Fritz left TNA (then called Impact Wrestling) in 2016 and signed withWWE, where he was assigned toNXT and won theNXT Tag Team Champion as a part ofSanity. He moved up to the main roster in 2019, and was released in 2020. He returned to Impact in July of that same year and between late 2020 and early 2021, formedViolent By Design (VBD), which was ultimately renamed "The Design" when Fritz left Impact for the second time in 2022. He returned to WWE in 2022 but quickly departed without appearing on televsion and returned to Impact for the second time in 2023, which ultimately reverted to the TNA name.
After graduating fromhigh school, Young began training with veteran wrestlerWaldo Von Erich inCambridge, Ontario. After training for ten weeks, he wrestled his debut match on October 14, 1998, inBenton Harbor, Michigan, facing his friend "Suicide" Sean Ball. He later received supplementary training fromScott D'Amore andChris Kanyon. After four months, he had wrestled ten matches and was promoted to head trainer. After his training was complete, Young began working on theindependent circuit. When wrestling infrequently, Young subsidised his income with a number of other jobs, including working in apizza parlour, manufacturingbrass horse harnesses, andsand 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 Jake O'Reilly,Ontario mainstayCrazzy Steve, andWorld Wrestling Entertainment signeeShawn Spears.
On June 30, 2007, Eric secured the APWF Light Heavyweight Championship defeating former four-timeNWA World Light Heavyweight Champion "Luscious" Rocky Reynolds in Oil City, Pennsylvania.
Young and Roode began feuding withAmerica's Most Wanted in early 2005, and lost the NWA World Tag Team Championship to America's Most Wanted on January 16 atFinal Resolution.[8] Young began teaming with Team Canada memberPetey Williams, and on April 24, they unsuccessfully challenged America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championship atLockdown.[9] After defeatingApolo andSonny Siaki atHard Justice on May 15, Williams and Young challenged and lost to new NWA World Tag Team ChampionsThe Naturals atSlammiversary on June 19.[10][11]
Team Canada began feuding with The Naturals andLance Hoyt, with Young, Roode andA-1 defeating Hoyt and The Naturals atNo Surrender on July 17.[12] 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 atSacrifice on August 14.[13] After Williams renewed his pursuit of theX Division Championship, Young began teaming with A-1 on a regular basis. AtUnbreakable on September 11, Young and A-1 faced America's Most Wanted,Alex Shelley andJohnny 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 afterChase Stevens managed to pin A-1.[14]
AtBound for Glory on October 23, Young, A-1 and Bobby Roode defeated the 3Live Kru. After the match, their attempt to attack Konnan was foiled byKip James.[15] Later that night, Team Canada stopped 3Live Kru from savingRhino from an attack byPlanet Jarrett, and then helped Jarrett place Rhino in acasket which they had brought to ringside. As Team Canada and Planet Jarrett celebrated together, however,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 a3D 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 theNWA World Heavyweight Championship overJeff Jarrett.[15] As a result of the events of Bound For Glory, Young, Roode and A-1 faced the 3Live Kru in a rematch atGenesis on November 13. Team Canada lost the match after Ron Killings pinned Young.[16] The long-running feud between Team Canada and the 3Live Kru ended atTurning Point on December 11 when Young, Williams, Roode and A-1 defeated the Kru and Kip James (the "4Live Kru") after Konnanturned on his teammates.[17]
After the debut of TNA onSpike TV in October 2005, Young adopted a newcharacter who was highlyparanoid and afraid of almost anything and anybody. The character was introduced at the mock funeral staged byPlanet Jarrett forTeam 3D on the October 15, 2005Impact!, when Young was startled afterAbyss crushed a box oftissues that were offered to him, and then speculated that the funeral parlour was haunted by aghost named "Katie", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the WWE "Katie Vick" storyline.[18] The simplest things began to frighten Young, including thepyrotechnics that accompanied Team Canada's entrance. The character drew comparisons toSouth Park charactersTweek andButters, and was often used forcomic relief. During an interview about the World X-Cup bySoCal Val duringTNA Global Impact!, Young stated "Foreigners frighten me. They're from other countries, and I don't know how to deal with that".
Two weeks afterSting andChristian Cage defeatedJeff Jarrett andMonty Brown atFinal Resolution, Sting made hisImpact! 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. Young, however, 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" any more, due to Sting's catchphrase"It's showtime, folks!". Young lost to Sting in the main event of the April 13, 2006Impact!.[19] Young's paranoia did not always hinder his abilities during a match. He remained aggressive (even putting people through a table), would not hesitate to cheat, and was not afraid to capitalize on outside interference. He continued to be aided by Team Canada and Planet Jarrett.
WhenJim 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 onImpact! holding an up a sign in the crowd that read "Don't fire Eric Young" as the fans chanted "Don't fire Eric!" along with him. On the June 29Impact!, Young wrestled like a classicfan favorite 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 wasEarl Hebner who got fired, not Young. On the July 14Impact!, Team Canada lost an "all or nothing" match (their only chance to stay together), keeping Team Canada disbanded.
