Westport Pro Wrestler Makes All Elite Wrestling Debut Tonight

Ted Bolduc of Westport has many passions in life, but tonight, he lives out a childhood dream as he makes his All Elite Wrestling debut on AEW’s official YouTube Page. “Teddy Goodz” has come a long way on his decades-long journey to wrestling stardom.

Growing up in Westport, Bolduc never expected to make it to the big leagues of pro wrestling.

“Like anyone, I was a fan as a kid,” Bolduc said. “When I became older, I wasn’t as into it, but I always thought I was going to do this.”

After his father took to him to a match at the local VFW, that’s when it clicked for Bolduc: he could become a professional wrestler.

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When he’s not in the ring as Teddy Goodz, he’s Ted Bolduc, co-owner and operator of Cojo’s Toy World in New Bedford. You’ll find a jackpot of nostalgic toys, and it’s no surprise that his wrestling section is jam-packed with action figures, collectibles, and memorabilia. He has managed to keep his passion for wrestling alive by presenting local shows and helping to keep the local independent wrestling scene alive.

Bolduc doesn’t have his own action figure just yet, but he has had many highs in his wrestling career. He’s worked with WWE over 30 times as an extra, and even had a formal WWE tryout in 2015, but he never seemed to get his big break in the wrestling world.

Then, six months ago, a regional wrestling company called Beyond Wrestling gave him a shot.

“Beyond Wrestling is a feeding ground for WWE and AEW. They gave me a shot and have been promoting me a lot,” Bolduc said. As a 39-year-old, with 20 years of experience under his belt, Bolduc couldn’t help but feel his window for the big leagues was closing, and the support from Beyond Wrestling was the motivation he needed to make one final push to the top.

“I told myself maybe this is the last year, maybe it’s not, so I decided to reach out to some friends at AEW and said, ‘Who do I need to talk to?’” he said. This was Bolduc’s chance to make a name for himself.

His friends at AEW pulled through. They called him a few days later to invite him on for “Dark Elevation,” airing Monday, September 20 at 7p.m. on YouTube.

“My friends and family are so proud to see me have this one shot and see me wrestling in a national wrestling league,” said Bolduc. “I’m excited, but it’s even more exciting to see the reactions of friends and family.”

Keep your eyes out for "Goodz Time," a signature move which Bodluc said "is when someone is sitting on the top rope and I cross their arms and throw them off, aka 'iconoclasm'."

At one point in his life, Bolduc was satisfied with being a local wrestling celebrity at the VFW, putting on shows with his friends, and having a few fans. Fate had other plans for Teddy Goodz, and he’ll be putting his talent on full display in front of the world Monday night.