Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell recently spoke about Rick Boogs' release from the company.
Boogs was one of the stars released by WWE after the recent UFC merger. Other top names included Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Riddick Moss, Emma, Shelton Benjamin, Mace, Mansoor, Aliyah and more. However, the 35-year-old star didn't take too kindly to this and claimed that Vince McMahon losing control of the company ruined his career.
On a recent episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran stated that although Vince did like Boogs, it was an exaggerated claim. He explained that the decision-makers didn't see much of an upside in the star and probably decided to let him go.
"Vince liked him. Vince liked him because of the body and all that stuff. He blamed Vince going out of power as ruining his career. I think that was a little bit dramatic. I think he lost his job not because somebody didn't like him but because somebody didn't like what he added, which he didn't add that much." [From 44:51 to 45:21]
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
You can watch the full video here:
Rick Boogs was injured at WWE WrestleMania 38
During his two-year stint on the WWE main roster, Boogs will mostly be remembered for his pairing with Shinsuke Nakamura. The two stars made a formidable tag team and were over with the fans.
Disaster struck when Rick Boogs suffered a torn quadricep at WrestleMania 38. This injury kept him out for months, and he finally returned on the January 30 episode of RAW, kicking off a feud with The Miz.
However, Boogs never got as big and was gradually lost within the huge WWE roster. His last TV appearance was at SummerSlam, where he competed in the Slim Jim Battle Royal, which was won by LA Knight.
Do you think there was some politics involved in Boogs' release? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you use the quotes from this article, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.