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Eric Young (wrestler)

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Jeremy Fritz
File:Eric-young.jpg
BornDecember 15, 1979
Florence, Ontario
Professional wrestling career
Ring nameEric Young
Billed height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Billed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Billed fromVancouver, British Columbia
An Undisclosed Location
Trained byWaldo Von Erich,
Carl Leduc,
Scott D'Amore,
Chris Kanyon
DebutOctober 14, 1998

Jeremy Fritz (born December 15, 1979) is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Eric Young. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Career

After graduating from high school, where he was valedictorian, Young began training with veteran wrestler Waldo Von Erich in Cambridge, Ontario. After training for ten weeks he wrestled his debut match on October 14, 1998 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, facing his friend "Suicide" Sean Ball. He later received supplementary training from Scott D'Amore and Chris Kanyon. After four months, he had wrestled ten matches and was consequently promoted to head trainer. After his training was complete, Young began working on the independent circuit. When wrestling infrequently, Young subsidised his income with number of other jobs, including working in a pizza parlour, manufacturing brass horse harnesses and sand casting. During his time in the Ontario independent scene, Young also owned and operated the Wrestleplex training facility out of Cambridge. Notable wrestlers to come out of the gym include Ontario mainstay Crazy Steve and World Wrestling Entertainment signee Shawn Spears.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

In January 2004 Young appeared in TNA as a jobber. On May 5 he returned as a member of Team Canada. He took part in the World X Cup event, defeating Jerry Lynn, Mr. Águila and Taichi Ishikara in a ladder match. Team Canada were a regular feature on TNA iMPACT! throughout mid-2004, feuding with the 3Live Kru.

On the October 15, 2004 episode of IMPACT!, Young and Bobby Roode defeated Christopher Daniels and "Cowboy" James Storm for the NWA World Tag Team Championships. They held the titles until November 7, 2004, when they were defeated by the 3Live Kru (represented by Konnan and B.G. James) at TNA Victory Road 2004, the inaugural monthly TNA pay-per-view. They regained the titles a month later at TNA Turning Point 2004 on December 5, defeating B.G. James and Ron Killings (Konnan, the third 3Live Kru member, had been injured).

Young and Roode began feuding with America's Most Wanted in early-2005, and lost the NWA World Tag Team Championships to America's Most Wanted on January 16 at TNA Final Resolution 2005. Young and Roode continued to team for another month, but went their separate ways following a loss to Diamond Dallas Page and "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown on February 13 at TNA Against All Odds 2005. Young began teaming with Team Canada member Petey Williams, and on April 24, 2005 they unsuccessfully challenged America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championships at TNA Lockdown. After defeating Apolo and Sonny Siaki at TNA Hard Justice on May 15, Williams and Young challenged new NWA World Tag Team Champions The Naturals at TNA Slammiversary on June 19. They were defeated after Jimmy Hart assisted The Naturals.

Team Canada began feuding with The Naturals and Lance Hoyt, with Young, Roode and A-1 defeating Hoyt and The Naturals at TNA No Surrender 2005 on July 17. America's Most Wanted formed a loose alliance with The Naturals against Team Canada, with Young, Roode, Williams and A-1 defeating The Naturals and America's Most Wanted at TNA Sacrifice on August 14. After Williams renewed his pursuit of the TNA X Division Championship, Young began teaming with A-1 on a regular basis. At TNA Unbreakable on September 11, Young and A-1 faced America's Most Wanted, Alex Shelley and Johnny Candido and defending champions The Naturals in a four way tag match. Young was able to pin both Candido and "Wildcat" Chris Harris, but Team Canada lost the match after Chase Stevens managed to pin A-1.

At TNA Bound For Glory on October 23, Young, A-1 and Bobby Roode defeated the 3Live Kru. After the match, their attempts to beat down Konnan were foiled by Kip James. Later that night, Team Canada foiled an attempt by 3Live Kru to save Rhino from a beating at the hands of Planet Jarrett, then helped Jarrett place Rhino in a casket which they had brought to ringside. However, as Team Canada and Planet Jarrett celebrated, Team 3D entered the ring and, with the help of the now recovered 3Live Kru, drove Planet Jarrett and Team Canada from the ring. Young, who had been standing atop the casket, was hit with a 3D by Team 3D. He was then thrown into the casket in the place of Rhino, who in turn stood atop the casket, celebrating his earlier victory for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship over Jeff Jarrett. As a result of the events of Bound For Glory, Young, Roode and A-1 faced the 3Live Kru in a rematch at TNA Genesis on November 13. Team Canada lost the match after Ron Killings pinned Young. The long-running feud between Team Canada and the 3Live Kru ended at TNA Turning Point 2005 on December 11 when Young, Williams, Roode and A-1 defeated the Kru and Kip James (the "4Live Kru") after Konnan turned on his teammates.

