D-Von Dudley | |
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Hughes as D-Von Dudley in April 2016
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Birth name | Devon Edger Hughes |
Born |
New Rochelle, New York, United States |
August 1, 1972
Residence | Viera, Florida, United States |
Children | 4 |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Brother Devon Devon D-Von Dudley Reverend D'Von |
Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Billed weight | 290 lb (130 kg) |
Billed from | Dudleyville (as D-Von Dudley in WWF/E) New York, New York (as Brother Devon/Devon) "The Southside of Dudleyville" (as D-Von Dudley in ECW) |
Trained by | Johnny Rodz |
Debut | 1991 |
Retired | December 17, 2016 |
Devon Edger Hughes (born August 1, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works backstage as an agent/producer. Hughes wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 and for the WWF/E from 1999 to 2005 and from 2015 to 2016 as D-Von Dudley and Reverend D'Von. He performed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2005 to 2014 as Brother Devon and Devon.
Characterized by their unorthodox ring attire and usage of tables in their matches, The Dudley Boyz are one of the most successful tag teams in the history of professional wrestling, recognized by TNA as 23-time world tag team champions, and were the first tag team inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. Including his two TNA Television Championship reigns, Hughes has held 25 major championships between TNA, WWE, ECW, and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Hughes was trained by Johnny Rodz and began wrestling in 1992, competing in independent promotions in the Northeast. He engaged in a rivalry with Latin Lover that was continued in many different promotions.
On April 13, 1996, at Massacre on Queens Blvd, Hughes debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling as D-Von Dudley (sometimes spelled "Devon"). His character was based on Jules Winnfield, the Bible-quoting hitman portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Dudley feuded with the other members of The Dudley Brothers (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. 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 Boyz, 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. 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.