Bill DeMott

For years, fans only knew Bill DeMott as the fun-but-dangerous Hugh Morrus. In 2002, the former United States Champion’s career took a serious turn when he began training the WWE Superstars of tomorrow on Tough Enough. Under his given name, DeMott used fear as his chief teaching technique. His most noteworthy pupils were Matt Cappotelli and John Morrison.

DeMott’s in-ring success paled in comparison to the heights he reached as Hugh Morrus. After tearing through many of SmackDown’s Superstars, as well as Rikishi, in early 2003, he found himself most often appearing on Velocity. After several months, he transitioned from the ring to the announce booth, calling Velocity action alongside Tough Enough alum Josh Mathews. When Tough Enough 4 completed production, DeMott left WWE programming to be a full-time trainer in WWE’s developmental system.

After a four-year hiatus from WWE, DeMott returned in 2011 as the head trainer for the revival of Tough Enough. Hand-picked by WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the WWE hopefuls quickly learned that training under DeMott was no laughing matter.