- Mike Hughes (wrestler)
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Mike Hughes 
Ring name(s) Hangman Hughes
"Kowboy" Mike HughesBilled height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Billed weight 256 lb (116 kg) Born November 7, 1974
Stratford, Prince Edward Island, CanadaDebut 1999 Website Kowboy.newscott.com Mike Hughes (born November 17, 1974) is a Canadian professional wrestler who has competed on the North American independent promotions throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s as a co-founder and mainstay of Real Action Wrestling [1] as part of the heel stable the "Kardinal Sinners" which includes "The Natural" Bobby Rude, Kingman and the Acadian Giant.[2]
Briefly appearing in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2003, he is presently a leading star in the Puerto Rican-based International Wrestling Association.[3]
Contents
Early career
Born in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Hughes met Edge, Christian and Glen Kulka at a local gym while touring Canadian independent promotions during the late 1990s. After expressing interest in a professional career, the three encouraged him and Kulka suggested contacting promoter Emile Dupre to begin training.
During 1998, Hughes began training under "Handsome" Hubert Gallant and the Cuban Assassin among other wrestlers in Dupre's Grand Prix promotion in Shediac, New Brunswick (he would later befriend fellow student Kingman, both of whom would eventually become charter members of Kardinal Sinners two years later).
Real Action Wrestling
Making his debut in Grand Prix Wrestling in 1999 later touring with Leo Burke and The Beast, he traveled to the United States for a brief stint in EWA before returning to the Maritime territory and establishing Real Action Wrestling with promoter Skot Gallant that same year. Although planning to tour Puerto Rico, he was convinced by Gallant to jump to RAW and help promote the promotion resulting in Grand Prix promoter Emile Dupre blacklisting Hughes from the promotion and the Maritime territory.
After the promotion was sold to Warren Olsen in 2000, Hughes stayed with the promotion and eventually won the promotion's heavyweight championship. During the next two years, he and the heel stable "Kardinal Sinners" including "The Natural" Bobby Rude, Kingman and the Acadian Giant dominated the promotion until its close in July 2002.
Recent years
After competing on the independent circuit for a time, he began wrestling semi-regularly for the British promotion All-Star Wrestling in January 2002. Making an appearance on WWE Heat in May 2003, he would later compete in the first ever Maritime Cup tournament in October 2003 making it all the way to finals before losing to current TNA star Robert Roode.
In early 2004, he would be brought into the International Wrestling Association by Luke Williams. Facing many of the top stars in the promotion including Apolo and Ricky Banderas, he would eventually win the promotion's Hardcore title.
In 2006, Hughes travelled to California to help Japanese MMA fighter, Kazuyuki Fujita train for his return to PRIDE on May 5 in a bout against England's James "The Colossus" Thompson. Fujita went on to win the bout via KO in round 1 at 8:25. Hughes then traveled to Japan in Sept. to compete at New Japan Pro Wrestling's G-1 Climax where he defeat Japanese legend Mr.Saito in his debut at Sumo Hall under the name Hangman Hughes. Hughes later returned to Japan and toured with New Japan Pro-Wrestlings often tag partnered with Harry Smith. In 2007, he appeared on the documentary television series "Wrestling Reality" which featured many Canadian independent wrestlers including “Wildman” Gary Williams, Sidewinder, Marisa, Titus and Krysta Lynn Scott.[4]
He and Brody Steele, a former member of the Kardinal Sinners, defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri and Hiroshi Nagao for the WWA Korea World Tag Team Championship on May 14, 2007.[5]
On September 30, 2007, he defeated Duke MacIsaac in North Sydney, Nova Scotia to win the ECPW Heavyweight Championship.
Red Rock Wrestling
In 2009, Hughes started his own wrestling promotion called Red Rock Wrestling (RRW). The first show was on Friday, May 29, 2009 at Stratford Town Hall Gymnasium in Stratford, Prince Edward Island. Where he faced Titus and came out the winner, RRW's second show was held on Friday, September 25, 2009 at Stratford Town Hall. Where he teamed up with Rory McAllister to face Titus and his partner, He also won there. The third show will be held April 30.
In Wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Hughes Driver
- Kowboy Krunch (Emerald fusion)
- Signature moves
- Big Boot
- Face wash
- Lariat
- Running powerslam
- Nicknames
- "Kowboy" Mike Hughes
Championships and accomplishments
- East Coast Pro Wrestling
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- ECPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
- Real Action Wrestling
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- RAW Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- Legend City Wrestling
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- LCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times, current)
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- IWA Hardcore Championship (2 times) [6]
- MainStream Wrestling Entertainment
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- MSWE Championship (1 time)[7]
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- PWI ranked him # 344 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2005[8]
- WWA Korea
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- WWA Korea Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brody Steele
- Other titles
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- UCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with "Wildman" Gary Williams
References
- ^ Oliver, Greg (2001-04-20). "Grand Prix stares down newcomer Real Action: The pending fight over The Maritimes". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingGrandPrix/apr01_battle-can.html. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ^ White, Jeff (2001-08-01). "Kowboy Hughes happy on the range". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBiosH/hughes_mike-can.html. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ^ LaCroix, Cory David (2005-03-08). "Hangman Hughes terrorizes Puerto Rico". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/03/03/948909.html. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ^ Starratt, Kirk. "National "Wrestling Reality" TV taping set to explode in Kentville Arena". NovaNewsNow.com. http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-96909-National-Wrestling-Reality-TV-taping-set-to-explode-in-Kentville-Arena.html. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
- ^ "Brody Steele: The Official Website". BrodySteele.newscott.com. May 2007. http://www.brodysteele.newscott.com/. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ^ "IWA World Hardcore Title (Puerto Rico)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/iwa-pr/iwapr-hc.html.
- ^ "MSWE Championship title history". MainStream Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.mainstreamwrestling.net/msw_title.html. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 2005". Wrestling Information Archive. http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50005.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
External links
Categories:- 1974 births
- Living people
- Canadian male professional wrestlers
- Sportspeople from Prince Edward Island
- Finishing moves
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