Eric Young v. Scott Baio

[The Man They Call WMD]

On his Twitter account, Eric Young wrote: " The match with Scott Baio is only a few weeks away be sure to tune into Impact Wrestling to see it"
On his Twitter account, Baio responded: "Bring it"

Looks like this match is actually happening. I dont see how anyone could be interested... thoughts? Anyone like the match?

 

[sweetcosmicpope]

Not at all. The angle is just stupid and a waste of time.

I'm all for bringing in celebrities to raise awareness and interest in the product, but couldn't we have a decent angle with somebody a little more relevent?

Where's Jay Leno when you need him? lol

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I personally think the entire thing is hilarious. Young has been cracking me up for weeks now on his search for him. His acting lessons were ridiculous, and while this matchup certainly won't do much to garner ratings, it does give them some celebrity exposure as I'm sure TMZ and the like will pick up on it. Otherwise it's simply great filler. Not everything needs to be serious business.

 

[JJYanks121]

I personally think the entire thing is hilarious. Young has been cracking me up for weeks now on his search for him. His acting lessons were ridiculous, and while this matchup certainly won't do much to garner ratings, it does give them some celebrity exposure as I'm sure TMZ and the like will pick up on it. Otherwise it's simply great filler. Not everything needs to be serious business.

Maybe not, but the problem with the angle is that it involves what should be the midcard belt. If your X-Division belt is now your cruiserweight belt, the TV title needs to be your midcard title. Instead, it's hanging out with an old title belt underneath a goofy beard and hasn't seen a wrestling ring in WEEKS!

It brings up a pertinent question: how do you build a talent? Throughout wrestling history, part of building a main eventer is to work in the midcard, holding that midcard belt and bringing attention to it to show that holding the top title might be something that will work for that particular talent. If you don't have a midcard belt, there's no true midcard. The guys in the midcard (to be determined after the BFG series when we know where guys truly stand) having nothing to shoot for and it hurts the product.

Maybe some like Eric Young and find him funny, but he's doing no favors to the TV title. I remember when Santino held the IC belt the second time around and was just a complete joke. It took Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho feuding over it to make it relevant again. That said, at least that belt had credibility at times. The TV title basically never has and I wonder if it might just be smarter to come up with a new belt for the midcard. Granted I thought the X title could be that belt since it had more credibility than the TV title but apparently it's not for everyone.........

Bottom line, this shit would be better if it didn't bastardize a midcard belt. Even still, I don't find it all that funny, and I have found EY funny before. These skits haven't been all that entertaining in my opinion.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Eric Young is hilarious and his little video segments are great (loved when he gave his belt to the map guy...then took it back).

That being said, TNA needs to dump that belt and get a US title on the show. That was supposed to be the mid card title, but there is no way that thing can recover. Even the great AJ Styles couldn't make the belt relevant.

Its time to scrap it and start over with a new championship.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Yeah I just don't see how anyone can find Eric Young the least bit funny. If the WWE did an angle exactly like this one, they'd be crucified by TNA fans for going through with it.

I have ZERO interest in this "match" if that's what you want to call it. I can understand TNA trying to go through with it, however, because it could potentially get their name out there among some sort of mainstream media. At the same time though, Scott Baio? I vaguely remember this guy from when I was a kid. Has he even been the slightest bit relevant in the past 25 years? Does he still qualify as a celebrity? This is just my opinion: if you're gonna do something like this, get someone whose status as a celebrity hasn't diminished to the point where you actually have to wonder if he still qualifies as one. Otherwise, don't even bother.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Scott Baio was forgotten about for years until his reality show stint on VH1 a few years ago. Now his status really hasn't changed. I don't understand what appeal this match will have for any fan or non wrestling fan. Will this be some random fight in Hollywood with Eric Young sword fighting Scott Baio or an actual wrestling match in the Impact zone? I could care less either way.

It would be interesting if a more mainstream name like Charlie Sheen or that crazy Gary Busey were involved. This angle reminds me of the Jericho conspiracy angle in WCW. That angle was actually creative, funny, and got over. Unless Eric Young is fighting some crazy or popular TV show, I really have no interest in a no name like Scott Baio. Maybe TNA will get some TMZ coverage out of it, if TMZ cares.

 

[Rayne]

Scott Baio has previously produced two "follow a quasi-celebrity around with lots of b-roll footage" reality TV shows with Eric Bischoff's production company. This sounds like a handshake deal, where you talk up the guys you know to see if you can do business again.

