What The Hell Is This?

[Tully]

Eric Young = Who? Guy's a mid-card talent at best. No wonder crowd reacted negatively: Here they are, enjoying Hardy & RVD and this "who the hell is that" guy shows up??

He needs to be content as a mid-card jobber because that's about as good as it should get for this extremely un-charismatic, boring wrestler.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I just have trouble taking Eric Young seriously. The fact that TNA spent a couple of years sticking him in one awful comedy gimmick after another may well have permanently tarnished him. It's not entirely his fault after all. He was just being a professional and doing what he was told. However, TNA has put itself in a difficult position with Eric Young. For much of the time TNA has been on national television, the image that viewers have had of Eric Young has not really been all that positive. TNA made him look like a clown for years, so fans started seeing him in that light. However, just because TNA wants fans to take him seriously now doesn't mean that it's going to happen. It's not that easy of a transition from comedy worker to a serious one and fans don't just go along with such attempts no matter how much a promoter may want them to at times.

Eric Young is a solid overall worker, but Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy are lightyears ahead of where he is. Just because TNA wants Young to get a rub from these two doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen. TNA is pushing Abyss right now as the top babyface of the company and hordes of fans not only don't like it but aren't buying into it no matter how much the company tries to shove it down their throats. With the Eric Young situation, it's kind of the same thing.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I agree that Young is talented and deserving of a push, however he isnt on the level of RVD and Jeff Hardy, who have already put themselves on the map and established themselves as main event material.

Yes because it's completely impossible to use RVD and Jeff Hardy as help to launch Eric Young into the Main Event picture. It's completely impossible to have these two and The Band help Young become the guy we know he can be.


As for the people getting mad at Young for his position, they really need to take a step back and think. Eric Young, in the past, had always been the go-to guy for TNA. When Team Canada needed a weak link, it was Eric Young they went to. When TNA needed someone to get Roode over as a heel money player, it was Eric Young they went to. When TNA needed someone to help Kaz get more over, it was Eric Young they went to. And even furthermore, when TNA needed someone to replace Hall after he no showed in that Six Man tag match, it was Eric FUCKING Young that stood up.

Seriously, if you think TNA, in my mind you have to think of AJ Styles AND Eric Young. Because both of these men have the same amount of belief in TNA as anybody else. Hell, this guy has gone from bitch to bull, and quite frankly I'm liking this new found angle for Eric Young.

 

[gd]

Young if fucking worthless. You're completely overrating his talents. He isn't "phenomenal" on the mic, nor does he get a great reaction from the crowd. He's just an undersized guy who does nothing particularlly well other than be Canadian.

With the bloated TNA roster, some people need to guy, and EY is probably a top candidate. He brings nothing to the table and simply is taking time away from more talented/interesting guys at this point. He needs to go.

 

[Alex]

I think it was more HOW it happened as other's have stated. He literally just walked into the ring after the match and announced Hardy and RVD were going to be his partners. Now if The Band had come down and attacked RVD and Hardy, cutting a promo on how they're worthless to TNA and how they're better etc, AND then have Eric Young come out chase The Band out and Hardy and RVD align with Young, that would have been better in my opinion.

 

[Depakote]

I just cant picture him in the main event scene. How old is he? Why is he going bald? He's got a weird look with very little charisma and his move set isnt worth remembering. Does anyone remember his finisher and when he used it last? Tell me, how he is more deserving of a push than Christopher Daniels? Daniels is better in the ring, better on the mic, and has put in alot more time in the business. We all know Young is butt buddies with Jeff Jarret, but wasnt Jeff sent home awhile back for sleeping with Angle's wife and only wanting to push people that he was friends with? And then Cornette gets fired because he didnt see anything in Young to write something decent for him? Now Jarret's back and Young is thrown in with the likes of Nash, Hall, Waltman, RVD, and Hardy? Those are 5 established guys in the business trying to give a rub to Young. No wonder the audience wasnt as pleased to see him come out. No wonder his segment wasnt well received backstage. 5 stars and 1 nobody will always make that 1 nobody stick out like a sore thumb. People would rather just see the 5 stars. RVD and Hardy alone put more people in seats than Young ever has or ever will. Nobody wants to see Young in the ring with RVD and Hardy on the outside waiting to be tagged in. They just want to see RVD and Hardy. Young will never be on the level as those guys no matter how many rubs and pushes he gets. You cant turn chicken shit into chicken salad. It just doesnt work like that.

To be fair though, Young isnt as horrible as I made him sound just now. I think he's a good fit for the position of glorified mid carder, which is pretty much what he is now. The Band angle only got a spot at the top of the card because of RVD and Hardy. If those two didnt get involved, we wouldnt be seeing the Band and Young that high on the card. The angle has been at the mid card level for the most part because its mostly focused on drug addicts, dinosaurs, and well, Eric Young. I think the talents and draw power of RVD and Hardy shouldnt be further wasted on this mid card angle. The only real reason creative got them involved is because they dont know what to do with RVD and Hardy in the main event without taking away from guys like Abyss and the Pope. Way too many faces right now and not enough heels. So two of the biggest faces in the company right now got bumped down the card so they'd have some heels to work with. Eric Young is just along for the ride.

