WWE News: Eric Young Reportedly ‘In’ For Upcoming NXT Stint
After his recent appearance on NXT, former longtime TNA Impact Wrestling superstar Eric Young is “in” as a NXT superstar, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
On the May 4 edition of NXT, Young confronted recently-crowned NXT champion Samoa Joe and faced him in the main event that evening. Young lost to Joe and has not appeared on NXT since, but a multitude of reports have stated that WWE is looking sign Young to a contract.
In a recent conference call, Triple H said that the company is working to sign both Young and Bobby Roode to exclusive contracts (via Wrestling Inc). Since then, Roode has made his NXT debut at a litany of live events. Now, Young is expected to join him shortly thereafter.
Triple H Talks WWE NXT and the Brand Split, Bobby Roode and Eric Young,… – https://t.co/J5zbmPgTZW #WWE #TNA pic.twitter.com/xNVTbbeiAH
— Daily Wrestling News (@DailyWWENews) June 7, 2016
Young spoke to Niagra This Week about meeting Triple H for the first time.
“It was in the works. I was supposed to go and talk with Hunter [WWE executive Paul Levesque]. They reached out to me and there was an opportunity. Hunter and I hit it off right away, joking like we had known each other for 10 years. About half way through the day he called me aside to see if I’d be interested in doing a promo with the NXT champion Samoa Joe to start the show. I went and grabbed my stuff out of my rental and we got to business. The crowd reaction was insane. I figured it would be decent, but it was insane.”
The reason Young could enter Full Sail University and wrestle Samoa Joe, somebody he wrestled with at TNA for years, is because they both left the company. With TNA constantly under scrutiny for issues ranging from paying talent to changes in ownership, the company has lost several top performers in recent years.
Among the names to leave TNA include Joe, Young, Roode, Sting, AJ Styles, and Austin Aries. All five of those men made their way to WWE following their TNA departure. James Storm left TNA late last year and had a brief NXT run before re-signing.
While Young was complimentary of TNA and his time there, he did acknowledge frustration in the latter part of his tenure.
“Things don’t end because they are good. You don’t get divorced in your life because you are still in love. You get divorced because things aren’t how they are supposed to be. It didn’t end badly. We couldn’t agree on some things and I went my separate way. I had their blessing to do that. I wish them all the luck in the world. A lot of my close friends work there, and not just wrestlers. They provided me with a very good life and I’ll never forget that.”
Coincidentally, Young teamed Roode in 2003 when both men were regular extras at WWE events. Now, both men are preparing to enter new chapters after nearly decade-and-a-half long careers in different promotions.
For one final time on the #NXTUKTour… it’s @REALBobbyRoode! pic.twitter.com/uMBnKGHPmL
— WWE UK (@WWEUK) June 17, 2016
During the time of the aforementioned interview, Young addressed his contractual status with WWE, giving the indication that he and the company are not too far off from agreeing to terms.
“We are working on contract stuff now, but there isn’t a final pen to paper yet,” Young said.
With the brand extension nearing, it’s likely that WWE will bring in Young sooner rather than later to fill out the rosters.
[Image via Tabercil| Wikimedia Commons| Cropped and Resized | CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