I do, however, wish they had found an actual celebrity. I wonder if Baio works for less than J-Woww.

 

[X]

Eric Young is about as funny as a rusty knife in the gut, or getting your teeth pulled. He's painfully unfunny if anything, and has been for years now. I have no problem with doing some stupid little comedy feud with him and Baio, sure, whatever, but for God's sake take the TV title off of Young or just throw the title in the fucking trash because it's absolutely worthless with the way they've been treating it. They need a midcard title besides the X-Division one (especially now with the weight limits on that division), and they're just wasting it on this incredibly unfunny comedy act that people were sick of two years ago. I have no earthly understanding of how Young even still has a job.

Stupid angle, take the damn TV belt out of the equation for God's sake. That's the only thing that irks me about this really. Stupid angles are fine for short comedy filler which is all this will be, but titles shouldn't be involved. We saw how that shit devalued the WCW belt a decade ago when celebs and Russo started winning it every week, we don't need to see more of that garbage.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

I don't even know who Scott Baio is but Eric Young is more entertaining now than he's ever been IMO. I enjoyed the Prince Justice Brotherhood but this shit has me laughing more. There's definately a place for this sort of thing in wrestling (if done right) and as long as TNA continue to push this as pure comedy, what can be the harm? If people are sitting there hating on this, you really need to lighten up. Just watch it for what it is and you'll laugh.

These sort of skits don't even have to mean anything, they're just funny. But if, as a few posters have suggested, it leads to Mr Pectaculars debut then it would be a good conclusion to EYs journeys. I can understand people complaining about EY being TV Champion, but if in the same sentence you're saying the TV Title doesn't mean anything, there's no harm done.

 

[X]

I can understand people complaining about EY being TV Champion, but if in the same sentence you're saying the TV Title doesn't mean anything, there's no harm done.

That's just the problem though; it's supposed to be one of their main singles titles, it SHOULD mean something. It shouldn't be thrown on a comedy jobber for bad comedy skits with Scott Baio. You're killing any shot at credibility for the title and basically just shooting yourself in the foot right before you start the race.

Shouldn't they want their TV title to mean something? It wasn't that long ago that AJ Styles and Douglas Williams were battling over the title in great Iron Man matches, and now it's a prop for Scott Baio, Jason Hervery, and Eric Young to play with in painfully unfunny sketches. I have no problem with doing the comedy thing, just keep the titles out of it or just throw the title away altogether and forget it ever existed, because it does nothing on Young's waist but look like shit because of things like this.

 

[The Death Rattle]

I don't even know who Scott Baio is but Eric Young is more entertaining now than he's ever been IMO. I enjoyed the Prince Justice Brotherhood but this shit has me laughing more. There's definately a place for this sort of thing in wrestling (if done right) and as long as TNA continue to push this as pure comedy, what can be the harm? If people are sitting there hating on this, you really need to lighten up. Just watch it for what it is and you'll laugh.

These sort of skits don't even have to mean anything, they're just funny. But if, as a few posters have suggested, it leads to Mr Pectaculars debut then it would be a good conclusion to EYs journeys. I can understand people complaining about EY being TV Champion, but if in the same sentence you're saying the TV Title doesn't mean anything, there's no harm done.

I take issue with a couple of your thoughts here.

You asked what's the harm in this angle if it's pure comedy? The harm is it's not funny at all, it wastes television time that could be devoted to anything else, and makes the company appear second rate from trying to garner minor national attention by using a C-list celebrity. TNA has made some impressive strides in trying to make "wrestling matter" again on their show. This just undermines that aim.

You also said these skits don't have to mean anything. Then what is the point of even having them? It's not getting Eric Young over in any way, it's turning off a significant portion of their fanbase, it's officially killed off the television title once and for all, and is shows a lack of creativity from the writers. There is no storyline here, it's just pointless filler. There is no reason to let this continue. I find it impossible to believe that creative can't come up with anything better than this nonsense.

You may find humor in these skits. To each their own. My problem is it has buried a wrestler, a title, and their show's momentum when this comes onto the screen. Eric Young has nowhere to go with this once it is over. No one can get over should they actually try to pursue this title (assuming, of course, it's ever defended on television again). It isn't going to draw them any viewers or money because of how poorly written and conceived it is. This angle is a classic example of terrible booking and what harm can be done.

