Eric Young on Leaving TNA For WWE, What Went Wrong in WWE, Says Vince McMahon ‘Made a Mistake’ With Him

Eric Young discussed his NXT run, what went wrong with his run in WWE and more during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. Young left TNA to sign with WWE in 2016. During that time in WWE he had a successful run in NXT as Sanity but was barely used on the main roster. He was one of the many people released by WWE in April and made his return to Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary. You can check out some highlights below:

On leaving TNA for WWE: “At the time for me, going there was, it was kind of time to move on from the structure of the current company. I felt I had kind of done everything I was going to be allowed to do there. Obviously, the WWE was a place I wanted to work my whole career, that’s what I grew up watching. That was the goal when I started wrestling, my first goal was to sign a contract and say that I do this for a living. And signing my first contract with TNA Wrestling in — I guess that would have been around 2004 was the first time I signed a contract there full-time, and I could officially say I was a pro wrestler. Because before that, I would never tell anyone that. I’d say, ‘Yeah, I do it on the weekends,’ because that’s what I did. I had a real job and I played wrestler on the weekend. But in 2004, I signed my first contract and then I could finally say, ‘This is what I do for a living.’ … And my other goal was to make it to the WWE so that was a huge reason for me wanting to go there.”

On his NXT run: “The NXT part went great, I was treated well. Hunter and I worked very closely on the development of Sanity and the group. And I really felt like I had a say in what went on. Obviously not final say, but was listened to and was asked to contribute. And I mean, I think that NXT run — I mean, at the time, Sanity was one of the top acts in the whole company. We were on every show. We won tag team of the year. War Games won match of the year. I could be put on anywhere on the card and be utilized in a very good way.”

On what went wrong with his main roster run: “Then we transitioned to the main roster and I mean, you and everyone knows how that went. That did not go well. And you know and people know that sometimes you fall out of favor, and it’s nothing you did or didn’t do. I never changed who I was, I’m not going to. That’s not who I am, I’m not a political person, never have been. That’s probably a bit of a hindrance for my career is that I’m not political. I refuse to be political…

“And the truth is, a bunch of guys who left there have talked about it so we don’t have to go on and on about it. But the system is broken, it’s hard to get a word in. And you know, even when you are doing nothing, it feels like you are just trying to fix people’s mistakes all day. There’s no creativity, they want everyone to do things the same, and be the same, and bump the same, and sell the same. And there’s millions of rules which I’m sure you guys have all heard and talked about on the show at length, and people talk about on the internet, and the secret rules. And those change daily. And it’s just really hard to understand what’s going on and why it is going on. The system is flawed and I would say that to anyone there. I would say it to Vince himself.”

On his relationship with Vince McMahon: “I don’t think it’s anything personal. Anytime me and him were in a room together or we spoke, he was always respectful. We had two pretty decently long conversations, and I thought they went well and he understood where I was coming from. But I’m a man, and I’m not going to stand in a hallway for four hours to talk to him. I’m just not going to do that, and that could be wrong on my part. That could be stubborn on my part, but I’m a 40 year-old man and I’m not going to wait in the hallway like a child to maybe get five minutes to talk to him. I said my piece to him. He seemed to be responsive to him and nothing ever comes from that.

“So I don’t take it personally. He made a mistake, and as a leader of the company and the person who decides everything, it’s a massive mistake to pass on somebody like me. You have a three hour television show and you can’t find five minutes for Eric Young? Your show is broken, it’s as simple as that. I’ve proven that I could do whatever, any role. I’m not saying I can do it, I’ve already done it and I’ve proven I could do it and do it very well. For me, it’s a huge miss, a huge mistake, and now it’s someone else’s gain. And personally, it’s my gain. My soul hasn’t felt this good in a long time. That’s just the truth.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.