Who is Eric Bugenhagen?

Born on December 1, 1987 in Franklin, Wisconsin, USA, Eric Bugenhagen is a professional wrestler, best known for participating in World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) developmental brand NXT under his real name. He is also credited with the ring name Rik Bugez and is known for his rock star gimmick which he has been using since 2019.

The wealth of Eric Bugenhagen

As of mid 2020, Eric Bugenhagen’s net worth is estimated to be over $1 million earned through a successful career in professional wrestling.

While not a regular television performer on NXT, he is considered a notable newcomer to professional wrestling, and thus has made appearances on several NXT house shows.

Beginning of early life, education and wrestling

Growing up in Franklin, Eric showed a strong athletic bent at a young age. He enjoyed watching professional wrestling growing up watching what was then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Wanting to pursue a career as a performer, he soon discovered that many professional wrestlers had amateur wrestling backgrounds during their youth. During high school, he became part of his local school’s wrestling team, winning two championships in the process.

After his entrance exam, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The university is one of the largest and oldest public universities in the state, occupying more than 1,200 acres of land, and is considered one of the Public Ivies, with an education system similar to that of the private Ivy League. Numerous prominent individuals have graduated from the university and are known for both their highly competitive sports teams and scientific breakthroughs in nutritional science. He studied for a degree in nutrition with a minor in history. Meanwhile, he also participated in the college wrestling team and was a letter winner for four years.

He was also ranked as one of the top amateur wrestlers in the US in 2011.

Professional Wrestling – NXT

After graduation, Bugenhagen first pursued other interests and career paths, assuming that wrestling was something he had left behind. In the mid-2010s, his interest in professional wrestling grew and he decided to try his hand at the WWE Performance Center, where he was soon offered a developmental contract as part of their NXT brand.

NXT was founded in 2010 as a development area for wrestlers, with the intention of eventually making it to the company’s main roster.

Over the years, however, it has become a brand in its own right and home to many top indie stars, while also delivering some of the most memorable matches in recent years, as noted by many wrestling experts. While still technically a development brand, NXT is considered one third main brand of WWE, and in 2019, NXT signed a television deal with the USA Network to broadcast shows held at an arena in Orlando, Florida. Many praise NXT for its high-quality storylines, character work, and wrestling.

NXT start

After training for a few years, Bugenhagen made his debut in 2017 in a show against Lars Sullivan, which he lost.

The two fought again a few days later, leading to his second loss in a row. A month later, he teamed with Heavy Machinery in a six-man tag match against The Forgotten Sons and Chad Lail. This led to his first two consecutive wins, including a rematch held a few days later. His next match was with Adrian Jaoude, his third singles match which resulted in another defeat.

He then took a one-year hiatus from appearing in NXT shows, mainly to train and pursue other endeavors. He also needed a new gimmick and so returned in 2018 Rick Bugesworks on a house show against Kassius Ohno.

He then teamed up with Riddick Moss in a tag team match against the Street Profits, before appearing in a house show teaming up with Mansoo Al_Shehail against Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. He continued to perform in house shows over the next few months, with some matches against Damian Priest, then known as Punishment Martinez.

New personality

In 2019, Bugenhagen continued to work in the houseshow circuit and got a singles match with Mansoor which he lost. A few nights later he fought against Dominik Dijakovic but lost that match as well. However, management was impressed with his performance and he was given the opportunity to debut on NXT television, reverting to his real name Eric Bugenhagen.

In his television appearance, he debuted his new character, a flamboyant rock star with long hair and a handlebar moustache. He plays air instruments like the air guitar and screams like the rock bands of decades ago. In his first televised match, he fought Drew Gulak and lost.

Despite these losses, the fans enjoyed his personality and gimmick, with many citing a natural charisma that could lead him to become a future star. Despite the momentum of his first appearance, he hasn’t been used on television as a wrestler since, probably because nothing has been developed for him yet. He has also been busy improving his skills.

He has been featured in backstage segments a few times and was used as part of a crowd to fill the arena when people are still not allowed to congregate at wrestling events.

Private life

Eric is apparently married, though he has not provided any details about his wife, only sharing pictures of them and their child. She often makes cameo appearances in his online posts and can be seen on shows supporting him. In his spare time he enjoys bodybuilding and weightlifting, especially powerlifting. He also plays the guitar and has trained his voice to suit his character. He is also an ardent supporter of nutritional and bodybuilding supplements, to collaborate with the company Psycho Pharma.

, Wikipedia