Who is Eric Bugenhagen?
Eric Bugenhagen was born on December 1, 1987 in Franklin, Wisconsin, United States, and is a professional wrestler, best known for competing under the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) development brand NXT under his real name. He was also credited with the ring name Rik Bugez and is known for his rockstar gimmick which he has been using since 2019.
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The Riches 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.
Although he is not a regular television cast member on NXT, he is considered an up-and-coming player in professional wrestling and has therefore performed on various NXT house shows.
Early Life, Education, and Beginnings of Wrestling
Eric grew up in Franklin and, at a young age, showed a strong fondness for athletics. He enjoyed watching professional wrestling grow, seeing what was then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Wanting to pursue a career as a performer, he quickly learned that many professional wrestlers had an amateur wrestling background during their youth. In high school, he became a member of his local school’s wrestling team and won two championships in the process.
After graduating, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The university is one of the largest and oldest public universities in the state, occupying over 1,200 acres of land, and is considered one of the Public Ivies, having an educational system comparable to that of the Private Ivy League. Many high profile personalities have graduated from college and are known both for their highly competitive varsity sports teams and for their scientific breakthroughs in nutritional science. He studied for a degree in nutrition with a minor in history. In the meantime, he also competed with the college wrestling team and was a four-year letter winner.
He was also ranked among the top amateur wrestlers in the United States in 2011.
Professional Wrestling – NXT
After graduating, Bugenhagen initially pursued other interests and career paths, believing wrestling was something that had been put behind him. In the mid-2010s, his interest in professional wrestling grew and he decided to try out at the WWE Performance Center, where he was soon offered a developmental contract under their NXT brand.
NXT was established in 2010 as a developmental territory for wrestlers, with the intention of eventually appearing on the company’s main roster.
However, over the years it has become a brand in its own right and the home of many independent stars, while also providing some of the most memorable matches of recent years as noted by many wrestling pundits. Although still technically a brand in development, NXT was considered a third major WWE brand, and in 2019 NXT signed a TV deal with USA Network, to begin airing shows hosted in an arena in Orlando, in Florida. Many praise NXT for its high-quality storylines, character work, and wrestling.
The beginnings of NXT
After training for a few years, Bugenhagen debuted in a 2017 show against Lars Sullivan, which he lost.
The two fought again a few days later, resulting in his second straight loss. A month later, he teamed with Heavy Machinery in a six-way match against The Forgotten Sons and Chad Lail. This led to his first two straight wins, which included a rematch a few days later. His next match was with Adrian Jaoude, his third singles match which ended in another loss.
He then took a year-long hiatus from appearing on NXT broadcasts, primarily to train and do other endeavors. He also needed a new trick, so returned in 2018 as Rik Buges, working in a house show against Kassius Ohno.
He then teamed with Riddick Moss in a tag team match against the Street Profits, before appearing on a house show with Mansoo Al_Shehail against Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. He continued to appear on house shows over the next few months, with a few matches against Damian Priest, then known as Punishment Martinez.
New personality
In 2019 Bugenhagen continued to work on the house show circuit, securing a singles match with Mansoor which he lost. A few nights later, he fought Dominik Dijakovic, but lost that match as well. However, management were impressed with his performance and he was given the chance to make his NXT television debut, reverting to his real name of Eric Bugenhagen.
During his television appearance, he debuted his new persona, a flamboyant rock star with long hair and a handlebar mustache. He is shown playing airy instruments such as the air guitar, screaming like the rock bands of decades ago. In his first televised match, he fought against Drew Gulak and lost.
Despite these losses, fans appreciated his personality and his gimmick, with many citing a natural charisma that could lead him to become a future star. Despite the momentum of that first appearance, he hasn’t been used on television as a wrestler since, likely because there’s nothing developed for him yet. He has also been busy continuing to improve his skills.
He was shown a few times in backstage segments and was used as a member of a crowd to fill the arena when people are still not allowed to congregate at wrestling events.
Private life
Eric is apparently married, although he didn’t provide any details about his wife, only sharing photos of them and their child. She often makes appearances in his online posts and is seen on shows that support him. In his spare time, he enjoys bodybuilding and weightlifting, especially powerlifting. He also plays guitar and has shaped his voice to match his character. He is also a strong supporter of nutritional and bodybuilding supplements, in partnership with the Psycho Pharma company.
