Devon Hughes ( DEE-von; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 and for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) eventually renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as an in-ring competitor from 1999 to 2005 and from 2015 to 2016 as D-Von Dudley and Reverend D-Von. He also performed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2005 to 2014 as Brother Devon and Devon.
Hughes is an accomplished tag-team wrestler, notably achieving a majority of his success with Mark LoMonaco (best known as Bubba Ray Dudley, Brother Ray and Bully Ray) as part of the Dudley Boyz (known as Team 3D in TNA), with the team characterized by their unorthodox ring attire, hard-hitting style and usage of tables in their matches. He is recognized by TNA as a 23-time world tag-team champion, and became part of the first tag team inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. They are considered one of the major teams that revived tag-team wrestling during the Attitude Era. Including his two TNA Television Championship reigns, Hughes has held 25 major championships between ECW, WWE, TNA and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Hughes and LoMonaco were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of the Dudley Boyz.
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Professional wrestling career
Training and early career (1991–1996)
Hughes was trained by Johnny Rodz and began wrestling in 1991, competing in independent promotions in the Northeast. In 1995, he won his first title, the WWO International Heavyweight Championship in New Jersey.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996–1999)
In March 1996, Hughes debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling, wrestling on a house show as "A-Train". On April 13, 1996, at Massacre on Queens Boulevard, Hughes reappeared 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 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 Chubby Dudley and Dances with 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 that antagonized audiences to a point of near riot.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1999–2005)
In mid-1999, Bubba Ray and D-Von left ECW following a pay dispute, and he debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in September. 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 & Christian. The feud incorporated the first triangle ladder match at WrestleMania 2000, and two Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches, the first coming at SummerSlam in August 2000 and the second at WrestleMania X-Seven. While they were initially villains and were known for driving women through tables, the Dudley Boyz became fan favorites in early 2000. In early 2001, they were joined by Spike Dudley. At Survivor Series, 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 (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) invaded the WWF.
Following WrestleMania X8, the company divided the roster into two brands, Raw and SmackDown! in March 2002. The Dudley Boyz were separated when D-Von was drafted to the SmackDown! brand and Bubba Ray ended up on the Raw brand. D-Von became a villainous reverend character under the name Reverend D-Von initially serving as Mr. McMahon's "spiritual advisor", and later alongside his protégé Deacon Batista. Though the gimmick was a launching platform for Batista's career, it didn't last long, and Reverend D-Von was betrayed by Batista. He did pick up one of his most memorable individual victories of his WWE career when he pinned Triple H on May 9, 2002, on SmackDown! after Chris Jericho hit Triple H with Reverend D-Von's collection box.
He eventually turned face after he reunited with Bubba Ray and Spike on November 17, 2002, at Survivor Series, when he helped Bubba Ray, Spike and Jeff Hardy defeat 3-Minute Warning and Rico in a tables match. The Dudley Boyz then became a stable in the Raw tag team division over the next 16 months, feuding with teams such as 3-Minute Warning, La Résistance, and various combinations of The Un-Americans. They held the 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.
After getting drafted to Smackdown, The Dudley Boyz turned heel once again by aligning with Paul Heyman. On May 27, 2004, the Dudley Boyz kidnapped Paul Bearer, the manager of Heyman's enemy The Undertaker. On June 27, 2004, at The Great American Bash, The Undertaker defeated the Dudley Boyz in a handicap match. They also won the WWE Tag Team Championship one more time but were upset by the high-flying team of Paul London and Billy Kidman. In July 2004, the Dudley Boyz reunited with Spike. For the remainder of the year, they assisted Spike in his matches for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–2014; 2023)
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, who frequent was critical of WWE and Chairman Vince McMahon. On September 21, Hughes (together with LoMonaco) signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), under the name of "Brother Devon".
Devon and Ray debuted in TNA on the October 8 episode of TNA Impact!. 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. 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".
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. Subsequently, they lost to LAX in a "Little Italy Street Fight" at Against All Odds, and a "Ghetto Brawl" at Destination X. At Lockdown, Team 3D defeated LAX in a Steel Cage match to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. They were the final NWA World Tag Team Champions in TNA as on May 13, 2007, the NWA stripped them of the Tag Titles and Christian Cage of the NWA World Heavyweight Title due to Cage's refusal to defend the title in NWA territories, and cut business ties with TNA. The successfully defended their status as World Tag Team Champions at Sacrifice later that evening. Because of this, TNA awarded Team 3D the new TNA World Tag Team Championships and crowned them as the first champions. They feuded with several tag teams before losing the belts to Samoa Joe at Victory Road.
At Final Resolution, they teamed with Johnny Devine and took part in an Ultimate X match against The Motor City Machine Guns and "Black Machismo". They won by taking the X Division belt down with a ladder while the referee was not looking. 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. 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 when Curry Man and Shark Boy won an elimination match to choose the stipulation for each of the wrestlers matches; 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.
Return to the independent circuit (2013–2016)
Devon appeared at House of Hardcore 3, where he and Matt Hardy defeated Homicide and Eddie Kingston. He also came out later that night during Bully Ray's segment involving Tommy Dreamer and Spike Dudley, teasing a confrontation with Bully only for the two to hit Dreamer with a 3D. On June 6, 2014, Devon was scheduled to face Abyss and Tommy Dreamer along with Bully Ray. However, Ray was pulled out of the event, so the main event was Devon and Dreamer vs Rhino and Abyss. Dreamer and Devon won the match. On June 7, 2014, he and CW Anderson defeated Eddie Kingston & Homicide at House of Hardcore 5.
