WWE Note On Rick Boogs And Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE made an interesting tweet on Rick Boogs (Eric Bugenhagen, fka Rik Bugez) this week where they asked whose entrance theme he should perform next.
As seen below, WWE tweeted a photo of Boogs performing Shinsuke Nakamura's theme song on last week's SmackDown and asked which Superstar entrance he should do next. This led to some speculation on the alliance between Boogs and Nakamura, and if it will be a permanent thing moving forward or if Boogs will be working with multiple Superstars as his character evolves on the main roster.
Boogs changed his social media handles this week and can now be found at @rickboogswwe. We noted before how WWE had been using the "Rik Bugez" spelling for his name, but that changed when he was brought to SmackDown last week.
Last week's SmackDown on FOX saw Boogs interrupt a pre-match promo by King Baron Corbin, then accompany Nakamura to the ring while playing his theme song on his electric guitar. Boogs watched from ringside as Nakamura wrestled Corbin, and distracted him at times before Nakamura picked up a victory, getting his win back from the week before. Nakamura continues to wear Corbin's crown after stealing it from him earlier this month.
We should have a better idea of the Boogs debut storyline and his alliance with Nakamura after tonight's SmackDown.
On a related note, WWE filed to trademark the "Rick Boogs" name on May 20. The following use description was filed with the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office):
"IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment"
Boogs was seen on WWE TV earlier this year as he played the role of Old Spice representative Joseph Average in the vignettes for Old Spice's WrestleMania 37 sponsorship. Boogs, as Average, captured the WWE 24/7 Title twice in those vignettes. He is a former powerlifter and bodybuilder who was signed in the fall of 2017. Despite just a few appearances in NXT, he has picked up a following due to his charisma and social media presence. It's also been reported that WWE officials have been impressed with Boogs since early on in his run with the company, and had high hopes for his future. He last wrestled on the March 7, 2020 NXT live event, defeating Tino Sabbatelli.
Stay tuned for more on Boogs and Nakamura. You can see the WWE tweet on Boogs below:
Whose entrance theme should @rikbugez perform next? 🎸 pic.twitter.com/RbqAsYyw8C
— WWE (@WWE) May 24, 2021