Former WWE wrestler Rick Boogs open to wrestling return
It’s been nearly three years since he last wrestled, but Eric Bugenhagen is open to returning to the ring if the right opportunity comes along.
Bugenhagen (formerly known as Rick Boogs in WWE) is back in the spotlight as a cast member on Amazon Prime’s new “American Gladiators” reboot. Appearing on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Bugenhagen had a change of tune when asked about his wrestling future. He previously did not want to take any indie bookings and even avoided conventions because he had a “sour flavor” in his mouth after being released by WWE in 2023. But he now sees an in-ring return as a real possibility.
“I don’t think so, man,” Bugenhagen responded when asked if his time in wrestling is over.
Van Vliet then questioned why we haven’t seen Bugenhagen in the ring since departing WWE.
“That was very intentional, too. Don’t get it twisted, people. I got many things thrown at me,” Bugenhagen said. “And I was like, no, I don’t want anything. Mainly because I was like, I want to see if I can thrive on my own, which I have. But that’s the thing now. It’s like, okay, maybe that was a bit of pride and ego, but I’ve proved it. And now it’s like, but you know what? Pro wrestling is fun. So if the opportunity is right, absolutely.”
Bugenhagen is best remembered for being Shinsuke Nakamura’s guitar-playing hype man in WWE. He fell out of favor in the company after Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over creative, with Bugenhagen feeling like Levesque wasn’t a fan of his goofy character.
“I think that this was the issue with Hunter with me, is that I was so over the top, goofy,” he said. “But it’s like, ‘You gotta kick his ass. You gotta back it up. You can’t just be goofy.’ You know, it’s like, what did he always say? ‘Pop fly, you can’t miss it.'”
Bugenhagen said he especially enjoyed competing in tag team matches during his WWE tenure. Learning to cut promos at the Performance Center helped him prepare for his new “American Gladiators” role, which is Bugenhagen’s main focus right now. He did not seem to think a potential return to the ring would happen before the end of 2026.
The “American Gladiators” series is hosted by WWE star The Miz and also has AEW wrestlers Wardlow and Kamille on the cast, along with indie names Jessie Godderz and J-Rod (Jessica Roden).
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.