Eric Young’s legacy is versatility as performer
(Thumbnail photo courtesy IMPACT Wrestling)
VETERAN TO LEAD IMPACT WRESTLING INTO CHICAGO FOR 2 NIGHTS OF ACTION
By Mike Pankow
July 23, 2022
In the pro wrestling world, Eric Young is what one can call “a jack of all trades, master of none.”
That’s not a criticism of the former two-time IMPACT Wrestling World Champion, but an indicator of his legacy in the business as a versatile performer.
Like Chris Jericho and The Undertaker before him, Young has kept himself fresh by changing his characters and his look numerous times over the last two decades in the business.
“I think it’s super important [to stay fresh],” said Young during a phone interview during a Chicago media tour last week. “I’ve never really taken myself very seriously. For me when I retire, I think people will think about my versatility. It’s something I’m really proud of. It’s kind of something that revealed itself to me [over the years]. I’ve seen the card from every angle – I’ve been the opening match, I’ve been the main event, I’ve been the funny guy, the goofy guy, the happy-go-lucky guy, the serious guy, the maniac. I was wrestling before it was even a thing. I may not be the best at any one thing, but I’m really proficient and really good at doing all of it.”
Former two-time IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Eric Young, center, stands with his Violent By Design teammates, Joe Doering, left, and Deaner before Young’s match against Josh Alexander at Slammiversary on June 19, 2022. (Photo courtesy IMPACT Wresting)
Young, currently a member of the Violent By Design faction with Gurnee native Joe Doering and Deaner (fka Cody Deaner), leads the IMPACT Wrestling troupe into the Chicago area for the first in nearly three years for two nights worth of shows in August at Cicero Stadium.
IMPACT presents “Emergence” on Friday night, Aug. 12, a live special on IMPACT Plus and YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders. Saturday night’s event, entitled “Saturday Night Slamm,” will be a television taping for IMPACT’s weekly show on AXS. Tickets for both nights are now available via Eventbrite.com for the first IMPACT events in the area since “Bound For Glory” back in Oct. 2019, which emanated from The Odeum in Villa Park. There will be meet and greets with IMPACT talent preceding both events at Cicero Stadium.
Young, a native of Florence, Ontario, Canada (about halfway between Detroit and London, Ontario), who now lives in Nashville, attempted to explain what it is like performing in front of the Chicago wrestling fanbase.
“If you’re a wrestler and you perform in Chicago, you know there’s something different going on here,” Young said. “It’s a different kind of vibe, a different kind of energy. They’re a little more intense, a little more vibrant. As a performer, what else can you ask for. That kind of energy is a drug that can’t be bought.”
Young made stops around the city during the IMPACT media tour, making an appearance at a Schaumburg Boomers minor-league baseball game along with Adam Scherr (fka Braun Strowman) and stopping by AAW Pro’s “The Independents Day” show at 115 Bourbon Street in Merionette Park, where he announced that AAW Champion Mat Fitchett will defend his title as part of “Emergence” on Aug. 12.
After nearly a decade in IMPACT portraying characters from the silly and hilarious to serious and lethal, Young won his first world championship by defeating Magnus in April 2014.
“What’s the old saying? You’ll always remember your first,” Young said. “The first time winning it was special and really kind of organic. It kind of happened out of nowhere. For some reason, my popularity had kind of taken off and the company had to something with me. I built up a huge amount of equity with the fans of TNA Wrestling at the time.
“Magnus was a great foil for me, a really good heel, a guy that’s tall, he’s good looking and he’s British. I’m shorter, got this big beard, kind of the man of the people. It was kind of this perfect story. It was always something I wanted to accomplish, but never knew I would.”
After a few years with WWE, both in NXT and on the main roster, as the leader of the dark and brooding Sanity with Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain (former IMPACT star Big Damo) and Nikki Cross, Young returned to IMPACT during the summer of 2020 following his WWE release and within a few months, he won IMPACT World Championship for the second time.
Young made a surprise return at Slammiversary, injuring Rich Swann, and then parlayed that momentum into a championship victory over Eddie Edwards to regain the top spot in IMPACT that made him feel like he was back home.
“It was super satisfying,” Young said. “Being creative was kind taken away from me. Me not doing anything for [WWE], that had nothing to do with me. I was very disappointed. I just liked to be part of the show. Coming home during a pivotal point for [IMPACT] when it was starting to grow, being the huge part of the growth of the past two years, it was kind of an F-you (to WWE), to be honest. There’s no ill will or hard feelings, but I think I’ve proven the last couple of years that I’m one of the best that’s done it. I can do it all on a very high level.”
Eric Young, left, goes face-to-face with current IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Josh Alexander at Slammiversary on June 19, 2022. (Photo courtesy IMPACT Wrestling)
Young has been an integral part of IMPACT for most of the company’s 20 years in existence. Starting out in Team Canada with Scott D’Amore (now an IMPACT executive), longtime friend and fellow Canadian Bobby Roode, Johnny Devine and Petey Williams through his time with The Band, World Elite and now VBD, Young became a bit of a faction guy.
He fondly remembers to good times with The Band, a short-lived offshoot of the old NWO.
“Being picked by Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman saying, ‘If we’re going to do this, then we want this guy with us,’ ” Young said. “It was a massive honor. Three guys I respect a great deal.”
Young has been with Violent By Design for about two years – which seems like an eternity in wrestling now for a faction.
“That’s kind of unheralded in wrestling nowadays, which to me is sad,” Young said. “If something’s working, there’s no sense of breaking it up just to break it up. The truth is I think we’re just scratching the surface. We’re working on a couple of new ideas and concepts right now. Perhaps this is the most fun time I’ve had in wrestling.”
Young’s career has spanned nearly 25 years and almost two decades as a full-time wrestler since first signing with IMPACT in 2004. From being a part of several factions, wearing a superhero cape, a turkey suit, wrestling with and against women, to being a serious heel or a goofy babyface, Young has experienced many things in this crazy world of pro wrestling.
“The honest truth, I wanted to be Shawn Michaels,” Young said. “I realized pretty quickly that I’m short, fat and ugly – and I’m not going to be Shawn Michaels. I had to become something else. I’ve become 10, 15, maybe 20 different versions of myself, so it’s been a wild ride and I’m not quite done yet.”
Catch the full interview with Eric Young (including hockey talk, his many characters, some of his favorite people to work with and more) on Ep. 129 of Windy City Slam Podcast, which drops next Tuesday afternoon, July 26, a show that will also feature 17-year-old phenom Billie Starkz! Download from wherever you get your favorite podcasts or listen at windycityslam.com
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
We are looking for guests to appear on future episodes of the Windy City Slam Podcast! Please contact Mike at mikepankow@windycityslam.com, message him on Facebook or DM him on Twitter.
