He did not turn professional until 1986, but in his first season on the main tour, performed well, making a break of 123 - the highest of his career - in a 9–7 win over Martin Smith en route to the last-64 of the 1986 UK Championship.

The following season heralded a quarter-final appearance in a WPBSA non-ranking event, where Wright lost 3–5 to David Taylor, and progress to the last 32 in the 1988 Classic, where he followed victories over veterans Geoff Foulds and Rex Williams with a 2–5 defeat to young John Parrott.

Following his first-round loss to Duncan Campbell in the 1989 World Snooker Championship, he slipped out of the top 64 in the rankings, finishing the season 67th.

He experienced efeats at the same stage of the Grand Prix and the Classic the following year - 5–0 by Steve Davis and by the same scoreline to Danny Fowler.

[2] In September 1992, he was found guilty of "conduct unbecoming a professional sportsman" during a 3–5 qualifying defeat to Allison Fisher in the Dubai Classic, and suspended for the rest of the season.