Marty Wright
Encyclopedia
Martin "Marty" Wright is an American
professional wrestler
and actor
best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment
under the ring name
The Boogeyman.
(WWE) produced reality television
competition Tough Enough
. On October 15, 2004, he attended the two day event in Venice Beach, California
, where he was among eight finalists chosen. After surviving the first day of eliminations he admitted that he was actually 40 years old — five years over the competition's cut off point — and not 30 as he'd claimed. As a result he was cut from the competition.
(OVW) for possible training. He trained between January and June 2005, making his OVW debut on June 25, 2005. During a dark match pitting the team of Seth Skyfire and Robert Fury against Robbie Dawber and his partner, Wright entered the ring
and squashed all three men, no-selling the offense of Skyfire in the process. He then announced that he was "The Boogeyman" before leaving the building. The Boogeyman gimmick further evolved into a "monster" face
who would appear when another wrestler said his name and attack him, while not selling any offense he received.
, horror movie
style vignettes began airing to promote the debut of Wright in his "Boogeyman" persona. After a few weeks the vignettes were moved from Raw to SmackDown!, but his planned debut was delayed when he hyperextended
both knee
s and needed time to recover. The Boogeyman made his first appearance on October 13, 2005 SmackDown!. He was brought in by UPN
Network Executive Palmer Cannon
, who claimed he was going to be a part of another (unspecified) UPN show that never came to be due to an on-set "accident" involving The Boogeyman; it was implied he had "done something" to another member of the cast, but never elaborated on. Cannon said he brought him to the SmackDown! brand as part of a "new talent initiative". The Boogeyman then proceeded to recite a version of the child's chant One, two, Freddy's coming for you from the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street
before smashing an oversized alarm clock
on his own head. The Boogeyman continued to "terrorize" other Superstars for the next couple of months. For the next few weeks The Boogeyman (who was then a tweener) appeared in unexpected places backstage (closets, vans, et cetera), reciting different nursery rhymes and holding up clocks before screaming his catchphrase "I'm The Boogeyman and I'm comin' to get'cha!" and laughing maniacally. This would leave the performer(s) that had discovered him both confused and creeped out, usually ending with them backing out of the room slowly while the commentators remarked on how strange the whole situation was.
At the 2005 Survivor Series
, The Boogeyman helped SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long
defeat his Raw counterpart, Eric Bischoff
. He made his official in-ring SmackDown! debut on December 2, defeating Simon Dean
in a squash that saw him repeatedly scream, "I'm the Boogeyman!" at a confused and terrified Dean. During this match, he took a handful of live worm
s from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth as commentators Michael Cole
and Tazz
screamed in disgust. For the next few weeks, The Boogeyman won numerous squash matches that focused on the antics of The Boogeyman. Opponents were generally "flattened" in the ring, left with worms in their mouths and/or spit on their faces. His official pay-per-view
debut was at December's Armageddon
when he came to the ring to confront Vito
and Nunzio
who were dressed as Santa Claus
and an elf.
Boogeyman's first major feud
occurred with JBL
and his "fixer
" Jillian Hall
, began when he stalked
the duo throughout a number of shows. During an episode of SmackDown! he caught a fleeing Hall and shoved worms down the back of her skirt. On another, during a Piper's Pit
segment, he not only sniffed the "growth" on Jillian's face, but licked it and bit it off. Layfield and The Boogeyman eventually met in a one-on-one contest at the 2006 Royal Rumble
, with Boogeyman picking up the win in under two minutes.
A subsequent feud with Booker T
, which saw him again stalking a wrestler and his female companion (this time Booker's wife Sharmell) culminated at WrestleMania 22
, when Boogeyman pinned Booker T after kissing Sharmell while holding a mouthful of worms. The match was exceptionally short because shortly before WrestleMania Boogeyman tore his left biceps
at a house show
. To explain his absence to rehab his injury, Booker T and Sharmell obtained a restraining order
against The Boogeyman, who actually had surgery on April 4, to repair his biceps tear.
approached, The Boogeyman began appearing in TV spots to promote the event. Vignettes also began airing advertising his return to SmackDown!, however, on September 20, 2006 WWE.com reported that Wright had been released from the company. Less than a month later, on October 6, WWE.com announced that Wright had re-signed with the company and would be sent to be trained at Booker T and Stevie Ray
's wrestling school in Houston, Texas
. Wright returned on the October 27 SmackDown!; while teaming with Layla
, he started a feud with The Miz and Kristal Marshall
. During the feud he again terrorized and stalked his opponents, spitting worms at them and scaring them at every opportunity, and eventually ended The Miz's undefeated streak at the Armageddon
pay-per-view.
