Eric Young And Bobby Roode Granted TNA Release

By Brad Hamilton / March 21, 2016

In yet another sign that TNA is in its death throes, two of the company's most loyal performers have asked for and been granted their release. Both Eric Young and Bobby Roode fulfilled their final commitments at this past weekend's tapings and have officially departed the organization they had been with for more than a decade. The news comes as a bit of a surprise because we all assumed both men would remain with the promotion until it ceased to exist, but this could be a case of abandoning ship before it's fully submerged. Heading into the TV taping both men were champions, with Roode holding the tag team titles alongside his Beer Money partner James Storm while Young was the King of the Mountain. Young dropped the title to Bram in a falls count anywhere match while Beer Money relinquished their championship to The Decay (Abyss and Crazzy Steve) as Bobby went out on his back taking the pin after a brutal thumbtack spot. TNA released the following statement regarding the departures:

Impact Wrestling has come to terms on the release of veteran wrestlers Bobby Roode and Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz). Bobby and Eric have been valuable members of The Impact Roster since 2004 and we wish them nothing but the best in their careers going forward. Bobby had this to say earlier today, "To the guys and girls I got to work with for the past 12 years, Impact Wrestling, the office and everyone associated with me getting to live this dream, I say thank you. It is time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life. This has been amazing." Eric Young had this to say. "Thank you. Thank you to everyone who watched me for the past 12 years. Thank you to Impact Wrestling. I wish everyone here nothing but the best going forward." Executive Vice President of Creative and Television, John Gaburick added, "Bobby and Eric are true professionals. We salute them for the 12 years they gave TNA. With a Superstar roster including EC3, James Storm, Drew Galloway, Jeff and Matt Hardy, "The Destroyer" Bobby Lashley, Gail Kim, The Wolves, Maria Kanellis-Bennett and "The Miracle" Mike Bennett we couldn't be more excited about showcasing the finest wrestling in the world for the Impact fans." In the coming weeks be sure to see the final matches of both Bobby Roode and Eric Young on Impact Wrestling at 9PM EST on Pop TV.

Both men are now free agents, although there's been no word on where either man may end up or if there's even been interest from any of the established companies. Bobby Roode in particular would be an ideal fit for NXT and could be a terrific addition to the main WWE roster should they show any interest in bringing him in. He's a talented veteran who's solid on the mic and in the ring and is long overdue for a shot on the big stage. It's hard to imagine WWE going after Eric Young, but he should be able to find work on the independent scene at the very least. Perhaps Lucha Underground or PWG could be potential landing spots?