Eric Young - Serious Competitor?

[Trill Co$by]

Over the past few months, TNA's resident comedian Eric Young has begun to break free of that comedy act and become one of the more serious competitors. And next week on TNA's Impact, he will be in a fatal four way for his first ever shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. But the question is... Are YOU buying it? Do you believe that Eric Young can turn it around and become a believable world champion?

In my opinion, Eric Young is one of the highly underrated wrestlers in the world today, and it's about time that he gets to break out and be serious for once. When he was leading World Elite, I hoped that would be the moment when he would grab a hold and become a breakout star. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out to work that way so he ended up back in jobber land... thanks to the likes of Kevin Nash and other unreliable workers.

I truly believe that, if given the room to do so, Eric Young could become as great of a character as Gregory Helms was, if not better. In fact, I would love to see Helms come to TNA to help Young break the mold from comedy wrestler to serious competitor, having done it himself with the Hurricane gimmick [well, kind of].

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Sure, I'm buying it. Why wouldn't I? EY is absolutely capable of being more than comedic relief. We saw that, briefly, during his time with Frontline, during his time as the leader of World Elite and even when he was Freebirding it with the reformed Outsiders ... The Band (that just doesn't read right, at all).

He's a solid, veteran wrestler with a great history in the company and deserves a shot just as much as anyone, if not more, when you really consider the shit he's had to deal with in the past, and has taken in stride. I mean, think about it — when's the last time you heard EY complain? When's the last time you read reports about him being upset with the company? Guys who have shit on it are in higher places than he is right now, so why the hell not?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I'll buy it if they would've at least explained it.

Seriously, what is it with wrestling companies being so lax about gimmick changes? Jeff Hardy shows up as Willow and we're supposed to just buy it. Brodus Clay shows up as whatever he became and we just deal with it. EY is now apparently serious and we just buy it. Same with almost everyone around.

C'mon, you can't spend 3 weeks showing the change? You can't make him cut a single promo about it? It's so lazy. How am I supposed to get into a character when he might shift into a nazi clown zombie next week without zero explanation?

Sure, I love EY and I enjoy what he's doing. I just wish writers would be WRITERS and write characters, not just book them in matches.

 

[Ashw825]

Yeah man 100%. A year ago I never would have thought so just because of the way he was always the comedy type character but recently he has really become somebody I can cheer for just because I'm a huge fan of the underdog persona and I think he pulls that of big time. I think he could be a solid upper midcarder for the coming months.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I'll buy it if they would've at least explained it.

Seriously, what is it with wrestling companies being so lax about gimmick changes? Jeff Hardy shows up as Willow and we're supposed to just buy it. Brodus Clay shows up as whatever he became and we just deal with it. EY is now apparently serious and we just buy it. Same with almost everyone around.

C'mon, you can't spend 3 weeks showing the change? You can't make him cut a single promo about it? It's so lazy. How am I supposed to get into a character when he might shift into a nazi clown zombie next week without zero explanation?

Sure, I love EY and I enjoy what he's doing. I just wish writers would be WRITERS and write characters, not just book them in matches.

What's not to understand? Eric Young wanted to help Joseph Park find his "brother", and found out he and Abyss are the same. So to help Joseph realize it, EY pushed Park to a point where he eventually once again became the monster he was... Now, to clean up the mess said monster has caused, he's put the comedy away and taken matters into his own hands to clean up the mess. It's not rocket science. It's probably the most drawn out storyline in recent memory. It's simple, yet efficient.

 

[whoopin' ass]

It looks like my post didn't catch so if you suddenly see 2 from me saying similar things, sorry.

To me, it is too late. TNA has spent years making EY their comic relief and now we are supposed to buy he is a serious wrestler? A month ago he was calling himself a scientist. Hell, last night he mentioned he was a former knockouts tag champ when trying to say how good he was. And today we are supposed to buy him as a serious wrestler? Come on. TNA has done this multiple times with him - suddenly try and make him a serious wrestler out of nowhere - and it dies every time because they spend months and months with him as a joke and then quickly try and make him serious. This is okay for a short term angle but are we supposed to think that maybe he could be World Champ in a few months? He could be a serious wrestler again but it is going to take months of matches - away from the big angles - to rebuild him. Right now, they might as well just have Abyss squash him and take him off tv because given his history, how can you take him seriously against Abyss?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'll buy it if they would've at least explained it.