Wright then feuded with Finlay
, who ended The Boogeyman's undefeated streak when Hornswoggle interfered. On the February 2 edition of SmackDown! during a match against Chris Benoit
for the WWE United States Championship
, Boogeyman abducted Hornswoggle, distracting Finlay and giving Benoit a chance to win the match with a roll-up. On the February 16 edition of SmackDown! The Boogeyman appeared with a little person of his own, Little Boogeyman, who was portrayed by an actor named Chris Hollyfield. Chris also previously had played Lil Booker T. His purpose was to counteract Hornswoggle, who was proving a problem in one-on-one matches with Finlay. The Boogeyman and the Little Boogeyman lost to Finlay and Hornswoggle in a mixed tag team match at No Way Out
. The team lost a rematch the following week on SmackDown!; Little Boogeyman was pinned by Finlay, after Wright had chased away Hornswoggle.
On OVW's 400th anniversary show, The Boogeyman made an appearance, losing to Ryan Wilson
in a tables match. The Boogeyman returned to in ring action when teamed with Kane during his feud with William Regal and Dave Taylor. This also marked the return of Little Boogeyman. The feud would be short lived as Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman would then start another feud with Finlay and Hornswoggle. Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman were defeated in a mixed tag match by Finlay and Hornswoggle at Saturday Night's Main Event.
The Boogeyman ended his tenure on SmackDown with a loss to Mark Henry
in a squash match, as part of Henry's new "Path of Destruction" gimmick. After that match, Mark Henry then beat up Little Boogeyman who was at ringside, and Henry gave him a body splash, (kayfabe
) severely injuring him. This turned out to be the last time Little Boogeyman appeared on WWE TV.
. The next day he debuted for the brand and defeated Matt Striker, beginning a feud with him. On July 10 in New Orleans, The Boogeyman was a guest during a Striker's Classroom segment, ostensibly to be educated on worms, only to be attacked by Stiker's debuting enforcer, Big Daddy V
. The Boogeyman was not seen for the next three weeks, finally re-emerging on the July 31 episode — with a new face paint design and black contact lenses — to scare Big Daddy V off after he finished a match. Boogeyman was taken out by Big Daddy V from behind after a distraction from Striker a week later.
On the August 14 episode of ECW, Boogeyman scored a disqualification victory over ECW Champion John Morrison after Morrison shoved the referee. Boogeyman went on to successfully team with CM Punk
at Saturday Night's Main Event against Morrison and Big Daddy V. On the August 28 episode of ECW, Boogeyman was one of the participants in the Fatal Four Way match for a shot at Morrison's title; however, CM Punk was the victor. On September 4, on ECW, Boogeyman beat Matt Striker by disqualification when Big Daddy V interfered, and went on to hit Boogeyman with a ghetto drop (Samoan drop)on the outside of the ring. On the September 18 episode of ECW, Boogeyman and Big Daddy V finally faced off in their first one-on-one match, which Boogeyman lost.
Boogeyman's return to wrestling action was initially delayed due to a torn calf muscle, but it had also been reported that he was having dental surgery done to replace missing teeth. On the October 7 episode of ECW a vignette was aired promoting The Boogeyman's return. Additional vignettes aired for a few weeks after that. On the October 13, 2008 edition of Raw, The Boogeyman made his return, appearing during a segment with Jackass
s Johnny Knoxville
, Chris Pontius
, and Big Dick Johnson ending with The Boogeyman bringing live worms out of a bag and after putting them in his own mouth spat them into the mouth of Pontius.