If they really want to give Young a push, they need to keep him away from names like RVD and Hardy, who outshine him just by standing next to him. Keep him around established names like Nash and friends who will actually make him look good. 3 heels beating the crap out of 1 face is a good way to get Young over as an underdog with heart. People would slowly get into him more that way. Pairing Hardy and RVD with Young at this stage of Young's development hurts Young more than helps him. They will suck up all the attention and spotlight that Young should be getting. Two big names returning with lots of face momentum will indirectly derail someone who isnt as established. The bigger names immediately get all the attention and pops from the crowd because they have way more momentum and fans behind them than Young. Here's what happens: RVD comes out to a huge pop. Hardy comes out to a huge pop. Then Eric Young comes out. The crowd then wonders, "who's this guy? why's he out here? why cant we just watch Hardy and RVD destroy these bums like we know they can?"

I understand TNA's good intentions with Young and he isnt bad to have around by any means. I just think if they actually wanted to help him, they'd keep him booked as the only face in the Wolfpac angle. He'd get good underdog pops. He looks great when going against the likes of Waltman. Make him wrestle Waltman in a series of singles matches that end with 3 on 1 beat downs. Young could go ape shit on the three with a steel chair and the fans would pop for him then. This angle was just starting to give Young some momentum and then creative pulled the trigger too soon and it didnt go over as well as they had hoped which runs the risk of them halting Young's push altogether.

If all the Eric Young marks actually cared about him, they'd want to see his character develop more before being rushed up the card. Someone as plain and average as Eric Young will never get over without a developed character. Pairing him with RVD and Hardy as if his name were pulled out of a hat is not going to develop his character. Its just going to make him look like exactly what he is: a mid-card talent struggling to hang with the big boys.

 

[ABMorales787]

I think it was more HOW it happened as other's have stated. He literally just walked into the ring after the match and announced Hardy and RVD were going to be his partners. Now if The Band had come down and attacked RVD and Hardy, cutting a promo on how they're worthless to TNA and how they're better etc, AND then have Eric Young come out chase The Band out and Hardy and RVD align with Young, that would have been better in my opinion.

This. Should TNA creative have used their heads a bit they may've been able to see a better looking result to the segment. However TNA creative was who came up with the scheme to have Eric come in out of nowhere. Then they blame him for the reaction of the segment. Wrongfully played in my book. Its their resposability as writers. Not Erics.

 

[Depakote]

This. Should TNA creative have used their heads a bit they may've been able to see a better looking result to the segment. However TNA creative was who came up with the scheme to have Eric come in out of nowhere. Then they blame him for the reaction of the segment. Wrongfully played in my book. Its their resposability as writers. Not Erics.

Yes, very much so. Its almost like they pulled his name out of the hat. Creative always does dumb shit like this and then they blame the wrestler and halt his push. I hope this doesnt happen to Young because I think he does have potential that hasnt been tapped. His character is getting better and still developing and the last thing he needs right now is to be put next to two faces who are far beyond over with the fans returning with alot of momentum. It indirectly makes Young look weaker because he's not as over as they want him to be yet. It doesnt mean he wont ever be over, but if you just stick him with the two top faces and cram him down fans' throats, theyre going to reject him on principle alone. If the TNA fans wanted to be forcefully told who to like, they could go watch Cena and the WWE.

They need to slow down a bit with Young and not rush things if they actually want to make something out of him. His character needs more time to develop. He just recently turned face when he was barely over as a heel. Most of the heat that he got with the World Elite was just because the audience wanted the bad promo segments to be over with already. That, and the typical cheap heat foreigners get. Any tool can mindlessly chant "USA"; its a no-brainer for them. It doesnt mean your character is actually over.

TNA thought they could just send Young out to join up with guys who are already over and that would somehow put Young over. It doesnt always work like that, especially when the gap of popularity between Young and RVD/Hardy is so large.

There's an old Chinese proverb that says, "Great talents ripen late." If TNA believes Young has untapped talent, they need to take their time and let the fruit ripen before they pick it.

 

[Weems2k]

This is why I hate all these smarks. No matter what TNA, or WWE does, it's never good enough. All I read is how they should push this guy, and give that guy a chance; and when that happens, they still freakin bitch about it. And whose to say that any of this backstage reaction is true? If EY can take advantage of this opportunity, and actually get really over with the crowd, then good for him. If not, then move on to the next guy. Just stop bitching and complaining when TNA gambles and tries something different.