Seriously, what is it with wrestling companies being so lax about gimmick changes? Jeff Hardy shows up as Willow and we're supposed to just buy it. Brodus Clay shows up as whatever he became and we just deal with it. EY is now apparently serious and we just buy it. Same with almost everyone around.

C'mon, you can't spend 3 weeks showing the change? You can't make him cut a single promo about it? It's so lazy. How am I supposed to get into a character when he might shift into a nazi clown zombie next week without zero explanation?

Sure, I love EY and I enjoy what he's doing. I just wish writers would be WRITERS and write characters, not just book them in matches.

Did you not watch last night's episode? He cut a huge promo on it, talking about how he took everything the company threw at him and ran with it, no matter how stupid it was. He went off on MVP's whole talent initiative talking about he's been here ten years, versus MVP's ten minutes, etc.

[YOUTUBE]3G3-DrQR5wE[/YOUTUBE]

How is this lazy? They've been slowly pushing EY into a more serious competitor the last few months anyway, especially through the Abyss angle.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It looks like my post didn't catch so if you suddenly see 2 from me saying similar things, sorry.

To me, it is too late. TNA has spent years making EY their comic relief and now we are supposed to buy he is a serious wrestler? A month ago he was calling himself a scientist. Hell, last night he mentioned he was a former knockouts tag champ when trying to say how good he was. And today we are supposed to buy him as a serious wrestler? Come on. TNA has done this multiple times with him - suddenly try and make him a serious wrestler out of nowhere - and it dies every time because they spend months and months with him as a joke and then quickly try and make him serious. This is okay for a short term angle but are we supposed to think that maybe he could be World Champ in a few months? He could be a serious wrestler again but it is going to take months of matches - away from the big angles - to rebuild him. Right now, they might as well just have Abyss squash him and take him off tv because given his history, how can you take him seriously against Abyss?

Nah, all it takes is a quick change to his look (shave his head and beard again, for example), attire (go back to the green or black trunks — no funky/silly lettering) and most of all, his music.

More like this version of EY:

His ring work will take care of the rest.

 

[Hem]

Sure I'll buy him for a serious competitor just not a WHC. A real champion gives off a vibe that ya he's meant to be. EY however is like a puzzle piece, only one piece fits in a part, you can't just put a piece anywhere on the puzzle.

Sure the guy is talented, no one can take that away from him, I even like him in the ring, I liked his promo against MVP and Joe too but that doesn't mean I see him as a champ. He's been a goof ball for too long. This case is like the case of Eugene from WWE. The guy was actually good in the ring but was shown to be stupid similar to EY, which leads to me to think he cannot be a champ in the company where that was a part of his history.

Maybe in ROH or NJPW he can be the champ with a serious gimmick and a change of attire to something less clown like or hell maybe I'm wrong and by the end of the year EY comes to grow on us all and becomes championship material.

 

[Trill Co$by]

It looks like my post didn't catch so if you suddenly see 2 from me saying similar things, sorry.

To me, it is too late. TNA has spent years making EY their comic relief and now we are supposed to buy he is a serious wrestler? A month ago he was calling himself a scientist. Hell, last night he mentioned he was a former knockouts tag champ when trying to say how good he was. And today we are supposed to buy him as a serious wrestler? Come on. TNA has done this multiple times with him - suddenly try and make him a serious wrestler out of nowhere - and it dies every time because they spend months and months with him as a joke and then quickly try and make him serious. This is okay for a short term angle but are we supposed to think that maybe he could be World Champ in a few months? He could be a serious wrestler again but it is going to take months of matches - away from the big angles - to rebuild him. Right now, they might as well just have Abyss squash him and take him off tv because given his history, how can you take him seriously against Abyss?

See, this is why your argument makes no sense....

The guy above spent a year [give or take] locked into a comedic tag team with Kane, where their biggest moment was arguing about who is the sole holder of the tag team titles [what?]. And yet, just one month after they lost their rematch for the tag titles, Daniel Bryan would go on to become the most over star in WWE when he beat Cena, lost the title to Orton, and became locked into a feud with the Authority for 6 months now. And he still uses comedy to get over!

Eric Young could, in a way, be TNA's answer to Daniel Bryan. He's proven in the past that he can be a serious competitor. World Elite would've done great had TNA put more focus on them and not featured Main Event Mafia for 7/10 of the show. And even when they did get television time, EY knocked it out of the park when he turned heel and became Global Champion [introducing it AS the Global Championship].

