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Eric Young is reportedly set to return to WWE two years after he was let go by the Stamford-based promotion. The 42-year-old bid adieu to Impact Wrestling in a rather brutal fashion on the December 1, 2022, episode of the Nashville-based promotion.
For those wondering, Eric Young had a solid run in Triple H’s version of NXT. The Game brought the Canadian wrestler to the black-and-gold version brand in 2016. Young was paired with Nikki Cross, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe as SAnitY.
Although SAnitY dominated the developmental brand, they struggled to replicate their success on the main roster, partially because of Vince McMahon’s booking decisions at the time.
WWE’s former CEO drafted Eric Young to Monday Night RAW in 2019, only to release him from the company exactly a year later on April 15, 2020.
Young’s release stemmed from the budget cuts that were triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. He would eventually return to his former home in July 2020 and beat Eddie Edwards for the Impact World Championship on the September 1, 2020, episode of Impact Wrestling.
After dropping the title to Rich Swann at Bound for Glory 2020, Young formed Violent by Design with Joe Doering. VBD expanded to include Deaner, Angels, and Kon and became the highlight of the promotion months into their debut.
Eric Young bids brutal goodbye to Impact Wrestling
Young’s final appearance for Impact Wrestling took place on the December 1, 2022, episode of the promotion. The Canadian wrestler appeared in a vignette alongside fellow Violent by Design member Deaner. The duo had a table talk, but the verbal communication escalated into a brawl.
Young and Deaner tried to get the upper hand before the master stopped, telling his student to “eliminate the sickness.” An emotional Deaner pleaded with Young, "we can fix this together.” The mastermind refused, prompting Deaner to stab him with a knife.
Will Eric Young return with a similar gimmick in WWE? We’ll have to wait to see.