 

[Depakote]

The more this thread grows, the more I question the validity of the backstage "report." WHO was it that didnt like how the angle played out? Drop some names. Dont just say "people backstage."

ANYONE backstage could say whatever they wanted, and the IWC would canonize it as truth. For all we know it couldve been a janitor or parking lot attendant who released this "information." Its bad journalism and should only be considered mere speculation when you dont provide the source for your information.

Whoever said that about Young couldve been just stating their OPINION about the segment yet its presented to us as something thats a general consensus backstage. We'll only know for sure if Eric Young's push suddenly stops in the coming weeks.

 

[jccool420]

Hopefully for TNA, anyone in that locker room had to notice the turn in the crowd and had to feel the change in the momentum... They forced something and it came off as exactly that...

It doesn't matter who it was, rather it be the boys or creative themselves... It was an obvious failure on live TV and I really think the important thing is, that they actually noticed it and hopefully they try to improve on the booking...

 

[Derrtown]

Some people are complaining that hes not Main event material but how do you become Main event material without being in the main events with guys like a Nash, RVD, and Hardy?

Yea it did come off a tad weird but im willing to give it a chance. I think Young can turn into a legit badass and propel himself into a major player in TNA if hes just given the chance.

 

[Pedro08]

My problem with taking EY seriously is based on one simple fact...he doesn't wrestle on tv. I mean seriously, it's hard to see him on the same level as Hardy, RVD or the Wolfpac based in the fact that you can count on one had the number of matches he's had on tv, since the won the Global title last year at Bound for Glory. I can remember two, one against Hamada and the other against Waltman a few weeks ago. Can anyone name any others?

I know he's done back stage segments, commentary and run-ins, but in terms of actual in-ring matches, he's tv time is on par with Consequences Creed and Kyoshi. Maybe even less as those other two have done webmatches.

I know it's not his fault and he's doing what creative wants him to do, but it doesn't do him any favors. His lack of title defenses not only killed the Global title, but his credibility in the ring. People say he's a good worker, but how do you know? We know he can play the goofball character, but is he main event worthy? I'm no so sure.

EY seems like a nice guy and I hope he steps it up with the opportunity he's given. As for the backstage reports, it doesn't surprise me that the other wrestlers would react that way since most of them have probably wrestled more on tv in the past 6 mos. than EY.

 

[llennellV3]

How can TNA build their own stars if not like this? Why would they bring all these big names over and not let them interact with the TNA originals because "they are not in their league"...that would be pointless....Is Abyss in the level of Hulk? Is AJ in the same league as Flair? Bad segment, that was all....just because it was a bad segment they don't have to cross the whole storyline out. Stop hating on EY.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Young has the fundamental components to be an adequate ring-worker in the future, but part of my issue with him is that he's pushed to the level of guys who are far greater than him, most notably in tenure, which makes him look very green and very awkward working programs with legends seeing as he's not one, nor does he have any history with any of them.

The potential is there, but TNA needs to tred lightly with these rookie-types (yes, I just called EY a "rookie"), unless they intend him to go the route of Creed, who is a prime example of a rookie-type who was pushed too far too soon.

 

[eezy1]

EY was getting over as leader of the world elite, his promos were good, his new look was great and I finally thought he`d found a decent niche in TNA. I was starting to forget about his former *****fied persona and take the guy and new gimmick seriously. Now hes in total limbo for me.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I agree that Young is talented and deserving of a push, however he isnt on the level of RVD and Jeff Hardy, who have already put themselves on the map and established themselves as main event material. Young is getting there, but he's not there yet. And because he's not there yet, he's going to get rejected because theyre shoving him down our throats and trying to convince us that he's on the same level as RVD and Hardy when everyone knows that he isnt. I dont mind seeing him tag with those guys once in awhile, but it shouldnt become a regular thing.

He very much killed the vibe of that segment. Did TNA actually expect people to mark out for Young just because they threw him together with the two of the best guys theyve got? It doesnt work like that. Young has a future in this business but it isnt going to be built up that way. Great talents ripen late.

I am SOO in your boat Depakote. I'm not saying that EY isn't talented. He is. But he's just not RVD/Hardy talented. I think that's why the audience is not buying into this. They know what he's capable of, and know why Hardy/RVD should not be having this person with their crew. EY just got done with a LENGTHY battle with Nash in his corner against Pac and Hall. Now he gets to get a continuance? I don't think it was THAT worthy. I think a more suitable member to be in RVD/Hardy's corner could be someone more hi-flyer like them, perhaps feature an X Divisioner, Lethal, or even Moore, or Red to build his mic skills a little. But EY could benefit from a different angle right now in my opinion.

 

[BWEEZY2009]

How do they expect him to "get on the next level"

The ******s don't realize you need to put him up there with the studs to evolve him into one. You got to remember, 25% of that locker room is from the old WCW where they had creative control and were aloud to bury homegrown talent. They probably don't realize what's going on.