Interview with TNA's Eric Young

Eric Young Interview (7/15/08)

I like to thank you for taking time out to do this interview with Myrtle Beach Life.com. I’d like to talk to you today about TNA’s first ever show in Florence, SC, on Saturday July 26, and about you of course.

Daris Brown: Tell the fans what they can expect from a TNA House Show.

Eric Young: If you’ve never been to a live wrestling show and you’re a fan, or a casual fan, it’s something you really have to experience. There’s nothing like being at a live pro wrestling event. And TNA puts on the best live event in the entire industry. It’s worth the drive. It’s worth the money. You won’t be disappointed. It’s an experience.

DB: You broke into wrestling when it was at its peak. Where You A Wrestling Fan Growing Up?

EY: Yeah I’ve been a pro wrestling fan since I was 6. That’s my first memory of pro wrestling that I can remember. But I’ve been a fan my entire life.

DB: Who did you look up to growing up?

EY: There’s a pretty big list. Shawn Michaels is my favorite. But I like Owen Hart, Bret Hart of course (I’m from Canada so you have no choice), Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, the list goes on and on.

DB: You have had some of the best followings in TNA. You’re known as Paranoid Eric, Don’t Fire Eric and your association, or non association, with Super Eric. Do you ever worry that you’re not going be taken seriously as a wrestler?

EY: No. It’s the role I’ve been given and I run with it. I love what I’m doing and it’s so much fun. Things can change, I’m not worrying about it because I know I can wrestle. I don’t worry about it, I just go out there and make it the most entertaining for the fans that I can.

DB: Do you follow the online crowd?

EY: To be honest, not really. I don’t follow it. There are a lot of people out there giving their opinions and they’re entitled to their opinions. But they haven’t been in the wrestling ring. The fans have a right to criticize stuff. But to put us down just to put us down just makes it hard for us, so I don’t really follow it.

DB: With TNA being on a major network (Spike), there’s a video game coming out, TNA is on the way up and you’ve beat the WWE’s ECW in ratings. Does TNA’s roster pay attention to it?

EY: Everyone pays attention to it to a certain degree. I keep my eye on it and ask about it each week. But it’s out of my hands. I just try to make my part of the show entertaining and do the best that I can do.

DB: You were recently in a six-man tag match involving X-Division champ Petey Williams on Impact, on Spike TV, will you be challenging for his title soon?

EY: To be honest. I don’t know what the plans are. It would be fun. I’ve known Petey for years, I wrestled him in his second match ever. There’s history. We’ve been in Team Canada. So It would be interesting.

DB: TNA started off featuring stars of the X-Division. But now so many former WWE stars are jumping ship. Does the locker room fear that this is a similar path taken by WCW which gained success before going under?

EY: I don’t think so. The problems that were there, aren’t here. It’s a completely different product here. Ours is way smarter. Speaking with some guys that were there during that time it was a mess. Some fans who were watching didn’t even realize how disorganized it was.

DB: What’s something about you you’re fans would be surprised to hear?

EY: I was valedictorian of my high school. But I was also captain of rugby team, goalie in soccer, on the AAA travel hockey team. So I was definitely a jock too. I was also into drama and stuff too. So I was an ecliptic young man.

DB: Once your career is over, and you hang up the boots, what’s out there for Eric Young? Road Agent? Manager? Car Lot Owner?

EY: I would hope something in wrestling. I have an interest in film, acting, maybe some stunt work – depending on how healthy I stay. But I’ll be a pro wrestler until they kick me out.

DB: You’re known to associate with a star by the name of Super Eric. Now we know that he has no known weaknesses, but do you?

EY: Eric Young has many weaknesses. I hope to grow up and be just like Super Eric someday.

DB: TNA is coming out with a video game soon. How involved have you been?

EY: We’ve been heavily involved in the making of the game. We told them what we like about wrestling games. What we don’t like. Eric Young plays a big part of the story line. They flew me up to L.A. and I did voice over and they got visual images of my face. And now I have an action figure that I didn’t have to make myself. I can die happy now.

DB: If you can work with any wrestler in TNA, who would it be?

EY: There’s a lot that I haven’t got to work with yet. But my favorite is Bobby Roode, because we have great chemistry and out of the ring. And he’s a complete professional.

DB: Who would you like to wrestle with from the past or present?

EY: There’s a huge list of guys. But I would say AJ Styles. A lot of guys don’t even know that I know what I’m doing, so that would be great to show them. Also working with Bobby again, that’d be good.

DB: Awesome Kong is now challenging men. Are you brave enough to take her on?

EY: Absolutely not. No.

DB: Anything you want to tell your fans before we leave?

EY: Thanks for watching the product and thanks for the support. If TNA comes anywhere close to you, you have to go. Plus you can get in the ring for meet and greets. You can get autographs from wrestlers like Christian Cage, Kurt Angle and everyone else. And the matches are all good. There are no cameras so the wrestling is first. So if you get a chance to go to one, go to one.

DB: Well, Eric I’d like to thank you for your time.

EY: No problem. Have a good one.