On July 13, 2014, Team 3D made their debut in Squared Circle Wrestling, where they won the 2CW Tag Team Championship by defeating Axe and Kevin Steen. On July 26, 2014, Devon defeated Abel Andrew Jackson at Reality of Wrestling's Summer of Champions. On September 6, 2014, Devon made his debut in Wichita Falls, TX for Pure Action Championship Wrestling's Brawl In The Falls III, winning and becoming the promotion's final heavyweight champion.
At House of Hardcore VII, Team 3D made their debut in the promotion. They defeated Killer Elite Squad.
On March 8, 2015, Team 3D lost the 2CW Tag Team Championship to The Young Bucks.
On August 28, it was announced that Team 3D would compete for Insane Championship Wrestling at Fear & Loathing IX on November 20, where they challenged Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo and Mark Coffey) for the ICW Tag Team Championship in a losing effort.
On December 17, Hughes wrestled once again as one half of The Dudley Boyz, in a losing effort to capture the House of Glory Tag Team Championship at HOG VI. That match is his last known match to date.
January 2015 D-Von wrestled for WUW at gleasons gym 30 year anniversary show taking on Mike Iannuzzi.
Return to WWE (2015–2023; 2024)
On the August 24, 2015, episode of Raw, D-Von and Bubba Ray made a surprise return to the WWE, reviving their Dudley Boyz tag team persona. They attacked WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, and gave a 3D through a table on Xavier Woods. On the August 27 episode of SmackDown, they defeated The Ascension and after the match they put Viktor through a table. On the August 31 episode of Raw, they defeated The New Day. After the match they attempted to put Big E through a table with a 3D, but Kofi Kingston and Woods saved him. On the September 17 episode of SmackDown, D-Von quickly defeated Kingston in his first singles match in WWE since 2004, after a distraction by Woods. At both Night of Champions, and Live from Madison Square Garden, the Dudley Boyz challenged The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but would win both matches by disqualification, which allowed The New Day to retain their titles. At Hell in a Cell, the Dudley Boyz would challenge for the titles again, where they would lose to The New Day. At Survivor Series, the Dudley Boyz would team with Goldust, Neville and Titus O'Neil to defeat Stardust, The Ascension, The Miz and Bo Dallas in a 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match.
In December, the Dudley Boyz began a feud with The Wyatt Family, and later aligned themselves with the returning Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno in the feud, known as The ECW Originals. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, The Wyatt Family defeated The ECW Originals in an 8-Man Elimination Tables Match. At the 2016 Royal Rumble kickoff, the Dudley Boyz, Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, The Ascension and Darren Young and Damien Sandow competed in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match to qualify for the Royal Rumble match itself, in a losing effort.
On the February 8 episode of Raw, the Dudley Boyz attacked The Usos after a match involving them against The New Day and Mark Henry, thus turning heel in the process. Explaining that they did not come back to WWE to be a "nostalgia act" and reminding the fans that they are "the baddest tag team on the planet", the Dudley Boyz abandoned using tables. In the following weeks, the Dudley Boyz and The Usos began a feud, setting up a tag team match between the two teams at WrestleMania 32, where the Dudley Boyz lost to The Usos. The following night on Raw, the Dudley Boyz defeated The Usos in a tables match, breaking their vow to never again use tables and officially ending the feud. Afterwards, the duo were interrupted by the debuting Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, who proceeded to insult them and ignite a new feud. In a tournament set up by Shane McMahon to determine the new number 1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, they would defeat The Lucha Dragons to advance to the semi-finals, where they clashed with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady in a losing effort. On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, the Dudley Boyz were drafted to Raw. At SummerSlam, they would lose to Sami Zayn and Neville.
Retirement (2025)
Hughes would retire at TNA's Bound for Glory event, where he and Ray wrestled The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) in a tables match for the TNA World and NXT Tag Team Championship. The match was named "One Final Table", since it took place 25 years after the first table match between the two teams at the 2000 WWE Royal Rumble. At the event, Ray and Devon lost, retiring from in-ring competition.
Personal life
Hughes's father, Preston, was a bishop, and his mother, Renee Washington, is a pastor. He attended Elwood-John Glenn High School in Elwood, New York.
Hughes is married to Taylor Hughes and has three children with her. He also has four sons from a previous marriage, including professional wrestlers Terrell and Terrence. Their names are tattooed on his upper biceps. Terrence and Terrell appeared on the February 3 and 10, 2011, episodes of TNA Impact! and the February 14 pay-per-view Against All Odds, taking part in the storyline feud between their father and D'Angelo Dinero. Terrence and Terrell have gone on to wrestle as enhancement talent for AEW in November 2020.
Hughes opened a smoothie shop, 3D's Power Blendz, in Melbourne, Florida, and with longtime tag team partner Mark LoMonaco, opened a wrestling school, Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment, in Kissimmee, Florida.
Other media
Dudley has appeared in numerous wrestling video games. His latest video game appearance is WWE 2K26, alongside Bubba Ray Dudley. In late 2024, he started his YouTube channel, where shares his wrestling career. He has also collaborated with fellow wrestler and YouTuber, Maven Huffman.
Championships and accomplishments
All Japan Pro Wrestling
World's Strongest Tag Determination League (2005) – with Brother Ray
The Baltimore Sun
Tag Team of the Year (2007) – with Brother Ray
Cauliflower Alley Club
Other honoree (1997) – with Buh Buh Ray Dudley
Extreme Championship Wrestling
ECW World Tag Team Championship (8 times) – with Buh Buh Ray Dudley
Hustle
Hustle Super Tag Team Championship (1 time, final) – with Brother Ray
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Brother Ray
Northeast Wrestling
New United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Northern States Wrestling Alliance
NSWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Feud of the Year (2012)Aces & Eights vs. TNA
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