Rick Boogs hints at alleged politics behind his WWE release: The removal of Vince killed my career

Like many of the wrestlers who were released by WWE last week, Rick Boogs shared some thoughts online about losing his job. The 35 year former collegiate wrestler (real name Eric Bugenhagen) got people talking with his opinion he’d been released due to a “backstage political power play” — the specifics of which he would share “when the time is right”.

The comments under the YouTube video in which Boogs made those comments wasn’t the right place or time to tell the whole story. But it is where he dropped a few hints about what shape that story will take.

In response to this comment:

This never would’ve happened with Vince at the helm. Very obvious that the wwe has been reinventing their image to please networks/advertisers. They’re removing what they deem “toxic masculinity”

Boogs replied:

I can say with 100% certainty, the removal of Vince killed my career

In addition to making it clear he doesn’t believe former TKO Group Executive Chairman Vince McMahon ordered his release (and that McMahon stepping down as WWE Executive Chairman last summer during the investigation into his hush money/sexual misconduct scandal impacted his push), other exchanges dealt with why Boogs believes he was cut.

Commenter: You came in at the tail end of wrestling they’re even going after Vince’s legacy, I know people might have bad opinions about him, but still they’re trying to take the testosterone out of WWE. It isn’t the golden era anymore, IMO you’re better off without it being your own guy on youtube. You are hilarious on your own and a brand in and of yourself.

Boogs: I can’t wait to give my opinion cuz it sounds like we’re totally on the same page

Commenter: Boogs I’ve always been a pro wrestling fan, and a fan of your YouTube content, but your wwe character wasn’t very good dude. It was goofy for the sake of being goofy. You have the capability of being massively over with the audience, but you weren’t because that character was just a guy constantly hyping himself up, playing air guitar, and making goofy facial expressions with no real substance behind anything. Maybe there was backstage politics, but you should just regroup on the indies, and build yourself a far better character if you want to still be a pro wrestler.

Boogs: Well that’s your opinion, which is all that business was…opinions and politics. A lot of people tell me I was their favorite, mainly their kids favorite, which is the way it should be considering it’s a PG show. Also, aside from my time with Vince, the character wasn’t even given a chance…the audience has zero idea about all the bullshit I’ve had to put up with for the years. I have plenty to say once the times right

Commenter: They probably released you because you were too big. Nobody could work with you because you’d clearly out-horse them

Boogs: As funny as that sounds, you’re not totally wrong..again, I’ll talk about it when I can

And one indicated that Boogs thinks one specific person in WWE management has a “weird grudge” against him.

Commenter: People keep talking about Dolph Ziggler being the biggest dropped ball ever and all that, I don’t think anything bad about Ziggler but the fact that WWE had you on their roster - a hulking freak of nature with outlandish charisma that could fit any role they wanted to put you in - and they did mostly nothing with you just to quietly let you go... It’s unbelievable. I actually can’t even imagine a more ideal WWE star. Larger than life characters with big personalities is supposed to be the template for that place, not the exception, I think they did you dirty man.

Boogs: Pretty much everyone in the corporate side of the company agreed which is why I was always the third party guy doing commercials for old spice, snickers, Mikes hard lemonade,and Toyota…however, one person clearly has some weird grudge against me

Fans have already started speculating on the identity of the non-Vince person he thinks was out to get him, and his comments will certainly pop up in debates about whether WWE has become too politically correct or “woke”.

Since he was on a main roster contract at the time of his release (Sept. 21), it will probably be 90 days before Boogs does a shoot interview fleshing out the alleged politics behind his release. In the meantime, he’s definitely come up with a way to grab some headlines on the wrestle web.