In 2005, WWE debuted a new character known as The Boogeyman, portrayed by a man named Marty Wright. Before the character’s debut, however, Wright was involved in WWE’s reality series “Tough Enough,” where he was eliminated early for an unusual reason, which he discussed while appearing on “The F Y’all Podcast.”
Wright revealed that he was doing some acting at the time and received word from his agent that he should try out with WWE. As he was homeless at the time, Wright seized on the opportunity. After his agent bought him a plane ticket, Wright wound up taking part in the fourth season of “Tough Enough,” as WWE was trying to get in on the reality TV boom.
“I wrote on my application that I’m … 30 when I’m 40,” Wright said. “[That would] give me at least three days to do what I can do to prove to these motherf***ers I can do it. I know if I put 40 down on there, they’re just going to take my application and they’re going to throw it away.”
Recalling the early stages of the tryout, Wright said there were plenty of participants who couldn’t even do a single push-up, which astonished him. Meanwhile, Wright worked out with intensity and pretended to listen to music while actually being honed in to everything happening around him, including what those around him were saying about him.
Marty Wright is eliminated from Tough Enough
Wright wound up making it through the first round, but it wasn’t meant to last.
“Long story short, I graded out top five, beat all these young [people],” Wright continued. “The closest motherf***er to my age was 29, I was 40. … But I ain’t got nothing to lose.”
Although he did well in the tryout, Wright was asked point blank to re-state his age, and he once again replied that he was 30. This led to Wright’s elimination from the show, and he was told to grab his things and leave. However, he refused.
“I ain’t going nowhere. I said, ‘I just proved to you that I can do this, I’m capable,'” Wright said. “He said, ‘Well, we don’t believe in lying.’ I said, ‘This whole f***ing god d**n job is a lie.’ You understand what I’m saying? ‘I proved to you that I can do this.’ I said, ‘Everybody on that bus is a bunch of f***ing losers. I showed you motherf***ers that I can do this.'”
Instead of getting on the bus with the others who were eliminated from “Tough Enough,” Wright walked back to where he was staying. He believes that decision led to Vince McMahon hiring him out of respect for Wright demanding a job. After spending years developing in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Wright finally made his debut as The Boogeyman in October 2005.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The F Y’all Podcast” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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