 

[ABMorales787]

I'm easily one of the bigger EY marks here and I'm getting bummed by this. I was expecting this to be short and sweet to set something up, but it's been a whole damn month with a set of skits of which I only found one to be funny to be honest. Come on. They showed EY confronting Scott Baio 3 freaking weeks ago! Get it over with and put the guy back in the ring!

 

[Dizzy]

Yeah I just don't see how anyone can find Eric Young the least bit funny. If the WWE did an angle exactly like this one, they'd be crucified by TNA fans for going through with it.

That's a WWE mark answer. No. If WWE did this angle, I would expect it. It's what they do.

TNA does it because It adds humor to a serious heavy product. You think people want seriousness all the time? I'm pretty sure everyone loved when WWF did their funny angles. Hell, half of wrestling's memorable moments are based off this like this.

This is what EY is good for and what makes him a good character.

I have ZERO interest in this "match" if that's what you want to call it. I can understand TNA trying to go through with it, however, because it could potentially get their name out there among some sort of mainstream media. At the same time though, Scott Baio? I vaguely remember this guy from when I was a kid. Has he even been the slightest bit relevant in the past 25 years? Does he still qualify as a celebrity? This is just my opinion: if you're gonna do something like this, get someone whose status as a celebrity hasn't diminished to the point where you actually have to wonder if he still qualifies as one. Otherwise, don't even bother.

I'd rather them go after a random celeb to make it more funnier than to have them go after D-list celebrities and brag about it on their show like WWE. I have nothing against what WWE does since they are obviously heavy in the mainstream but come on. You really expect me to care about if Jordin Sparks appeared at a SummerSlam Axess?

It's better for TNA to pick out certain celebrities and do humor here and there.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

That's just the problem though; it's supposed to be one of their main singles titles, it SHOULD mean something. It shouldn't be thrown on a comedy jobber for bad comedy skits with Scott Baio. You're killing any shot at credibility for the title and basically just shooting yourself in the foot right before you start the race.

I'm not sure the TV Title has ever been one of TNA's main Titles TBH. First you had legends (or old guys) fighting for it, then you had Eric Young defending it against woman and then you had AJ Styles hardly defending it at all (apart from Williams). A Titles a Title IMO. If TNA wanted the Title to have credibility it could be done in a matter of weeks. When they want the TV Title to be a main Title, it will be.

Shouldn't they want their TV title to mean something? It wasn't that long ago that AJ Styles and Douglas Williams were battling over the title in great Iron Man matches, and now it's a prop for Scott Baio, Jason Hervery, and Eric Young to play with in painfully unfunny sketches. I have no problem with doing the comedy thing, just keep the titles out of it or just throw the title away altogether and forget it ever existed, because it does nothing on Young's waist but look like shit because of things like this.

Yes they should want the TV Title to mean something but it seems like TNA are trying to build new characters and don't seem to have time for it. I'm not sure why someone like Gunner or Crimson isn't the TV Champion though, kills two birds with one stone. Did the Title really mean anymore when Styles and Williams had their series? Who else wanted that Title? Perhaps TNA are planning on getting rid of the TV Title? Of course it looks shit on Young but if it was given to (a fit) Matt Morgan tomorrow and he fought off all comers to keep that Title, it looks good.

I take issue with a couple of your thoughts here.

You asked what's the harm in this angle if it's pure comedy? The harm is it's not funny at all, it wastes television time that could be devoted to anything else, and makes the company appear second rate from trying to garner minor national attention by using a C-list celebrity. TNA has made some impressive strides in trying to make "wrestling matter" again on their show. This just undermines that aim.

Wrestling still matters, it just doesn't have to matter every single minute of the show. And these skits are funny to some people though, for example I've been laughing while watching it. You shouldn't really be taking offense from whoever else is in this skits, I don't even know who the dude is, I just watch it for what it is. How does this make TNA look second rate? Who's even thinking that far into things while watching it? It's just a comedy sketch.

You also said these skits don't have to mean anything. Then what is the point of even having them? It's not getting Eric Young over in any way, it's turning off a significant portion of their fanbase, it's officially killed off the television title once and for all, and is shows a lack of creativity from the writers. There is no storyline here, it's just pointless filler. There is no reason to let this continue. I find it impossible to believe that creative can't come up with anything better than this nonsense.