The Boogeyman made his ECW return on the November 25 episode, in a segment with John Morrison and The Miz
. He made his return to in ring competition on December 9 against Scott Reed, a local talent, who he defeated with ease. On the December 30 episode of ECW, he lost to John Morrison and The Miz in a No DQ match
with Finlay as his partner. On the January 20, 2009 edition of ECW, he defeated Paul Burchill
by disqualification, his first victory over a non-enhancement talent since returning to the brand. His last appearance on WWE programming was on March 3, 2009 where he lost in a match against Kane. The next day on March 4, 2009 WWE announced that they had released Wright from his WWE contract.
using his Boogeyman gimmick. Later, using a new gimmick called Slither, he wrestled at Northeast Wrestling as The Nightcrawler, defeating Jake Manning. On November 18th, National Wrestling Superstars runs in Kearny, NJ at the High School with The ECW Zombie vs. The Boogeyman on the card. The Boogeyman is also advertised to appear at The Wrestling Universe Store on Saturday, November 19, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
The Boogeyman.
Tough Enough
Wright first entered the world of professional wrestling to take part in the fourth season of the World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) produced reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
competition Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
. On October 15, 2004, he attended the two day event in Venice Beach, California
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
, where he was among eight finalists chosen. After surviving the first day of eliminations he admitted that he was actually 40 years old — five years over the competition's cut off point — and not 30 as he'd claimed. As a result he was cut from the competition.
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Though he had been cut from Tough Enough, WWE officials invited him to come to their developmental territory Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
(OVW) for possible training. He trained between January and June 2005, making his OVW debut on June 25, 2005. During a dark match pitting the team of Seth Skyfire and Robert Fury against Robbie Dawber and his partner, Wright entered the ring
Wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
and squashed all three men, no-selling the offense of Skyfire in the process. He then announced that he was "The Boogeyman" before leaving the building. The Boogeyman gimmick further evolved into a "monster" face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
who would appear when another wrestler said his name and attack him, while not selling any offense he received.
SmackDown! (2005–2006)
On the July 11, 2005 episode of WWE RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, horror movie
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
style vignettes began airing to promote the debut of Wright in his "Boogeyman" persona. After a few weeks the vignettes were moved from Raw to SmackDown!, but his planned debut was delayed when he hyperextended
Extension (kinesiology)
In kinesiology, extension is a movement of a joint that results in increased angle between two bones or body surfaces at a joint. Extension usually results in straightening of the bones or body surfaces involved. For example, extension is produced by extending the flexed elbow. Straightening of...
both knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
s and needed time to recover. The Boogeyman made his first appearance on October 13, 2005 SmackDown!. He was brought in by UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
Network Executive Palmer Cannon
Brian Mailhot
Brian Mailhot is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter, better known for his short stint in World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown! brand under the ring name of Palmer Canon.-Early career:...
, who claimed he was going to be a part of another (unspecified) UPN show that never came to be due to an on-set "accident" involving The Boogeyman; it was implied he had "done something" to another member of the cast, but never elaborated on. Cannon said he brought him to the SmackDown! brand as part of a "new talent initiative". The Boogeyman then proceeded to recite a version of the child's chant One, two, Freddy's coming for you from the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
before smashing an oversized alarm clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
on his own head. The Boogeyman continued to "terrorize" other Superstars for the next couple of months. For the next few weeks The Boogeyman (who was then a tweener) appeared in unexpected places backstage (closets, vans, et cetera), reciting different nursery rhymes and holding up clocks before screaming his catchphrase "I'm The Boogeyman and I'm comin' to get'cha!" and laughing maniacally. This would leave the performer(s) that had discovered him both confused and creeped out, usually ending with them backing out of the room slowly while the commentators remarked on how strange the whole situation was.
At the 2005 Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2005)
Survivor Series was the 19th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, The Boogeyman helped SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
defeat his Raw counterpart, Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. He made his official in-ring SmackDown! debut on December 2, defeating Simon Dean
Mike Bucci
Michael "Mike" Bucci is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Bucci is probably best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling as Nova, Super Nova, and "Hollywood" Nova and World Wrestling Entertainment as Simon Dean...
in a squash that saw him repeatedly scream, "I'm the Boogeyman!" at a confused and terrified Dean. During this match, he took a handful of live worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth as commentators Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
and Tazz
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
screamed in disgust. For the next few weeks, The Boogeyman won numerous squash matches that focused on the antics of The Boogeyman. Opponents were generally "flattened" in the ring, left with worms in their mouths and/or spit on their faces. His official pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
debut was at December's Armageddon
Armageddon (2005)
Armageddon was the sixth Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on December 18, 2005 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island and was a SmackDown! brand-exclusive event.The main event was a Hell in a Cell...
when he came to the ring to confront Vito
Vito LoGrasso
Vito Joseph LoGrasso is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling as Big Vito and more recently World Wrestling Entertainment and working for their "developmental territories" Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling as...
and Nunzio
James Maritato
James Maritato is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, currently working on the independent circuit. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Little Guido Maritato and Nunzio.-Starting out:While...
who were dressed as Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and an elf.
