TNA Wrestling has been going through a lot lately. Whether programming was good or bad, the ratings didn’t always reflect the hopes of fans. TNA fans believe that the company is giving out great content, but the critics claim TNA is trying to play WWE’s game and losing at it. Regardless of what side of the fence you’re on, one thing is certain. TNA is low-balling TNA Originals on contracts, resulting in their departures.
AJ Styles, Chris Daniels, Kaz, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Bobby Roode, and Eric Young have all left TNA in the last two years. That doesn’t even include James Storm, who did leave but came back. It also does not include Austin Aries, who was not an original but was as close to one as could be. TNA has offered major money, yet again, to former WWE names. However, they have struggled to build their own stars over the years.
If it was not for the fans believing in a lot of the talent, they certainly would not be as beloved as they are today, and WWE certainly would not be looking at them. The originals have always been pushed back for the next former WWE Superstar who walked through the door. Sometimes they would work with the former WWE guy, but a lot of the time they were pushed down the card to make room. Some were even saddled with stupid gimmicks and made to do a lot of moronic things because it simply needed to be done, like Eric Young, for instance.
Young is a man that many see as a talented performer that has been massively underused throughout his career. Toward the end, he became a TNA World Champion and was treated with some respect. However, most of his career was spent doing what the company needed of him. He was the ultimate team player and TNA guy. Now he’s gone, and for some fans, it feels like the heart of the company left with him. Now he’s on to bigger and better things, but is WWE on his radar?
Young spoke to Busted Open Radio about whether or not WWE NXT is possible home for him, and he said the following.
“Obviously, it’s a definite possibility. From the second that something was put up, of course, the parallels are being drawn and it’s something that’s definitely an option for me. The book is wide open and never in my career have I had that. I’ve always been a TNA guy… It’s exciting to say that I’m going to open another chapter. I’ve got a good foothold in pro wrestling and it’s cool to kind of be able to choose and have that ability because not everyone gets the choice. It’s a very cool thing, very flattering.”
Interestingly enough, the big wonder when it came to Eric Young was if he had any interest in going to WWE. We know other organizations do have interest in him, and a place like New Japan Pro-Wrestling could use him far more than any other, and he’d be paid very well to work there. However, many are drawn into the lights of WWE all the time. With WWE NXT becoming a major place to be for all wrestlers, as it is the hottest thing going today, it is a great place for a veteran like Eric Young to work.
As for WWE’s end of things, the Wrestling Observer notes that there is interest in signing Eric Young. In fact, WWE favors him over his TNA brother Bobby Roode. Roode seems like the ultimate WWE guy with his look, ring work, and mic skill. However, Eric Young brings something special that is undeniable. Both easily could be signed by Triple H and the WWE staff, but don’t be surprised if Eric Young is the only one.
[Image via YouTube]
