Rick Boogs Explained

Rick Boogs
Birthname:Eric Bugenhagen
Birth Date:December 21, 1987[1]
Birth Place:Franklin, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of Wisconsin–Madison
Names:Eric Bugenhagen
Joseph Average
The Nightpanther
Ric Boog
Rick Boogs
Rik Bugez
Height:6'2" [2]
Weight:285 lbs
Billed:Madison, Wisconsin
Trainer:WWE Performance Center
Debut:October 19, 2017
Retired:January 4, 2024
Years Active:2012–present
Subscribers:322 thousand
Views:113.10 million
Silver Button:yes
Silver Year:2019
Gold Button:no
Diamond Button:no
Stats Update:July 13, 2024

Eric Bugenhagen (born December 21, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler and graduated collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with WWE from 2017 to 2023, where he performed under the ring name Rick Boogs.

Background

After winning a state title while at Franklin High School in Franklin, Wisconsin, Bugenhagen wrestled for the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin team under Barry Davis. Bugenhagen competed for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2006 to 2011, starting at 184 pounds in his sophomore season and at heavyweight for his junior and senior years. Bugenhagen competed at the NCAA Championships twice, qualifying for the 2010 and 2011 tournaments in Omaha and Philadelphia, respectively. He went 2–4 at the NCAAs and also wrestled in a United States Olympic Trials Qualifier. Bugenhagen graduated with a degree in kinesiology and worked as a wrestling coach for his alma mater after graduating.

Professional wrestling career

Bugenhagen made his professional wrestling debut on the October 19, 2017 episode of WWE NXT, where he lost to Lars Sullivan in a singles match.[3] After an injury set him back significantly, he returned to wrestling at NXT live events under the ring name Ric Boog. Under his real name, Bugenhagen lost to Drew Gulak on February 6, 2019, on NXT in his television debut.[4] On the May 1, 2019 episode of WWE Worlds Collide, he participated in a 20-man battle royal as Rik Bugez.[5] On the February 21, 2019 episode of WWE NXT Live, Bugez teamed up with Denzel Dejournette to unsuccessfully face the NXT Tag Team Champions of the time, The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik).[6] A notable confrontation of his career took place on the February 22, 2020 episode of WWE NXT Live, where Bugez competed against Finn Balor in a losing effort.[7]

While working on NXT, he also appeared at EVOLVE 143 and EVOLVE 144, two events promoted by Evolve during their relationship with WWE in January 2020.[8] [9]

Bugez made several appearances as an extra in the main shows, being one of the many NXT performers being used as part of a makeshift crowd on Raw at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[10] Leading up to WrestleMania 37, Bugez played Old Spice representative character Joseph Average/The Nightpanther in several backstage advertisements at Fastlane and after WrestleMania 37, during which he defeated R-Truth and Akira Tozawa to capture the WWE 24/7 Championship twice.[11]

On May 21, 2021, Bugez, now going by the tweaked ring name Rick Boogs, made his debut on SmackDown, playing Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring with an electric guitar.[12] They also worked as a tag team, facing The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 38 Night 1, but during the match, Boogs suffered a torn quadriceps/patellar tendon injury, requiring surgery.[13] [14]

After a nine-month absence due to injury, Boogs made his return on the January 30, 2023, episode of Raw as the newest member of the roster, but during the 2023 WWE Draft, Boogs was drafted back to the SmackDown brand. At SummerSlam, Boogs competed in the Slim Jim Battle Royal where he was unsuccessful in winning.[15] [16] This would end up being Boogs' final appearance for the company as he was released from his contract on September 21.[17] On January 4, 2024, he confirmed in an interview with Chris Van Vliet, that he no longer wishes to wrestle anymore after his release from WWE.[18]

Other media

Bugenhagen appeared as Big Billy Beavers in the 2020 film The Main Event.

Bugenhagen, as Rick Boogs, made his video game debut in the Clowning Around DLC for WWE 2K22.[19] [20] He also appears in WWE 2K23.