Boogeyman's first major feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
occurred with JBL
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
and his "fixer
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
" Jillian Hall
Jillian Hall
Jillian Faye Fletcher is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is also known for her tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jillian Hall or simply Jillian...
, began when he stalked
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
the duo throughout a number of shows. During an episode of SmackDown! he caught a fleeing Hall and shoved worms down the back of her skirt. On another, during a Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions in 2003 - 2011....
segment, he not only sniffed the "growth" on Jillian's face, but licked it and bit it off. Layfield and The Boogeyman eventually met in a one-on-one contest at the 2006 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2006)
Royal Rumble was the nineteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 29, 2006 in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, with Boogeyman picking up the win in under two minutes.
A subsequent feud with Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
, which saw him again stalking a wrestler and his female companion (this time Booker's wife Sharmell) culminated at WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
, when Boogeyman pinned Booker T after kissing Sharmell while holding a mouthful of worms. The match was exceptionally short because shortly before WrestleMania Boogeyman tore his left biceps
Biceps brachii muscle
In human anatomy, the biceps brachii, or simply biceps in common parlance, is, as the name implies, a two-headed muscle located on the upper arm. Both heads arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm...
at a house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
. To explain his absence to rehab his injury, Booker T and Sharmell obtained a restraining order
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
against The Boogeyman, who actually had surgery on April 4, to repair his biceps tear.
Departure and return
As SummerSlamSummerSlam (2006)
SummerSlam was the nineteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 20, 2006 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, and featured performers from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
approached, The Boogeyman began appearing in TV spots to promote the event. Vignettes also began airing advertising his return to SmackDown!, however, on September 20, 2006 WWE.com reported that Wright had been released from the company. Less than a month later, on October 6, WWE.com announced that Wright had re-signed with the company and would be sent to be trained at Booker T and Stevie Ray
Lane Huffman
Lane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
's wrestling school in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Wright returned on the October 27 SmackDown!; while teaming with Layla
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
, he started a feud with The Miz and Kristal Marshall
Kristal Marshall
Kristal Marshall is an American model, beauty queen, and former professional wrestler best known for her work in World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown! brand and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion working as Kristal Lashley the kayfabe wife of Bobby Lashley and his real life...
. During the feud he again terrorized and stalked his opponents, spitting worms at them and scaring them at every opportunity, and eventually ended The Miz's undefeated streak at the Armageddon
Armageddon (2006)
Armageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 17, 2006 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The event starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.The main event was a tag team match, in which the team...
pay-per-view.
Wright then feuded with Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
, who ended The Boogeyman's undefeated streak when Hornswoggle interfered. On the February 2 edition of SmackDown! during a match against Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
, Boogeyman abducted Hornswoggle, distracting Finlay and giving Benoit a chance to win the match with a roll-up. On the February 16 edition of SmackDown! The Boogeyman appeared with a little person of his own, Little Boogeyman, who was portrayed by an actor named Chris Hollyfield. Chris also previously had played Lil Booker T. His purpose was to counteract Hornswoggle, who was proving a problem in one-on-one matches with Finlay. The Boogeyman and the Little Boogeyman lost to Finlay and Hornswoggle in a mixed tag team match at No Way Out
No Way Out (2007)
No Way Out was the ninth annual No Way Out pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on February 18, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and was the final branded pay-per-view before all pay-per-view events became tri-branded.The main event was...
. The team lost a rematch the following week on SmackDown!; Little Boogeyman was pinned by Finlay, after Wright had chased away Hornswoggle.
On OVW's 400th anniversary show, The Boogeyman made an appearance, losing to Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson is an American professional wrestler who formerly worked for World Wrestling Entertainment in the Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental promotion as Jacob Duncan where he was a former OVW Heavyweight Champion...
in a tables match. The Boogeyman returned to in ring action when teamed with Kane during his feud with William Regal and Dave Taylor. This also marked the return of Little Boogeyman. The feud would be short lived as Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman would then start another feud with Finlay and Hornswoggle. Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman were defeated in a mixed tag match by Finlay and Hornswoggle at Saturday Night's Main Event.
