professional wrestling program, which Hughes co-hosted with announcer and the executive producer, Taylor McKnight. When Mcknight left WWA4 for Great Championship Wrestling, Dave Wills co-hosted with Hughes. After beginning classes at the WWA4 school, Hughes' weight dropped from 310 pounds to 250 pounds.[2]

In 2007, Hughes began a high-profile Memphis Wrestling feud when he called Jerry Lawler a "sell out" for not showing up for a scheduled match against Hulk Hogan (Lawler worked for World Wrestling Entertainment, who objected to the match). Hughes shoved Lawler's real life girlfriend, Renee, on an episode of Memphis Primetime, and the two battled three weeks later at Sam's Town River Palace Arena in Tunica, Mississippi. The match ended when Hughes kneeled and apologized to Lawler, before hitting him with a low blow and punching Renee in the face, thus losing by disqualification.

In March 2011, Hughes headlined the inaugural Redneck Wrasslin Organization card in Springfield, Illinois, teaming with Pretty Boy Floyd and Beast to defeat Team Dragonfire.

On February 18, 2012, Hughes won a 34-man battle royal for the vacant Peachstate Wrestling Alliance Heritage Championship.[6]

On April 11, 2016, he stepped down as head trainer of WWA4 with his trainee AR Fox taking over the role.[7]

Mr. Hughes in 2009