Road Dogg on former WWE Superstar falling asleep during a match (Exclusive)
Brian James, also known as Road Dogg in WWE, has explained how his first match featured a disastrous moment involving Curtis Hughes.
Hughes is best known for his work in WCW and WWE in the 1990s. He has a disorder that causes him to suddenly fall asleep, which sometimes affected his in-ring performances.
Speaking on Sportskeeda’s “The Wrestling Outlaws” show, James told a story about Hughes’ role when he faced Terry Taylor in WCW in 1991.
“He [Hughes] is a great dude,” James said. “My first match ever was with Terry Taylor in Richmond, Virginia, for WCW. I was still in the Marine Corp and they said, ‘You’re an Armstrong, you can work,’ so I put my stuff on. They go, ‘Hey, the finish is Curtis Hughes will chase Terry around the ring. When Terry flies in the ring, Curtis will clothesline you, throw you in the ring, Terry will beat you.’ ‘Okay!’” [8:16-8:40]
Unfortunately, due to Hughes’ sleep disorder, the finish to the match did not go according to plan.
“So, we run around the ring three times because Curtis is asleep standing up,” James continued. “That is the truth. He has narcolepsy and he was just standing there asleep. Terry, as we ran by the second time, was like, ‘Curtis!’ Oh lord…” [8:40-9:00]
In the video above, Brian James and Vince Russo debate how Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre would have fared in the Attitude Era.
Please credit Sportskeeda’s “The Wrestling Outlaws” and embed the video if you use the quotes above.
Curtis Hughes almost got fired from WWE due to his sleep condition
Me & Curtis Hughes #ecw #wwe #ProWrestling https://t.co/58OgIxCaJS
Legendary commentator Jim Ross discussed Curtis Hughes on his “Grilling JR” podcast last year.
He revealed that former WWE agent Jay Strongbow once spotted Hughes asleep at an airport after WrestleMania 9. Strongbow assumed that the former on-screen bodyguard had taken drugs and wanted Vince McMahon to fire him.
“He almost got fired after WrestleMania 9 because he fell asleep at the airport,” Ross said. “Chief Jay Strongbow said, ‘He’s high. Oh, look at that guy. I’ve gotta tell Caesar.’ Caesar, of course, is Vince. ‘We gotta get rid of this guy.’”
Thankfully, Strongbow found out about Hughes’ condition and the incident did not result in the former superstar getting fired.
Do you have any memories of Hughes in WCW or WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments section!