It is not a coincidence that TNA decided to put their World title on Eric Young 2 weeks ago, 4 days after Daniel Bryan had won the WWE World title at Wrestlemania 30. Critics will scoff and claim TNA was ripping off WWE yet again, because they don't have an original idea that actually works, yadda yadda yadda, but when you stop for a second and consider how much TNA's roster has turned over and over again in nearly 12 years of operation, when they've repeatedly brought in aged veterans (i.e. Sting, Kurt Angle, Bully Ray) because they felt name recognition was more of a ratings draw than showcasing the stars who had been with the promotion almost from the outset, it is those same men who've been there for 10 years or better who've reaped the biggest rewards.
There are two things that Eric Young and Daniel Bryan have in common. One, both made their national television debuts on WWE-TV as rent-a-jobbers in 2002-3 (Back then, Bryan was using his real name, Bryan Danielson), along with another TNA mainstay who later became their world champ, Bobby Roode. The other common link is their TV gigs outside the ring. Bryan, of course, is a regular on the WWE-produced E! series, "Total Divas", while Young, the Canadian native who now lives in Nashville, is doing something for Animal Planet. The title escapes me because TNA rarely, if at all, plugs the show.
Think of what Young has done in nearly 11 years with TNA. He and Roode were part of Scott "Donuts" D'Amore's Team Canada stable, but Young was actually more of a spare part. He then donned a mask as Super Eric, leading a short lived team of masked wrestlers with Curry Man (Christopher Daniels) & Shark Boy, the latter doing a Stone Cold Steve Austin copycat gimmick at the time. He turned heel again and led something called the World Elite, which wasn't exactly a fearsome group, not with Vince Russo calling the shots in creative.
In the last couple of years, Young has taken the bleach out of his hair and gone country, adding the Smith Bros. wanna-be beard long before Daniel Bryan became "Goatface". Heck, Bryan & Young could pass for the Smith Bros. now! While Bryan recently tied the knot---for real---with Brie Bella, Young has had ODB as his storyline wife for nearly 2 years now, and they're humming along rather quietly.
Which is exactly how Young goes about things. He's a quiet sort, much like Bryan was when he was called up to WWE 4 years ago. In winning the TNA title 2 weeks ago, Young, like Roode before him, was being rewarded for being the good soldier, having done everything that's been asked of him since he came to TNA in 2003. Unfortunately, with Russo back as a consultant---prepare to cringe---Young won't be champion too long. You can probably blame Russo for Dixie Carter's heel turn last fall, but he wasn't on the company payroll then, although we wouldn't put it past him to have suggested it then anyway, many times over.
In a perfect world, we would all be celebrating Eric Young as TNA's "Little Engine That Could", going from being a punching bag in Team Canada to World champion, and enjoy the ride. However, we all know that TNA's hanging by a thread with their contract with Spike nearing its expiration date, and founder Jeff Jarrett waiting in the wings with Global Force Wrestling should Spike dump TNA after 9 years. One can only hope smarter heads prevail, and when October comes, Young will still be champion, and Dixie finds her dignity.......
