Earlier this year, Fightful Select reported that Eric Young had requested his release from WWE just months after re-signing with the promotion. Young is said to have made the move in response to the return of Vince McMahon and Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE, subsequently returning to IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary earlier this year. Young seemed to confirm the report following his IMPACT return, hinting at having to make a “hard choice” in a post to X.
In an exclusive Haus of Wrestling interview, Young was asked by our own Nick Hausman about the reported reason behind his WWE departure, which he admitted was “certainly not a secret”, and if there was any truth to the idea that Vince McMahon was at the core of his decision.
“The truth is, like you’re saying and like it was reported, I can’t confirm or deny that but I can say that it’s leading definitely towards the truth,” Young replied. “It’s just professionally and personally, but more important for me is morally, I can’t work for a person like that and I refused. It’s not lost to me that I’m in a very advantageous position in my life where I get to choose, right? I think if you were to poll most of the people there, a lot of them said that out loud and then it happened and none of them did it and, well, I did it.”
“I think most people that work there will tell you, it’s not a fun place to work, it just isn’t, especially if you love professional wrestling,” the former SAnitY leader later added. “It’s the goal, it’s the big dog in the hunt, it’s the megacity, it’s, however you want to say it, the end all be all. The truth is, that’s what I thought most of my life I wanted, most of my young life. But being a person that has accomplished 10 times what he ever thought he would in wrestling and getting to dictate my life and dictate my career at this point, it was a very easy decision. The only part I regret is not being able to work with some of the people there, not be able to work with Hunter again. There’s bucket list things there that I’m not going to lose sleep over, but it surely would have been cool to check them off the list.”
Later in the same interview, Young implied that Vince McMahon was ultimately responsible for SAnitY not working out of the main roster as “the only person that matters” did not understand the concept: “The truth is everyone understood it except for one person and the unfortunate truth is the only person that matters is that one person. So it doesn’t matter your opinion, it doesn’t matter the fans’ opinions, it doesn’t matter.”
My full conversation with Young is now available on the Haus of Wrestling YouTube channel and podcast feed.
Eric Young, Big Damo, and Axel Tischer reunite as Sanity on Sunday, November 26, for PROGRESS Wrestling 160 – VENDETTA. Tickets can be purchased at www.progresswrestling.com.
Haus of Wrestling has partnered with Inside The Ropes to present An Afternoon With Kevin Nash And Sean Waltman on November 25 at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL, ten minutes from the All-State Arena. Tickets are now available at JoesLiveRosemont.com.
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