'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMAjJf/EAB8QAAICAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgQAEQUTISNBUf/aAAgBAQABPwCtydVaOVLGWVRI8KK7pQHUJ7eiCIj7irVcqgZIEpaGyZEbz//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhMf/aAAgBAgEBPwCM/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREA/9oACAEDAQE/AFpN/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A former WWE star recently opened up on why he didn't join the AEW roster back when he was released from the Stamford-based company.
Eric Young is a former WWE Superstar who was part of the SAnitY stable in NXT for nearly four years before getting released in 2020. Young was rumored to have re-signed with the company last year but returned to IMPACT Wrestling earlier this year at Slammiversary.
The 43-year-old star has had a decade-long run in IMPACT/TNA Wrestling, where he had multiple world title runs and has had some memorable feuds with Bobby Roode and the Main Event Mafia.
In an interview with Haus of Wrestling, Young opened up about why he didn't go to AEW after he requested his release from WWE early in 2023.
"I talked with some friends there and people that I trust, and Tony [Khan] had kind of mentioned that he was interested, but it just never materialized. And the truth is, I’m just going to get lost in the ether and in the mix like 60 other people there, right? The truth is I don’t have his confidence. Me and him aren’t close in any way, shape, or form," he said.
The Canadian star delved deeper into his almost non-existent relationship with Tony Khan, the head honcho of AEW:
"I’m kind of replacing one set of problems for another, and I have nothing against Tony Khan. From everything I know, he’s a very nice man. I met him a couple of times in passing. He treats the wrestlers with respect, he pays them very well, and is a very respectful man and a kind man. So, it’s nothing against the product or nothing against him. It’s just not my place. Impact Wrestling is my home, and that’s where I wanted to be. So that’s where I am."
Why did Eric Young leave WWE in 2023?
Eric Young had a fantastic run with the NXT from 2016 to 2020. He was part of the SAnitY stable and worked well with the crowd. They made their main roster debut in 2018 and had a decent run on SmackDown. Young was separated from the group the following year and moved to RAW as part of the Superstar Shake-Up.
The 43-year-old star was released from WWE the following year during the pandemic due to the budget cuts.
He returned to IMPACT Wrestling in 2020 and was there until 2022.
In late 2022, he reportedly was re-signed by the Stamford-based company but remained there for only a few months before getting released as per his own request.
What do you think? Would Eric Young have dominated the AEW roster? Tell us in the comments section.
