Hangman Hughes

Mike Hughes (born November 17, 1974) is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hangman Hughes. Hughes 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] Hughes briefly appeared with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2003 and performed for the Puerto Rico-based International Wrestling Association in the mid-2000s.^[3]

Professional wrestling career

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 in Puerto Rico 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. Hughes would then get the invite to participate in the prestigious Catch Tournament held in Hanover Germany alongside of such notables as Dave Taylor, Kendo Kashin, Robbie Brookside, Lash LeRoux, and Rick Steiner. Following the tournament he returned to Puerto Rico.

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 September to compete at New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 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] Hughes then appeared in another documentary TV series named after his and Peter Smiths Tag team "The Kardinal Sinners" alongside Gary Williams, Smith, Rick Doyle and British wrestler Frankie Sloan.

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.

Current

Kowboy Mike Hughes is the Red Rock Wrestling heavyweight champion, based in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He also frequently competes in the Nova Scotia-based promotion Twin City Wrestling and the Newfoundland and Labrador based promotion Legend City Wrestling.

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.

Hughes still wrestles in Red Rock Wrestling (http://RedRockWrestling.com) and is the current Champion (2014). The 2014 season will begin in April and he is expected to face several heavyweights including Brody Steele.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Hughes Driver (Sitout scoop slam piledriver)
  • Kowboy Krunch (Over the shoulder back-to-belly piledriver)
• Signature moves
  • Big boot
  • Face wash
  • Lariat
  • Running powerslam
• Nicknames
  • "Kowboy"

Championships and accomplishments

• East Coast Pro Wrestling

• ECPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)

• Real Action Wrestling

• RAW Heavyweight Championship (4 times)

• Legend City Wrestling

• LCW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

• International Wrestling Association

• IWA Hardcore Championship (2 times) ^[6]

• MainStream Wrestling Entertainment

• MSWE Championship (1 time)^[7]

• Innovative Hybrid Wrestling

• IHW Heavyweight Championship* (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 344 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2005^[8]

• WWA Korea

• WWA Korea Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brody Steele

• Other titles

• UCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with "Wildman" Gary Williams

References

External links

• Supreme Wrestling Center: Mike Hughes
• Profile at Online World of Wrestling