Earlier this year, Vince McMahon ended his self-imposed retirement in order to return to the WWE fold and creative process. What followed were a few chaotic months, where last-minute changes, made remotely, were common and often affected the morale of the locker room. One of the wrestlers who chose not to stick around the company with McMahon back in the mix was former Impact Wrestling World Champion Eric Young. Due to his personal feelings about McMahon as a person and boss, he asked for his release, which was granted, and entered free agency.
In an exclusive Haus of Wrestling interview, I asked Young if he spoke with AEW about signing with them before landing back in Impact Wrestling, where he currently works.
“I talked with some friends there and people that I trust, and Tony had kind of mentioned that he was interested, but it just never materialized,” he stated. “And the truth is, I’m just going to get lost in the ether and in the mix like 60 other people there, right? The truth is I don’t have his confidence. Me and him aren’t close in any way, shape, or form.
“I’m kind of replacing one set of problems for another, and I have nothing against Tony Khan. From everything I know, he’s a very nice man. I met him a couple of times in passing. He treats the wrestlers with respect, he pays them very well, and is a very respectful man and a kind man. So, it’s nothing against the product or nothing against him. It’s just not my place. Impact Wrestling is my home, and that’s where I wanted to be. So that’s where I am.”
Young will head to the UK soon for an Impact Wrestling tour, but that is not the only promotion he will be wrestling for on the other side of the pond. On November 26, Young will team with his former Sanity members Big Damo and Axel Tischer at PROGRESS Wrestling 160 – Vendetta.
“I think this is something that PROGRESS did on purpose, and they’re smart to jump on is the three of us have never wrestled together since then (WWE),” he mused. “I’ve tagged with Axel, I’ve wrestled Damo, and appeared on shows alongside them. Obviously, I’ve tagged with Axel a couple of times. But the three of us as a unit haven’t been together since; I guess that would have been 2019. Probably the last time, or late 2018, was the last time we shared a ring together.
“So this will be special, man. I mean, I think especially for the people that love the group, and there’s a ton of them. Almost every signing or every show I go to, people are like, ‘Man, we loved Sanity, and it sucks that it never got a chance.’ It sucks for them and sucks for us, too. We never were given a chance, really, either. So this will be kind of a cool full-circle thing.
“Two of my very good friends, obviously, still chat with them quite often and keep up with them. So being in the same room as them will be special. Sharing the stage and sharing the ring with them will be special. It’s going to be a very special night, and it’s hats off to progress for putting it all together.”
My full conversation with Young is now available on the Haus of Wrestling YouTube channel and podcast feed.
Eric Young, Big Damo, and Axel Tischer reunite as Sanity on Sunday, November 26, for PROGRESS Wrestling 160 – VENDETTA. Tickets can be purchased at www.progresswrestling.com.
Haus of Wrestling has partnered with Inside The Ropes to present An Afternoon With Kevin Nash And Sean Waltman on November 25 at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL, ten minutes from the All-State Arena. Tickets are now available at JoesLiveRosemont.com.
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