10 Things We Learned From 'Young Bucks: Killing The Business From Backyards To The Big Leagues'

3. The TNA Deal

The Young Bucks Killing the Business
Impact Wrestling/AEW

After impressing in a dark match tryout against the Motor City Machine Guns, the Young Bucks thought they'd finally hit the big time after being offered a contract by TNA.

Excited at this prospect, the Bucks were brought down to Earth with a thud for numerous reasons. Firstly, as detailed in Killing the Business, there was the contract itself.

The deal offered to Matt and Nick Jackson was a three-year contract with zero guaranteed money, $300 each per appearance, a $100-per-match bonus each year after that, and the Young Bucks would be responsible for their own hotel and transport.

Going even further, Vince Russo - who apparently first met the Young Bucks when he was bare-ass and having a massage backstage at a TNA show - gave strict instructions that the Young Bucks name was no more, and that the tandem was now known as Generation Me.

Killing the Business details a Russo email to Terry Taylor as reading:

"They need to cut their hair shoulder length - and get new gear - a 'Hot Topic' look, much like Jeff and Matt Hardy. Tell them not to wear the exact same thing. They will be called 'Gen Me'."
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.