At TNA Final Resolution 2006 on January 15, 2006, Young teamed with Williams and A-1 to defeat Lance Hoyt, Jay Lethal and Kenny King.

On March 7, 2006, Young underwent surgery to remove papilloma polyps from his vocal cords. While anaesthesized, he stopped breathing for ten minutes, and doctors had to put him on a ventilator until the anesthesia wore off enough for him to breathe on his own. Young was released the next day after monitoring (the procedure was initially supposed to be an outpatient procedure). Young said the polyps were a recurring problem: laryngeal papillomatosis resulting from HPV infection of the throat. This was his sixth surgery, and he said he may need 40 to 50 more. [1]

Paranoia gimmick

Since the debut of TNA on Spike TV in October 2005, Young has adopted a new character who is highly paranoid and afraid of almost anything and anybody. The character was introduced at the mock funeral staged by Planet Jarrett and their associates for Team 3D on the October 15, 2005 episode of iMPACT!, when Young was startled after Abyss crushed a box of tissues that were offered to him, and then speculated that the funeral parlour was haunted by a ghost named "Katie". The simplest things began to frighten Young, including the pyrotechnics that accompany Team Canada's entrance.

The character has drawn comparisons to South Park characters Tweek and Butters, and has often been used for comic relief. During an interview about the World X-Cup by So Cal Val during TNA Global iMPACT!, Young stated "Foreigners frighten me. They're from other countries, and I don't know how to deal with that."

However, although Young may be paranoid, he is not necessarily always wrong. Two weeks after Sting and Christian Cage defeated Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown at TNA Final Resolution 2006, Sting made his iMPACT! debut and announced his retirement. Jarrett wasted no time in pointing out that "after one match with me, Sting took his ball and went home", and most of Planet Jarrett agreed with that assessment. However, Young became convinced that Sting was not gone, and raised the ire of Jarrett and Scott D'Amore by frequently expressing that belief. In an attempt to persuade Young that Sting had left, Jarrett commissioned Alex Shelley to obtain footage of Sting at home with his children; however, this failed to allay Young's fears. He insisted that Sting would come back and get each of them, he would even go as far as to insist that the fellow Planet Jarrett members should not call him by his nickname "Showtime" anymore as "It's showtime, folks!" was a phrase Sting would often use.

In the main event of the April 13, 2006 episode of iMPACT!, Young lost to Sting.

Also despite his paranoia, it does not always hinder his abilities during a match. Although he does not usually strive in a one-on-one situation, he is not afraid to capitalize on an opportunity such as outside interference from a member of Team Canada or Planet Jarrett. He will also not hesitate to cheat or follow-up when someone has aided him in breaking the rules. He has shown that he can be rather aggressive, even putting people through a table with of course help from his fellow Canadian teammates.

In an interview [2] Eric Young talked about the TNA fans by saying: " I think the fans are spoiled, the reactions aren't as good anymore because the fans have seen it all."

When Jim Cornette became the new face of management in TNA and said someone would be fired, Young was afraid it would be him. He was seen on iMPACT! holding a up a sign in the crowd that read "Don't fire Eric Young" as the fans chanted "Don't fire Eric!" along with him. During this he used a bandana to disguise himself although it was clearly (and comically) obvious it was him. On the June 29 episode of iMPACT!, Young wrestled like a classic babyface out of fear of being fired, and tried to prevent his fellow Canadians from doing anything underhanded. Cornette announced later that night Team Canada was now disbanded, but Young was more happy than upset because it was Earl Hebner who got fired, not Young. It is unknown if Young will continue to make his ring entrance wearing a Canadian flag like a superhero cape. On the July 14 episode of iMPACT!, Team Canada lost an "all or nothing" match (their only chance to stay together), keeping Team Canada disbanded.

At Victory Road, Team Canada joined together in the ring for one last time. After running through how he felt about each member, Scott D'Amore stopped at Eric Young. He then blamed Eric for their demise and made him strip of any Team Canada items as they were no more. Scott D'Amore then said that he believed Eric Young would still be fired as he was to blame for Team Canada's end. Eric then remained in the ring after the others had left and began a secret petition with the fans to keep his job. He would soon start being announced from "An Undisclosed Location". Young continued to be worried about his job security, creating his own "Don't fire Eric" shirts and met with Cornette, who promised to not fire Young (for now) as long as he defeated Johnny Devine at TNA Hard Justice 2006, which Young did. He was kayfabe fired on the October 5 episode of iMPACT after being hit with a golf club by Larry Zbysko. [3]

In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves
  • Managers
  • Nicknames
  • The Director
  • Showtime

Championships and accomplishments

  • Other titles
  • 2-time FSPW Independent Champion
  • 1-time NSP Tag Team Champion
  • 1-time NSP Independent Champion
  • 1-time ACW Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-time IWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-time XWC World Heavyweight Champion

References

Wikiquote has quotations related to Eric Young (wrestler).
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