"We gotta get rid of this guy" - Jim Ross on WWE legend's reaction after former superstar fell asleep at an airport
Jim Ross recently recalled how Chief Jay Strongbow wanted Vince McMahon to fire former WWE Superstar Mr. Hughes after he fell asleep at an airport.
Mr. Hughes, real name Curtis Hughes, competed in 64 matches for WWE between March 1993 and August 1993. Strongbow, a WWE agent at the time, thought the up-and-coming star had fallen asleep due to drug use.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross clarified that Mr. Hughes had a disorder that caused him to fall asleep.
“He almost got fired after WrestleMania 9 because he fell asleep at the airport. 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.’ He’d arrived to that conclusion by sitting across the way with his wife and me, ready to fly back to Connecticut, and there was Curtis on the other side dozing off… until we found out he had a sleep disorder, narcolepsy, whatever the hell it’s called, I’m probably naming it wrong. But Curtis battled through it and I liked Curtis,” Jim Ross said.
Me & Curtis Hughes #ecw #wwe #ProWrestling https://t.co/58OgIxCaJS
Mr. Hughes worked with several legends at live events during his initial five-month WWE run. His opponents during that time included Bob Backlund, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Razor Ramon, and The Undertaker.
Jim Ross on Mr. Hughes’ alliance with Chris Jericho
Jericho doing some early WWE commentary as his hired security Mr Hughes wrestles Ken shamrock.
#SmackDown from Sep 16, 1999. https://t.co/PzkAEdMwpr
The latest episode of Jim Ross’ podcast revolved around Chris Jericho’s first year in WWE between 1999 and 2000. During that time, Mr. Hughes briefly worked as a bodyguard (a.k.a. “heater”) for Jericho.
Jim Ross believes the short-lived storyline was unsuccessful because Jericho did not need anyone alongside him.
“I don’t know that Chris needed a heater. That was the kind of trend at that time. Diesel [Kevin Nash] became Shawn Michaels’ heater. ‘This guy’s got a heater…’ I don’t know where that [idea of superstars receiving bodyguards] came from,” Ross said.
The storyline abruptly ended on October 14, 1999, when Jericho defeated Mr. Hughes on WWE SmackDown.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.