Eric Bugenhagen (fka Rick Boogs): Life After WWE, WrestleMania Injury, Shinsuke Nakamura, Playing Guitar

On gaining size:

“So anyway, I don't know if I am allowed to talk about this. Like I was told I can't talk about anything creatively. But this isn't really creative I guess. So anyway, I was doing a dark match. And they were like, weighed 200 and I don't know what they said, well, first of all, my action figure says 233 pounds at the back, which is a huge slap to my face, like disgustingly slap to my face. Like I weighed 233 when I was 15 years younger. Like when I was first trying to bulk and put on bulbous tissue I was 233. So you know, this has been a long journey. So, I was going to 260 to 270 to 280 to 290. So anyway, it’s dark match time. They're like weighing in at 260 pounds, and I'm coming out, and I can't even focus on the crowd or the match. I'm just thinking about 260 pounds, that’s not right. So I go back there and like, Hey, what are we doing with this? Listen, I've put on so much frickin mass. Okay, and this isn't just blubber. You know, this is pure, dense bulk. So they’re like, has anyone seen it? So I went to the back, I weighed myself in front of four different people. And I made sure it was all up the totem pole. And then, sure enough, I get this frickin dark match next week. And it's like, What do you weigh in at? I was 291.7 or whatever, when I weighed myself. [They said] weighing in at 260, What? And then another thing too, and I won't say any names. I'll praise WWE, praise my time there. It was great. Very thankful for everything. But if certain things like this is like, what are we doing?”

On having tons of energy:

“The coffee is just the catalyst. That's not where the energy comes from. The energy comes from just, Body Dysmorphia anxiety, mental illness. I gotta keep moving. I usually stuck to that. When I was doing the Mr. Coffee. I was doing one pot a day. And then I tried doing two pots of the Mr. Coffee, boy. And that's it. I was like, Oh, we got an issue here. So now what I do is, I listen, I got a couple of different systems. I mean, these people are not going to be entertained. Well, if people like coffee, you're going to enjoy this. But I went to the extremes. I'm an extreme person. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to go all in or all out. So for the coffee. It's like, well, if I can't have a pot a day, I don't even want to make any of it. So I was like, Well, if I don't have a pot today or I don't want to have any I will meet in the middle. So I'm going to drink. I'm going to drink the instant coffee. Which people say instant is terrible, but if you're having a scoop of instant it is terrible. Bro, I had 20 scoops one time.”

On his WWE release:

“I'm great. Yeah, I'm better than ever right now. I'm at. I mean, where do we want to start? Let's talk about this. So basically, I started a YouTube channel. It's like, I'm just gonna lead the interview.” 

Does he want to keep wrestling?

“No, it's not so much that bro listen here. When I first decided I was going to do wrestling pursue it. I have to be all in on something. So like, I was doing strength conditioning stuff, personal training. And I was like, if I'm gonna commit to this other endeavour, I just gotta get [in the zone]. So I just quit my job, I have a wife and a daughter. I just got unemployed for the sake of you know, getting hungry that I really wanted to make it happen. You want to be here, which was my wife was not happy about. She was like why did you have to quit?”

On knowing the release was coming:

“Well, dude, I mean, if you want to talk about my second run on the main roster. I mean, I kind of saw the writing on the wall, but it wasn't like alright, well let me get ready for it. This is just basically thank God for my YouTube community and stuff. Because I always knew I had that. I have an awesome community."

On real-life fans:

“The funny thing is, everyone I meet in real life is awesome. I've had to do a tonne of meet and greets and stuff and it's great. And everyone's awesome. And you meet people at the airports and stuff and other people complain about that. What are you complaining about? People want to [meet you]. Even if they're like selling stuff online, which people complain about, they're just selling on eBay. Who gives a shit? They're still waiting hours for you at an airport and they still see value in your name.”

On his proudest WWE moment:

“Debuting on SmackDown. Because just from humble beginnings. I got one opportunity in NXT and I think I absolutely hit a frickin Grand Slam with it. I was set up to get squashed by Drew Gulak and ended up making some magic out of it and making a name for myself from supposedly just getting squashed. Like, this is the turnaround of things. This is the change of things and it's just literally went nowhere. I guess this is a lesson, one of those hard lessons in pro wrestling. You know, you're there's somebody's guy or not. Which, you know, I mean, like, and then I got to be that guy for that, which is crazy. Once I did Old Spice, I don't think this is creative. And I don't understand. But anyways, like I was told, you can't talk about anything creatively or whatever it was, I don't understand. This is my life. I think I can talk about my life. And it's not creative. So anyways, they needed someone to do this Old Spice ad that like, looked like a wrestler and was entertaining and had personality and had no TV equity. And like, oh, Rick Boogs, that's the guy. Old Spice, the people like running the ad or whatever, just loved it. And they wanted to do it again. But stuff happened and it never happened again, unfortunately. But it was supposed to happen again like a big whole series.”

On commenting that Vince McMahon’s removal played a part in his release:

“I mean, I guess, if you just look at it objectively, like look at my NXT run, and then look at, you know, when I was seen by Vince, and look at that run, and then when management or the whole regime changed again, look at that run. So a lot of people say, Oh, but he was injured, I think I can say this, I was supposed to be brought back earlier, like, when I wasn't even cleared yet, a month or two after rehab. And I was really planning on it. pumped. Oh, man, like, I can't really bend my knee yet Let's get back up there. And that was just kibosh.”

On someone having a grudge against him:

Grudge isn't the right word. In development, I was told, 'You have an awesome personality, and people like you, and the crowd is with you. Just keep getting better in the ring.' Basically, with that regime, that's all I ever heard. It's frustrating, but at the same time, I get where both sides are coming from."

What is Rick Boogs grateful for:

“My wife and daughter, my community.”

On meeting Vince McMahon:

“The first time I met him. So it was in Stamford. It was like the WWE tour or whatever. And everyone's like, trying to be like, respected. I’m not an ass-kisser, I don’t care. It might be to my detriment but at the same time, I think it's why people like me as well. So everyone's like Vince, nice to meet you, sir. And I see him like Vince, where's the gym? What the hell? Give me a tour. He's like [laughs] how much weight do you think you can pit shark? I’m like dude, I don't know, I maxed the thing out I've done as many plates as you can fit. I say you know you can get those thin plates, the kilo plates. He says, How much weight do you think you can get on them? I don't know. I mean, I'm not a mathematician, couple 1000? Meanwhile, the other people are just awkward while we are male bonding about pit shark squats. And another time at TV they say, Oh my god Boogs, Vince wants to talk to you. I don't know what [it was about], they're freaking me out. He wants to talk to you. He thinks that you’re a yes man, you're not listening, you're not doing what he wants you to do. Oh sh*t, okay. So I go in there and I'm like what's up Vince? And I said Hey, by the way, I was at a gym today. And I just did like 585 on squat or whatever. [Vince says] What do you squat? I tell him I go as low as possible. We are talking about squats, it is like the greatest conversation ever. Everyone is intimidated by him. I've always had a great [relationship], we just talked about lifting, about squats. It's always about squats.”

Did you ever work out with Vince McMahon:

"I asked him a million times, when are we gonna work out? Dude I’ll frickin cut some suit pants off, make them shorts and do it at 3 am with you if you want. That's what I've heard he does, I would love that. I've tried to, I've messaged him and stuff and I think only to my detriment probably. [Vince thinks] What the hell is this guy messaging me for? I don’t have his number but somebody was like hey, try his email like chairman or something like that."