In 2019, I saw the greatest debut performance by a professional wrestler maybe ever, when Eric Bugenhagen made his debut by air-guitaring and offering intense wails as he made his entrance to the ring. He instantly got a huge reaction from the audience and I knew a future star would be made. Last night, rechristened as Rick Boogs, he made his national television debut on WWE Smackdown on Fox and, as a metalhead and wrestling fan, I couldn't be more excited.
As King Corbin was yapping in the ring, Boogs interrupted him with some fun shred on his Epiphone V to help introduce and play in the ever-flamboyant Shinsuke Nakamura, a mix of Freddy Mercury and Michael Jackson. Boogs then played Nakamura into the ring.
Boogs, who sports a Megadeth Killing is My Business tattoo on his upper chest, also ended up getting involved in the finish, by jumping on the announce desk and shredding some more, offering the dastardly distraction – the worst thing you can do to a WWE performer, leading to Nakamura getting the victory with Boogs' help. We can't wait to see more of Boogs on Fox!
Boogs knows his shred and knows his squats. Here he is squatting 345 pounds while playing Iron Maiden:
Make sure to check out our interview with Boogs from 2019, where he talks about his love of metal and how he got started in wrestling.
