The Boogeyman (wrestler) facts for kids

Martin Wright (born July 15, 1964) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known by his wrestling name, The Boogeyman. He is also a fitness instructor.

The Boogeyman is famous for his scary, horror-themed character. He often paints his face red and sometimes eats worms during his matches. He first started wrestling in 2004. After his main time with WWE ended in 2009, he continued to wrestle. He has also made special appearances for WWE since 2015. He is currently signed to WWE under a special "legends contract."

Professional Wrestling Journey

Starting in WWE (2004–2009)

Tough Enough and Ohio Valley Wrestling (2004–2005)

Martin Wright first tried to become a professional wrestler through a TV show. This show was called Tough Enough. It was a competition to find new wrestling stars. In October 2004, he was chosen as one of eight finalists.

However, he had said he was 30 years old, but he was actually 40. This was five years older than the show's age limit. Because of this, he was removed from the competition. Even so, WWE officials saw his potential. They invited him to train at their special wrestling school. This school was called Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).

He trained there from January to June 2005. He made his first appearance at OVW on June 25, 2005. During a match, he suddenly entered the ring. He quickly defeated three other wrestlers. He then announced himself as "The Boogeyman." His character became a scary "monster" who would appear when his name was said. He would then attack other wrestlers.

Joining SmackDown! (2005–2007)

The Boogeyman in 2007

In July 2005, scary video clips began to air on TV. These videos promoted The Boogeyman's upcoming debut. His character was a horror-themed, worm-eating monster. His first planned appearance was delayed because he hurt his knees.

He finally debuted on SmackDown! on October 14, 2005. He was introduced as part of a "new talent" plan. The Boogeyman then recited a scary rhyme. He also smashed a large alarm clock on his own head. For the next few weeks, he appeared in unexpected places backstage. He would say nursery rhymes and hold up clocks. Then he would shout his famous line: "I'm The Boogeyman and I'm comin' to get'cha!"

At Survivor Series, The Boogeyman helped the SmackDown! general manager, Theodore Long. He helped Long defeat the Raw general manager, Eric Bischoff. The Boogeyman had his first official match on December 2, 2005. He easily defeated Simon Dean. During this match, he took live worms from his pocket and ate them. In the following weeks, he often defeated his opponents quickly. He would sometimes leave worms on them or spit on their faces.

The Boogeyman's first big rivalry was with John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) and his assistant, Jillian Hall. The Boogeyman often scared them backstage. On January 13, 2006, during a TV segment, The Boogeyman scared Jillian Hall by acting strangely around her face. The Boogeyman faced JBL at the Royal Rumble. He won the match in less than two minutes.

After this, The Boogeyman began to scare Booker T and his wife, Sharmell. They were supposed to have a match, but Booker T pretended to be injured. The rivalry ended at WrestleMania 22. The Boogeyman defeated Booker T and Sharmell in a special match. During the match, The Boogeyman scared Sharmell with worms. The match was cut short because The Boogeyman had a muscle injury.

After recovering, The Boogeyman returned to SmackDown! in October 2006. He attacked The Miz and Kristal Marshall. He ended The Miz's winning streak at the Armageddon event in December.

The Boogeyman then had a rivalry with Finlay. Finlay ended The Boogeyman's winning streak with help from Hornswoggle. On February 16, 2007, The Boogeyman introduced his own small helper, Little Boogeyman. Little Boogeyman was played by an actor named Chris Hollyfield. The Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman lost to Finlay and Hornswoggle at No Way Out. They also lost a rematch the next week.

The Boogeyman's time on SmackDown! ended with a loss to Mark Henry. Mark Henry defeated The Boogeyman and also scared Little Boogeyman.

Moving to ECW and Leaving WWE (2007–2009)

In June 2007, The Boogeyman was moved to the ECW wrestling brand. He started a rivalry with Matt Striker. On July 10, The Boogeyman was attacked by Striker's large helper, Big Daddy V. The Boogeyman returned later with new face paint and black contact lenses. He scared Big Daddy V away after a match.

On August 14, The Boogeyman won a match against ECW Champion John Morrison. He then teamed with CM Punk to defeat Morrison and Big Daddy V. The Boogeyman and Big Daddy V finally faced each other in a match on September 18, which The Boogeyman lost.

The Boogeyman had another injury, a torn calf muscle. He also had dental surgery. He returned to WWE TV on October 13, 2008. He appeared with stars from the TV show Jackass. He scared one of them by spitting worms into his mouth.

The Boogeyman returned to wrestling matches on ECW in December 2008. He easily defeated Scott Reed. On December 30, he lost a tag team match with Finlay as his partner. His last appearance on WWE TV was on March 3, 2009. He lost a match against Kane. The next day, WWE announced that Martin Wright had left the company.

Independent Wrestling (2010–Present)

After leaving WWE, Martin Wright continued to wrestle. He used his Boogeyman character in other wrestling groups. In February 2012, he wrestled at an event for the Millennium Wrestling Federation.

Returning to WWE (2012–Present)

On December 16, 2012, The Boogeyman made a surprise return on Raw. He appeared during the Slammy Awards show and scared his former rival, Booker T.

The Boogeyman appeared in Halloween videos on WWE's YouTube channel in 2013 and 2014. On January 25, 2015, he made a surprise return to the wrestling ring. He entered the Royal Rumble match as a surprise entrant. This was his first WWE match in almost six years. However, he was quickly eliminated by Bray Wyatt.

In November 2015, it was announced that Martin Wright had signed a "legends contract" with WWE. This is a long-term deal for him to make occasional appearances without wrestling full-time. He appeared on Raw 25 Years in January 2018. On July 22, 2019, he appeared at the Raw Reunion show. He scared Drake Maverick in the locker room. This helped Pat Patterson win the WWE 24/7 Championship.

On January 4, 2021, The Boogeyman appeared again on the Raw Legends Night special. He scared the 24/7 Champion Angel Garza. This allowed R-Truth to win the title.

Life Outside Wrestling

As of 2018, Martin Wright works as a fitness instructor. He lives in Denver, Colorado. He has his own training center in Boulder, Colorado. He often shares videos of himself helping people get fit and lose weight.

Other Appearances

In January 2013, Martin Wright appeared in some short videos. These videos promoted a fitness center owned by Bobby Lashley.

In 2015, Wright was in two episodes of the WWE Network show, Swerved. This was a hidden camera prank show. In 2018, he appeared in a special called "House Hardy Halloween" on WWE Network.

Wright has also been a character in several video games. These include WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SuperCard, WWE Champions, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23, WWE 2K24 and WWE 2K25.

Awards and Achievements

• Alabama Wrestling Federation
  • AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bobby Lashley
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Rookie of the Year (2006)
  • Ranked No. 114 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2007

See also

In Spanish: The Boogeyman (luchador) para niños