Plus, everyone has that moment when fun and games go out the window and it's time to become serious. Zack Ryder's doing it now with his Last ReZort videos on Youtube, and it's more than likely going to pan out pretty well for him.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Did you not watch last night's episode? He cut a huge promo on it, talking about how he took everything the company threw at him and ran with it, no matter how stupid it was. He went off on MVP's whole talent initiative talking about he's been here ten years, versus MVP's ten minutes, etc.

[YOUTUBE]3G3-DrQR5wE[/YOUTUBE]

How is this lazy? They've been slowly pushing EY into a more serious competitor the last few months anyway, especially through the Abyss angle.

Whoops, that's my bad. I actually didn't watch the last episode yet.

... oh no, I'm turning into a WWE fan again. I judged TNA before watching the latest episode. NOOOOO!!!

I'll go cry in the shower now. k bai

 

[BigBombB]

I've always been seriously impressed by Eric Young. He was given absolute garbage in terms of storylines and pushes, he filled a role at the bottom of the card and has been involved with nearly every significant figure to come into TNA at some point, but he has persevered. He has remained entertaining, he has kept his job within a revolving door of "talent", and because he worked so hard to do his best then people are still willing to take it seriously.

I, for one, am excited by this new turn, especially bolstered by his credibility from having his own television show. They can no longer treat him as if he has no value, he has more value than 90% of the roster. He is also cutting the best promos of his career and is a huge breath of fresh air. Eric Young is awesome right now and I hope this continues.

 

[whoopin' ass]

The difference between him and Bryan though is that Bryan was already champ by that point and the stuff him and Kane were doing was entertaining. To be blunt, EY was been an idiot for the last few years, clueless and the comic relief if you found it funny. Going to the ring and trying to wrestle the ref? Knockouts tag champ? Plus being there and gone all the time. I don't like how wwe has used Bryan but even during that, he was still a serious wrestler where as EY hasn't been for a long time. Imagine wwe putting Santino up against Wyatt - would you buy into it even if the cobra didn't make am appearance? You would need to make quite a change in his character but then comes the question, is it worth it? Trying to make this transition on tv isn't going to work - best thing would be for him to get hurt by Abyss and be off tv for 6 months and then come back with a new look and attitude. Even then I don't know if they can be successful but I think they have a better chance.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

I have always loved EY. However throughout most of his time in the company, he has been booked quite comically. I am not complaining as I loved his role. I have always considered him TNA's version of Santino, and I may have said it in these forums once or twice. A couple of years ago we saw Santino make a serious run at the title during Elimination Chamber. I hate to say it, but, I am afraid that this is all that EY's run will amount to is a big pop in a title match featuring multiple contenders. Sorry, to sound bitter, just I kind of like the sound of Eric Young, World Champion

 

[IT Factor]

All I can say is it is about damn time! Eric Young has always been an impressive in-ring technician and he always made the best of what crap gimmicks he was given. It is very rare that a nobody can take so many awful gimmicks and still manage to be so great at both entertaining and wrestling. Usually you get one thing very well, but not the other. If a guy can wrestle, he is boring as a character. If he is entertaining, he can't wrestle. EY combines both very well and any long term TNA fan should appreciate the 10 years plus history of his and be happy that it seems he will finally become a serious competitor again. His run as leader of World Elite and a member of Frontline[almost forgot about that one, before EY mentioned it in his Impact promo] have proven how great he can be given the serious gimmick and push to accompany it.

I have been to TNA live events & PPVs and actually met EY. He is a very humble guy who seems to genuinely love the fans and what he does. I liked his promo from Impact and hope this will be the moment which TNA takes notice of EY and gives him what he has deserved for years: a legit opportunity to become the star he has always been. No more comedy! I do hope they change his look as well because no one will take him as seriously if he keeps the comedy look.

 

[MrPlatano1989]

Since the beginning of time I have praised EY for his timing and skill set. As a matter of fact the mans timing rivals Flair and HBK! For the person that mention Helmes helping him. Sorry but EY doesnt need any help, he's been wrestling since the late 90's. Theres a reason why Joe picked him to replace Hall 7 years ago. Watch EY deliver piledrivers and promos during his World Elite days and you too would believe he could carry any title! If Aries can be champ, the larger just as skilled EY definitely could!

 

[Weems2k]

The difference between him and Bryan though is that Bryan was already champ by that point and the stuff him and Kane were doing was entertaining. To be blunt, EY was been an idiot for the last few years, clueless and the comic relief if you found it funny. Going to the ring and trying to wrestle the ref? Knockouts tag champ? Plus being there and gone all the time. I don't like how wwe has used Bryan but even during that, he was still a serious wrestler where as EY hasn't been for a long time. Imagine wwe putting Santino up against Wyatt - would you buy into it even if the cobra didn't make am appearance? You would need to make quite a change in his character but then comes the question, is it worth it? Trying to make this transition on tv isn't going to work - best thing would be for him to get hurt by Abyss and be off tv for 6 months and then come back with a new look and attitude. Even then I don't know if they can be successful but I think they have a better chance.