The point is to add a comedy aspect to the show. When did everything in wrestling have to have a point and always lead to a conclusion that is set in stone? Some segments are needed to add variety. I thought TNAs ratings were always pretty much the same? If TNAs audience turn off for those 3 minutes they come back after so a "significant portion of their fanbase" just need to lighten up really. The TV Title will be killed off when they want it to be killed off. If they want to make it prestigious in the future they can. How can you not see the storyline? Eric Young is the TV Champion and he wants to become a TV/Film star.

You may find humor in these skits. To each their own. My problem is it has buried a wrestler, a title, and their show's momentum when this comes onto the screen. Eric Young has nowhere to go with this once it is over. No one can get over should they actually try to pursue this title (assuming, of course, it's ever defended on television again). It isn't going to draw them any viewers or money because of how poorly written and conceived it is. This angle is a classic example of terrible booking and what harm can be done.

If Eric Young is being burried now, then that's been happening for about 3 years. Eric Young has never been anything in the time I've watched TNA, apart from a funny guy, who once shaved his head, and also hung out with the Outsiders. It's really not hard to give the Title credibility if they want and use it to get guys over. If you think about though does any wrestling Title have credibility? It's pro wrestling, it's fixed, the best man doesn't necessarily win.

 

[crashfellow]

TNA is clearly trying to cash in on some real world attention, ala CM Punk, which isn't by any means a bad thing.

Even though it's with a celebrity who is perhaps 'a bit past it' you may see some coverage on TMZ or Perez Hilton's site.

In reality, a TV championship doesn't have 'that much pull' and it's kind of humorous to see it being defended against television personalities.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

at first i thought this angle might be kinda intersting but now...i have lost all interstest im hoping it ends next week with EY vs scott baio on a golf course but bottom line is this is supposed to be the midcard title and its been turned into a complete joke with EY holding it! i think it did for gunner to hold it but other then that it hasnt really benfited anybodys careers to be a tv champ there...i think they need a new singles title for the mid card title they can keep the tv title if they want to or scrap it honestly it doesnt matter either way but a new midcard is needed

 

[whoopin' ass]

Eric Young and the TV title are worthless right now and this storyline they are doing is a waste of tv time that could be used for better things. Eric Young used to be a decent talent but they have turned him into some cross between Santino and Eugene. the TV title had a few strikes against it already but at least when AJ Styles had it, it gave it some credibility but that has all been flushed away with this storyline. might as well just lose the title and see if Daniels will loan his Curry Man mask to EY so he can start a new career ( or maybe Suicide will reappear).

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

That's a WWE mark answer. No. If WWE did this angle, I would expect it. It's what they do.

At least when WWE do it they use celebrities who are vaguely relavant and don't have them feuding over midcard titles. Also, the idea of you accusing someone of being a mark is hilarious.

TNA does it because It adds humor to a serious heavy product. You think people want seriousness all the time? I'm pretty sure everyone loved when WWF did their funny angles. Hell, half of wrestling's memorable moments are based off this like this.

This is what EY is good for and what makes him a good character.

Nobody has a problem with humour, people have a problem with this angle because it is profoundly unfunny, takes up screen time and involves a singles title.

I'd rather them go after a random celeb to make it more funnier than to have them go after D-list celebrities and brag about it on their show like WWE.

How does using some random dude that nobody cares about make it more funny?

I have nothing against what WWE does since they are obviously heavy in the mainstream but come on. You really expect me to care about if Jordin Sparks appeared at a SummerSlam Axess?

It's better for TNA to pick out certain celebrities and do humor here and there.

No, but at least Jordin Sparks doesn't monopolize tv time or feud over the US Title.

 

[Dagger Dias]

What, are they bringing in television stars to fight for the Television Championship now? I guarantee that's where this is heading and it will be David Arquette all over again, but on a smaller scale. It's obvious that some people didn't learn from the past and TNA seems to keep repeating WCW's old mistakes. I'm not looking forward to this match because it is a waste of time to bring in celebrities to face wrestlers unless it is part of a huge cross promotion, where the celebrities' own product is heavily marketed as well. I hated the Raw guest host angle and many of you might recall my weekly rants about it. That being said, things like that are good for business. If Baio has some movie/show/book/item/organization/thing that he is trying to help promote with TNA's help, then this might be ok. If he is brought in for a random match and wins the Television Championship though, I will riot. Or boycott TNA forever. No, I'll just do both. I detest celebrity involvement. Always have. It takes away from time that midcarders could use to get over.