This should be prefaced by an admission on this writer's behalf that he is actually a fan of Eric Young, dating all the way back to the days of Team Canada. With that out of the way, Eric Young's 2014 reign as TNA champion was weird in that the company was unapologetic in its attempt to copy Daniel Bryan's rise to championship status in WWE. In fact, it was just days after Bryan reigned supreme that Young stunned the wrestling world by capturing the TNA heavyweight title. The Canadian-born star detailed his journey from the bottom to the top, not to mention all of the bumps and bruises he endured to get there. It was an inspirational story, for sure, but one that rubbed many fans the wrong way. Not only was it a blatant attempt to recreate the buzz around Bryan's ascension, it also made little sense in the context of TNA's storylines. Young had long, LONG been a comedic character in the company, marrying ODB and even winning the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships with her. He was superhero knockoff Super Eric, demonstrated notable fear of Sting and wrestled celebrity Danny Bonaduce in a pay-per-view pre-show match. Championship material was the last thing he was. Young winning the world title was tantamount to Santino Marella capturing the WWE title. It did not make sense and fans tuned out in droves. Did the wildly entertaining performer deserve some sort of main event push after years of dedication to the company? Probably. But to strap the title on him in an attempt to replicate something that was working so well elsewhere was another piece of evidence to support critics' arguments that TNA was too focused on being WWE rather than the alternative and revolutionary product it should have been. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03c2Y4O_Tus
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