Wrong. Dan Boring is just blahh no matter how you look at it. His current look now reminds me of a cross between a homeless bum, and creepy pedophile. Dude has no mic, or personality skills whatsoever. EY on the other hand can do both goofy gimmicks, and serious gimmicks, and still be entertaining. Notice how he usually gets one of the bigger pops wherever TNA goes? To top it off, EY doesn't have to rely on a stupid "yes" chat to be over, unlike one Danny Boring.

 

[ocekit]

There's something very likeable about Eric Young. You can tell he puts his all into whatever TNA creative gives him, even when it's hot garbage. And he's superb in the ring. When given the right angle or gimmick, he can be absolute gold. He was amusing as Super Eric and excellent as leader of World Elite. His character got annoying for a while, but since the thing with Abyss started, it's much improved and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.
I don't see TNA giving Eric Young their main title, but I'm regularly wrong about TNA, so what the hell do I know?

 

[Cereal Killer]

I'm sold on a serious Eric Young, but a lot of changes have to be put in place first to solidify a World Title reign consideration. What I can't buy is the comic book-like appearance and the way he sells. I was watching the match with Samoa Joe this past week and was disappointed by his selling. Was he trying to copy Ric Flair? I can't take someone that dresses like a mid-carder and sells like a jobber seriously. You look weak and you look like a joke. However, as he showed us on the opening segment, he can cut a fine promo and further showed he can "scrap with the big boys." By adjusting those negatives which I'm sure he can do (see World Elite or The Band where he was selling perfectly and had a decent appearance), a World Title reign isn't something I would suss out.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'm sold on a serious Eric Young, but a lot of changes have to be put in place first to solidify a World Title reign consideration. What I can't buy is the comic book-like appearance and the way he sells. I was watching the match with Samoa Joe this past week and was disappointed by his selling. Was he trying to copy Ric Flair? I can't take someone that dresses like a mid-carder and sells like a jobber seriously. You look weak and you look like a joke. However, as he showed us on the opening segment, he can cut a fine promo and further showed he can "scrap with the big boys." By adjusting those negatives which I'm sure he can do (see World Elite or The Band where he was selling perfectly and had a decent appearance), a World Title reign isn't something I would suss out.

That certainly never stopped Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels from being taken seriously. Bully Ray, too. The key is look and booking. Book him strong, and book his look strong (like the image I posted above) and all is forgiven. His exaggerated selling won't hurt him. In fact, I'd argue it'll actually help. Especially if he's a heel again at any point.

 

[Royal12]

If Eric Young would lead the Yes-Movement instead of Daniel Bryan it would be huge. Eric Young has more charisma then Bryan and you just his persona a lot more.

I think Eric Young deserves a bigger level to work on, so does Austin Aries and Bobby Roode IMO

 

[Cereal Killer]

That certainly never stopped Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels from being taken seriously. Bully Ray, too. The key is look and booking. Book him strong, and book his look strong (like the image I posted above) and all is forgiven. His exaggerated selling won't hurt him. In fact, I'd argue it'll actually help. Especially if he's a heel again at any point.

I understand it would help him as a heel, but how as a face?

 

[chibet]

watch any older match of his, pre- 09 and you'll get the answer to your question very very quickly

 

[chibet]

I'll buy it if they would've at least explained it.

Seriously, what is it with wrestling companies being so lax about gimmick changes? Jeff Hardy shows up as Willow and we're supposed to just buy it. Brodus Clay shows up as whatever he became and we just deal with it. EY is now apparently serious and we just buy it. Same with almost everyone around.

C'mon, you can't spend 3 weeks showing the change? You can't make him cut a single promo about it? It's so lazy. How am I supposed to get into a character when he might shift into a nazi clown zombie next week without zero explanation?

Sure, I love EY and I enjoy what he's doing. I just wish writers would be WRITERS and write characters, not just book them in matches.

they are in the middle of a big reset, let em let hardy have his fun, at least its different. Your right about over at the E though, was hoping for a brutal return of tensai just like he originally debuted. Really dropped the ball with T , ultimately what was the outcome of his pairing with brodus? the timely push of the funkadactyls ??