The Boogeyman was both a rip-off of Papa Shango, and any number of horror characters, including Freddy Krueger and others. Yes, Freddy, and it's not just the weird facial disfigurement. When he was first introduced to WWE fans it was by way of horror themed vignettes, where he would recite nursery rhymes and ominously tell the WWE universe that he was "coming to get" them. It's the nursery rhymes that were the real rip-off, since it's a trick both Nightmare on Elm Street and others have used. Still, the horror gimmick looked like it might be decent - but then he debuted, and was more of a freakshow, eating worms and generally being just, well, silly. In the end, The Boogeyman was a case where the character should have been more of a direct rip-off, rather than a hodge-podge of ideas picked up from all over the place, which is what he turned out to be. Plus, is anyone over five years old really scared of the boogeyman?
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
