Even in the mission field, there was still boxing. (Today, Hughes helps manage a professional fighter).

"In New Guinea, there were these guys who I thought were ripping us off — they even stole my Bible and Book of Mormon. They were hanging out in a boxing gym. So I decided to get to know 'em" — he holds a picture where he's taking an overhand right on the nose from a large New Guinea boxer. "We did get to be pals," and the thieving stopped. But the mission president told Hughes to knock it off after the punching elder showed up to a church meeting with his left eye bruised shut and had to explain what happened.

Friends and his LDS religion lead him to Provo the spring of 1991, where he later earned an associate degree from Utah Valley State College (he was the editorial page editor of the college newspaper, writing a column called: "The World According to Greg"), but he dropped out of Brigham Young University to make a living.

Skip ahead 15 years. Hughes is married to an LDS girl (a different one), has three kids (the youngest is named Reagan after you-know-who), living in Draper and is an owner/manager of 130 apartments with a "kindred spirit" partner he met while working on former U.S. Rep. Enid Greene's Utah campaigns in the early 1990s. (That is a whole other story, not enough room here for telling. He's still friends with Enid, but not with Joe Waldholtz, her former husband).

Always active behind the scenes in local GOP politics, Hughes stepped up to the ballot in 2002, winning an open legislative seat.

He quickly earned a reputation as an aggressive, conservative legislator willing to mix it up on Capitol Hill, staking out strong pro-private school voucher positions early on.

Still, his personal and partisan politics landed him in real hot water last summer — the first serious ethics investigation by the Legislature in years. He came out officially OK, most of the charges dismissed with unanimous or majority votes by the House Ethics Committee.

The committee, however, did give Hughes a reprimand saying he has to treat people better and act in a more professional manner.

"I heard that message," he said, vowing to be more polite, more respectful.

An opportunity at rehabilitation soon came knocking — GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (who will soon leave to be ambassador to China) asked Hughes to take up liquor law reform, the ultimate hot potato of Utah politics. Huntsman had already asked other legislators, who said no.

"I don't imagine I was on his "A" list," says Hughes. "But I liked his liquor policy. I like the challenge."

He clearly had not learned a lesson about avoiding a fight.