Eric Young made the firm decision not to work for Vince McMahon again after McMahon made a comeback to WWE, despite the 2022 hush-money scandal implicating him. After being released by WWE in April 2020, Young was again signed in late 2022 along with a few others, following McMahon’s exit. However, after McMahon forcefully regained control of WWE in January 2023, Young’s anticipated departure was confirmed the following April.
Young shed light on his choice to sever ties with WWE after McMahon regained his position on the “Insight” podcast. Here are several highlights from the podcast:
Eric Young on confronting Vince McMahon during a meeting: “Certainly, I confronted him in the same manner I would confront any other person. I interrupted his meeting on the advice of some people present. Our exchange was amicable, and he was curious about my plans. When I expressed my ideas, he was accommodating and grateful. But then they relocated Damo and Wolfe back to NXT, and I was assigned to Raw, where things took a turn for the worse. It wasn’t for any particular reason. He merely concluded that I wasn’t excelling in my given tasks. I hadn’t done anything to provoke him.”
Eric Young on Kenny Omega’s short WWE tenure: “His decision baffled me, and as I’ve previously noted, I am not the first individual he overlooked. I certainly hope I’m one of the last, though. Kenny Omega didn’t even last eight months, despite being one of the best ring performers ever. It’s disheartening more than anything else.”
Eric Young on his second stint in WWE: “I was employed by them for about eight or nine months. Truthfully, I never even left my home. I was offered to work there with two other guys, one of whom was Bray who passed away. It didn’t pan out, and then the person I previously worked for returned.”
Eric Young on why his second stint was unsuccessful: “Several reasons made me unwilling to work there, with the chief one being my reluctance to work under such a person. My beliefs would not grant me peace if I continued to work for such a person. Thus, I demanded my release, which was sanctioned.”
Eric Young on The Wyatt Sicks’ early concept pitch: “Initially, the plan was to make a trio featuring Bray, Bo Dallas, and me. Being a part of this team was an enticing prospect since The Fiend and Bray were quite popular back then.”
Eric Young on how he almost lost an ear: “During a match I performed a table spot with Frankie [Kazarian] that resulted in a significant injury behind my ear. Contrary to popular belief, my ear was not ripped off and required eight stitches.”