According to Eric Young, IMPACT is the best company he's ever worked for.
Joining the promotion in 2004, just two years after it was founded by Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young spent the next twelve years with IMPACT (TNA), becoming one of the most decorated performers in its history. He would leave for WWE in 2016 but would return at Slammiversary 2020 and shortly thereafter form Violent By Design with Joe Doering and Deaner.
IMPACT itself has had a turbulent history, though through it all has found a way to persist and has seemingly found some stability under the leadership of Anthem Sports and Scott D'Amore.
Speaking with WhatCulture Wrestling, Young discussed the growth of IMPACT and how everyone is now pulling the proverbial ship in the same forward direction. Additionally, Young added that this is the best locker room and company he's ever been a part of and it's not even close.
"I don't know if even the people running the company, even if you asked Jeff and said to him, 'Do you think it's around in 2022?' He would have said, 'I have no idea.' The reality is, 'it's a fledgling company,' the money it costs, and the work. The amount of work, hustle, and sacrifice that has to be done to get something like that off the road because the WWE at the time, had monopolized the business. They had everything and everyone watched that and there was nothing else out there. At no point, even when the company was pretending there was a Monday Night War, we have never been in competition with them. They are on another level. It's generational and has been around for hundreds of years. It's not something that, that kind of fanbase and following cannot be cultivated in five years, ten years, 20 years. It takes a lifetime. The company, I've been here for a lot of that time and its had ups and downs, but I can say that coming back at Slammiversary two years ago, it's all been positive momentum. The numbers on TV, they can dip and drop and then go up and drop, that's just the nature of television and ratings. Money is accrued, viewership is accrued in forty different ways now. It's not just about television ratings. It has a massive digital presence, a growing worldwide presence. We're hoping to get back on TV in the United Kingdom and all the other places as well. It's cool being part of something that definitely had a foothold in the industry and that foothold grows and grows, kind of week to week. Scott D'Amore is owed a huge amount of respect, Anthem Sports and AXS TV are owed a huge amount of respect because they let us do our thing, they don't get in the way. The roster, these amazing men and women, everyone is doing our own thing, we're all our own business, but it's a really tight-knit group and everyone is pulling the rope in the right direction. Everybody who understands it, truly understands that, 'if I want to do well, IMPACT has to do well first.' It's the best locker room I've ever been part of, best company I've ever worked for, and it's not even close. Have I made more money and had more exposure other places? Absolutely. Would I trade that for the things I have now? I don't think I would. This is the most fun I've ever had," he said.
Elsewhere during the interview, Young discussed whether he's thought about adding more members to Violent By Design. Click here to read more.
After winning The Gauntlet For The Gold, Young is set to challenge Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World Championship on June 19 at Slammiversary.
You can view the updated lineup for IMPACT Slammiversary by clicking here.
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