Ric Boogs Debuts On WWE SmackDown
He's already drawn the ire of a noted heel
May 22, 2021
He's had a few different names, each with their own unique spelling, but the man once known as Eric Bugenhagen and Rik Bugez is now on the SmackDown brand, appearing as Ric Boogs.
Boogs appeared prior to a match between King Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura. Corbin had just cut a pre-match promo running down Nakamura, when Boogs arrived, playing a guitar. He said he was here to "rock with a real king", and proceeded to play Nakamura down the aisle.
Nakamura won the match with a small package after Boogs distracted Corbin by playing his guitar.
Boogs has been with WWE since 2017, appearing mostly on the NXT brand. He only wrestled in a handful of matches that were televised, mostly working the live event loop into 2020. In one of his few televised appearances in 2019, Boogs gained a measure of fame for an exuberant "air instrument"-laden entrance.
Boogs also wrestled two matches for EVOLVE in early 2020.
Boogs has technically held the WWE 24/7 title on two occasions, under the name Joseph Average, as part of a commercial tie-in with Old Spice.