The WWE recently cut a bunch of talent, and many superstars have reacted to their release differently. Some are looking ahead to the future and other opportunities with other pro wrestling organizations. Others, like Rick Boogs, are talking to fans about the reasons for their release. Boogs recently said he believes his exit came as a result of a "backstage political power play," as he indicated in a video following his release.
Rick Boogs released a video on his YouTube channel, which is under his real name, Eric Bugenhagen. In his latest video, the wrestler spoke briefly about his release and seemed to indicate his release was directly tied to someone behind the scenes orchestrating it:
All right fellas we're back, and let me tell you, it's been an interesting time in my life with my job in WWE being terminated due to backstage political power play. At least, that's my opinion of it. Now is not the time to talk about that. I will get into detail about that when the time is right.
Rick Boogs conceded that his statement about his release is just his opinion and not something he was explicitly told when he was released. Unfortunately, Boogs didn't go into explicit detail as to what the power play he alluded to was, but indicated he would talk more about it in future content.
While Boogs wasn't willing to talk about the situation further in his video, he did elaborate further on his beliefs in the comments of his YouTube video. The wrestler replied to a comment saying his exit wouldn't have happened with Vince McMahon still in charge of creative in the WWE:
I can say with 100% certainty, the removal of Vince killed my career.
Vince McMahon regained some measure of control following the WWE's acquisition by Endeavor and transition into TKO Group Holdings, but Triple H still remains in charge of the creative product. It would seem that Rick Boogs is implying that Triple H, or at least someone with more say following McMahon's exclusion from the day-to-day of the WWE, is responsible for his reduced screen time and his eventual dismissal.
Rick Boogs continued to respond to comments, including one fan who believed he was underutilized by the WWE during his run. CinemaBlend wrote about Boogs' switch to SmackDown earlier this year and how it was seen as a momentum killer for his storyline, so I would certainly agree. The commenter said that Boogs could've easily been a top star of the company, to which Boogs responded with the following:
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, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Toyota…however, one person clearly has some weird grudge against me.
Again, Rick Boogs dropped a big hint that there was one key decision-maker that kept him from getting the chances he felt he deserved. It seems he's hinting that person is Triple H, but Boogs should continue to share at his own pace about who he felt wronged him and what led him to believe that.
Boogs isn't the first person to speak ill of their time in the WWE, but I would say fewer wrestlers do than don't. This may be, in part, because there's always a chance of being re-signed down the line and returning for upcoming WWE events. One could imagine the chances of that happening are reduced when openly hinting at backstage troubles, but who knows what the future holds?
Rick Boogs is gone from WWE television, but those with a Peacock Premium subscription can revisit some of his iconic in-ring moments. I'm a big fan of the guitar solo he rocked out at WrestleMania 38, and I would love to see him return one day to rock out again if it's in the cards.