Championships and accomplishments

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rik Bugez/General Information. wrestlingdata.com. Axel. Saalbach. April 20, 2021. April 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210420201356/https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=33067. live.
  2. Web site: Rik Bugez-Personal Data. cagematch.net. German. Philip. Kreikenbohm. April 20, 2021. April 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210420201351/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=20380. live.
  3. Web site: Home / Profile / Rik Bugez. onlineworldofwrestling.com. Online World Of Wrestling (OWW). April 20, 2021. January 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220109211457/https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/eric-bugenhagen/. live.
  4. Web site: Wisconsin Badgers alum Eric Bugenhagen rocking his way to superstar status with WWE NXT. Varsallone. Jim. Miami Herald. en. May 1, 2019. April 29, 2021. April 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210429202735/https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/article229826519.html. live.
  5. Web site: WWE Worlds Collide results, May 1, 2019: NXT reigns supreme as Strong and Belair win Battle Royals. WWE. en. May 14, 2019. January 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220109211447/https://www.wwe.com/shows/worldscollide/2019-05-01. live.
  6. Web site: WWE NXT Live Event Results – February 21, 2019 – Sebring, Florida. gerweck.net. Michael. Riba. February 22, 2019. March 21, 2021. April 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421010111/https://www.gerweck.net/2019/02/22/wwe-nxt-live-event-results-february-21-2019-sebring-florida/. live.
  7. Web site: 2/22 NXT Live Results: Oshkosh and Cocoa (Ripley vs. Belair, Tino Sabbatelli in action). wrestleview.com. Mike. Tedesco. February 23, 2020. April 20, 2021. January 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220109211445/https://www.wrestleview.com/nxt-live-events/149596-nxt-live-results-february-22-2020-oshkosh-and-cocoa/. live.
  8. Web site: EVOLVE 143 Results (1/17): No DQ Match Main Event, BESTies In The World In Action, Santana Garrett. wrestlinginc.com. Joshua. Gagnon. January 18, 2020. April 20, 2021. January 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220109211446/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/01/evolve-143-results-665052/. live.
  9. Web site: EVOLVE 144 Recap: 2020 Blasts Off!. wwnlive.com. World Wrestling Network. January 20, 2020. April 20, 2021. February 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230217144513/https://wwnlive.com/2020/01/20/evolve-144-recap-2020-blasts-off/?v=7516fd43adaa. live.
  10. Web site: NXT's Rik Bugez Addresses Taking Off Mask During TV Tapings, Says It Will Stay On Going Forward. prowrestlingsheet.com. Daniel. Trainor. June 30, 2020. April 20, 2021. April 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210425205410/https://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/rik-bugez-face-mask-wwe-tv-tapings/#.YH9EBOgzaUk. live.
  11. Web site: Powell. Jason. WWE Fastlane results: Powell's live review of Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship with Edge as special enforcer, Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus in a No Holds Barred match, Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Title, Randy Orton vs. Alexa Bliss. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. March 21, 2021. March 21, 2021. March 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210322000817/https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/03/21/wwe-fastlane-results-powells-live-review-of-roman-reigns-vs-daniel-bryan-for-the-wwe-universal-championship-with-edge-as-special-enforcer-drew-mcintyre-vs-sheamus-in-a-no-holds-barred-match-big/. live.
  12. Web site: SmackDown results, May 21, 2021: SmackDown's Fatal 4-Way Fades to Black. wwe.com. WWE. May 21, 2021. May 31, 2021. June 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210606065315/https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2021-05-21. live.
  13. 'WrestleMania 38' Night 1 Live Blog: Results, Highlights, Analysis. Dan. Gartland. Sports Illustrated. April 2, 2022. April 2, 2022. April 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220402234609/https://www.si.com/wrestling/2022/04/02/wwe-wrestlemania-38-live-blog-results-highlights. live.
  14. Web site: Rick Boogs suffers injury in WWE WrestleMania opening match. f4wonline.com. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. April 2, 2022. April 2, 2022. April 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220403015735/https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/rick-boogs-suffers-injury-in-wwe-wrestlemania-opening-match. live.
  15. Web site: See all the results from the 2023 Draft. WWE. April 28, 2023.
  16. News: Keller . Wade . 5/1 WWE Monday Night Raw Results: Keller's report on WWE Draft, Riddle vs. Uso, Judgment Day vs. LWO mixed tag, Lesnar, Cody . May 1, 2023 . Pro Wrestling Torch . May 1, 2023.
  17. Web site: Ravens . Andrew . 2023-09-21 . Rick Boogs Released By WWE . 2023-09-21 . Wrestling Headlines . en-US.
  18. Web site: Eric Bugenhagen (fka Rock Boogs). Chris Van Vliet. . January 4, 2024.
  19. Web site: WWE 2K22 Clowning Around Pack Is No Joke. 2K. July 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220628162345/https://wwe.2k.com/dlc/clowning-around-pack. June 28, 2022. live.
  20. Web site: WWE 2K22 wrestlers list sorted by Raw, Smackdown, AEW and more. Wilson. Ben. July 6, 2022. GamesRadar+. July 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720065821/https://www.gamesradar.com/wwe-2k22-wrestlers/. July 20, 2022. live.
  21. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2022. September 14, 2022. The Internet Wrestling Database. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922075048/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2022.html. live.
  22. Web site: 24/7 Championship/WWE. wwe.com. World Wrestling Entertainment. April 11, 2021. April 20, 2021. June 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220623164827/https://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/24-7-championship. live.

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