The Boogeyman ended his tenure on SmackDown with a loss to Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
in a squash match, as part of Henry's new "Path of Destruction" gimmick. After that match, Mark Henry then beat up Little Boogeyman who was at ringside, and Henry gave him a body splash, (kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) severely injuring him. This turned out to be the last time Little Boogeyman appeared on WWE TV.
ECW (2007–2009)
On the June 11 edition of Raw, The Boogeyman was moved from the SmackDown! brand to ECW in the annual WWE draft2007 WWE Draft
The 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft Lottery took place at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on June 11, 2007. The first half of the draft was televised live for three hours on WWE's flagship program, Raw on USA Network...
. The next day he debuted for the brand and defeated Matt Striker, beginning a feud with him. On July 10 in New Orleans, The Boogeyman was a guest during a Striker's Classroom segment, ostensibly to be educated on worms, only to be attacked by Stiker's debuting enforcer, Big Daddy V
Nelson Frazier, Jr.
Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
. The Boogeyman was not seen for the next three weeks, finally re-emerging on the July 31 episode — with a new face paint design and black contact lenses — to scare Big Daddy V off after he finished a match. Boogeyman was taken out by Big Daddy V from behind after a distraction from Striker a week later.
On the August 14 episode of ECW, Boogeyman scored a disqualification victory over ECW Champion John Morrison after Morrison shoved the referee. Boogeyman went on to successfully team with CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
at Saturday Night's Main Event against Morrison and Big Daddy V. On the August 28 episode of ECW, Boogeyman was one of the participants in the Fatal Four Way match for a shot at Morrison's title; however, CM Punk was the victor. On September 4, on ECW, Boogeyman beat Matt Striker by disqualification when Big Daddy V interfered, and went on to hit Boogeyman with a ghetto drop (Samoan drop)on the outside of the ring. On the September 18 episode of ECW, Boogeyman and Big Daddy V finally faced off in their first one-on-one match, which Boogeyman lost.
Boogeyman's return to wrestling action was initially delayed due to a torn calf muscle, but it had also been reported that he was having dental surgery done to replace missing teeth. On the October 7 episode of ECW a vignette was aired promoting The Boogeyman's return. Additional vignettes aired for a few weeks after that. On the October 13, 2008 edition of Raw, The Boogeyman made his return, appearing during a segment with Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
s Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, Chris Pontius
Chris Pontius
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:...
, and Big Dick Johnson ending with The Boogeyman bringing live worms out of a bag and after putting them in his own mouth spat them into the mouth of Pontius.
The Boogeyman made his ECW return on the November 25 episode, in a segment with John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
. He made his return to in ring competition on December 9 against Scott Reed, a local talent, who he defeated with ease. On the December 30 episode of ECW, he lost to John Morrison and The Miz in a No DQ match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
with Finlay as his partner. On the January 20, 2009 edition of ECW, he defeated Paul Burchill
Paul Burchill
Paul Birchill , better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he signed after training and debuting for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in his home country.-Frontier Wrestling Alliance...
by disqualification, his first victory over a non-enhancement talent since returning to the brand. His last appearance on WWE programming was on March 3, 2009 where he lost in a match against Kane. The next day on March 4, 2009 WWE announced that they had released Wright from his WWE contract.
Independent circuit (2009–present)
After WWE, Wright returned to the Pro Wrestling AlliancePro Wrestling Alliance
Pro Wrestling Alliance is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Houston, Texas. It was started in 2005 by Booker T.-History:The Pro Wrestling Alliance used to hold monthly events at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, Texas...
using his Boogeyman gimmick. Later, using a new gimmick called Slither, he wrestled at Northeast Wrestling as The Nightcrawler, defeating Jake Manning. On November 18th, National Wrestling Superstars runs in Kearny, NJ at the High School with The ECW Zombie vs. The Boogeyman on the card. The Boogeyman is also advertised to appear at The Wrestling Universe Store on Saturday, November 19, 2011.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Boogeyslam / Supernatural Driver (Inverted falling powerslam)
- Fall forward chokebomb
- Goodnight (Pumphandle slam)
- Signature moves
- ChokeslamChokeslamA chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
- Stinger splash
- Two-handed chokelift
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Gonna Get You" by Jim Johnston(WWE; October 13,2005-March 3 2009)
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Rookie of the Year (2006)