Brother Devon Minus His Longtime Partner?

By: Alex Marvez

TNA Wrestling's "Genesis" pay-per-view show could mark a new beginning for "Brother" Devon Hughes.

Paired with Mick Foley and A.J. Styles against Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Booker T in Sunday night's main event, Hughes won't be teaming with longtime partner Brother Ray (real name Mark "Bubba Ray" LoMonaco). That separation may be a harbinger of things to come.

Not that there's personal trouble between Brother Devon and Brother Ray in Dudleyville (the mythical New York City borough where the duo was long billed as originating). Performing as Team 3D, Hughes and LoMonaco captured their 22nd major tag-team title last weekend by winning a New Japan Pro Wrestling tournament in Tokyo.

But Hughes is admittedly uncertain how frequently LoMonaco will be wrestling in the future. Hughes said LoMonaco has taken an indefinite break from TNA matches after recently suffering a story-line injury.

Hughes said LoMonaco, 37, is feeling the effects of a rough-and-tumble grappling style dating to their days as the Dudley Boyz in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 1999. Those injuries never healed properly as the Dudleys spent the next six years performing almost nonstop in World Wrestling Entertainment.

"Bodywise, he's pretty messed up," Hughes said Tuesday during a telephone interview. "I saw this coming two or three years ago. There were times where even getting on a plane was hard for him.

"Back in the Hulk Hogan days (in the 1980s), those guys knew how to last a lot longer. For our generation, the (aging) process is sped up because of everything more we do in the ring. You can't do all that flying and flipping and not pay a price."

Uncertain if or when Brother Ray will resume a full-time schedule, Hughes said he is approaching LoMonaco's hiatus as a chance to prove he can excel as a singles performer. The heavily muscled Hughes recently began slimming down while upping his cardiovascular training to better prepare for the demands of solo action.

"Bubba and I are definitely two different people," Hughes said. "That's how we balance each other out. What he lacks in wrestling ability, I pick up. What I lack in talking, he picks up. But I still think when I'm given the mike, I've always held my own."

Hughes is drawing motivation from a failed 2002 singles run when WWE split the Dudleys. While LoMonaco had a modicum of success as a hard-core performer, Hughes flopped when re-cast as the villainous Reverend Devon. The only memorable aspect of the gimmick was Hughes' helping to launch the WWE career of Dave "Deacon" Bautista as his protege. Reunited by year's end, the Dudleys continued working as a WWE tag team until leaving in 2005 for TNA.

Hughes believes he wasn't given enough time to prove he could excel as Reverend Devon. Hughes said WWE owner Vince McMahon yanked the creative freedom he was originally given and the promotion 's scriptwriters soured on the character.

"If I fail as a singles wrestler now, I fail," said Hughes, who wrestled solo on the Northeastern independent circuit before becoming a Dudley. "But at least I'll go out knowing I did my best."

In an industry where tag teams rarely last more than a few years, Hughes and LoMonaco have stood together through thick and thin. The duo spurned a chance to rejoin WWE last fall by signing three-year contracts with TNA, which Hughes praises for its family atmosphere, young talent base and more modest touring schedule.

Team 3D also has done an A-plus job preparing for life after wrestling. A recently engaged father of four, Hughes owns his own smoothie store (3D Powerblendz) in Melbourne, Fla. LoMonaco and his family run an Orlando-area spa and salon. Plus Hughes and LoMonaco are business partners in an Orlando-area wrestling school (Team 3D Academy).

As it stands now, Team 3D will be remembered as one of the industry's greatest tandems. Hughes, though, said he isn't close to writing the finale on his grappling career.

"If Bubba decided to retire before me, he's going to be the only one retiring," said Hughes, 36. "I'm going to still be going strong."

Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett and Sting vs. Rhino are the other top matches at "Genesis," which emanates from Charlotte, N.C. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.

Source: scrippsnews.com