At Victory Road, Team Canada joined in the ring one last time. After running through how he felt about each member, Scott D'Amore stopped at Young. He then blamed Young for their demise and made him strip of any Team Canada items. D'Amore then said that he believed Eric Young would still be fired as he was to blame for Team Canada's end. Young 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 as hailing from "An Undisclosed Location". Young continued to be worried about his job/employment security, creating his own "Don't Fire Eric" T-shirts for sale.
Young's paranoia proved warranted yet again as he wasfired on the October 5Impact! after being hit with a golf club byLarry Zbyszko causing Young to lose a "Loser gets fired" match. Due to Zbyszko's interference, however, Jim Cornette gave Young a chance to get his job back by facing Zbyszko in a "Loser Gets Fired" match atBound for Glory. Young won and got his job back, avoiding the unemployment line in the process.[20] On the Genesis pre-show, Young scored an upset by defeating Team Canada captain Robert Roode. This infuriated Roode and on the followingImpact!, Roode cut a promo against Young. The match started a six-month rivalry between the two.
Young, then dubbed the "Paranoid Pied Piper of TNA" by announcerMike Tenay, would soon be challenged to a bikini contest by Roode's associate,Ms. Brooks. Young accepted and beat Ms. Brooks in a bikini contest atTurning Point on December 10, 2006, by wearing aSpongeBob SquarePants bikini.[21] Young continued his feud with Robert Roode and Ms. Brooks, with Ms. Brooks trying to get Young to join "Robert Roode Inc.". Finally atAgainst All Odds, Ms. Brooks seduced Young into signing a contract with "Robert Roode Inc.". This consequently sent him into a shoot angle where he was systematically humiliated every week by Roode, by having to clean toilets for Roode's own personal use, and getting illegally involved in Roode's matches. Young was forced to perform these tasks because the contract Young signed gave Roode control over his TNA contract as well, so if he was fired from Roode, Inc., he was fired from TNA as well. He eventually began to fight back the orders of Roode, in part due to the advice of a mysterious "friend". On the April 26, 2007Impact!, the "friend" was revealed asJeff Jarrett. Young eventually sued Roode for breach of contract and subsequently defeated Roode atSlammiversary via aninside cradle, afterGail Kim took out Ms. Brooks.[22] AtVictory Road, Young and Kim would defeat Roode and Ms. Brooks in amixed tag team match.[23] Around this time, Young would be billed as from "Freedomland, USA", a reference to Young being free from his contract with Roode.
On the August 2, 2007Impact!, Roode had Young tarred and feathered on national television in the Impact Zone.[24] On August 8, onTNA Today, Young commented on the humiliation he felt when he was tarred and feathered, and then challenged Roode to a "Humiliation Match" atHard Justice. Roode would eventually go on to accept the challenge begrudgingly. Roode won the match, but Gail Kim came to Young's aid. Roode attempted to attack her, but accidentally knocked Ms. Brooks out instead causing her kayfabe injuries. Roode retreated up the ramp, leaving a semi-conscious Ms. Brooks to be tarred and feathered by Young and Kim for fun.[25]
WhenAdam "Pacman" Jones joined TNA, Young was desperate to get an autograph, but ended up getting attacked byRon Killings and spray painted by Pacman. Young started teaming up withShark Boy on a consistent basis, nearly winning the number one contenders spot to the Tag Team Championship. Young wasJudas Mesias' opponent in his official debut match, and was badly injured despite Shark Boy's rescue attempt. On the October 4 edition ofImpact, Young faced and defeatedJames Storm in a Gauntlet match when he reversed Storm'ssleeper hold into a pin.[26] AtBound for Glory, Young won the 15 menFight for the Right Battle Royal by pinning Robert Roode with asmall package to win the first round.[27] He was eliminated from the tournament in the second round after being pinned by Storm.[28] From there, Young and Storm engaged in a storyline which saw them compete in beer drinking contests, most notably atGenesis, where Young took Storm'sWorld Beer Drinking Championship belt after Storm passed out.[29] Young defended the belt on the lastImpact! beforeTurning Point in a 60-second speed drinking contest and won, but was assaulted by Storm.[30] He went on to defeat both Storm and theAngle Alliance, the latter asSamoa Joe andKevin Nash's replacement partner forScott Hall in matches at Turning Point.[31][32]
Super Eric and feud with the Main Event Mafia (2008–2009)
On the February 28 edition ofImpact!, Young lost the Beer Drinking Championship in a ladder match to James Storm.[33] Young then participated in a feud withRellik, losing to Rellik onImpact!. This then led to a match atDestination X with Young teaming up withKaz to defeat Rellik andBlack Reign in a tag match. It was at this pay-per-view that Young debuted a new superhero gimmick under the name "Super Eric", which was supposed to be his alter-ego.[34] AtLockdown, he and Kaz won "The Cuffed in a Cage" match to earn a future Tag Team Championship match.[35] On the April 17Impact!, Young (who left the match and returned as Super Eric) and Kaz won theWorld Tag Team Championship, but later in the night were stripped of the titles due to Young not admitting he was Super Eric.[36] On the May 1Impact!, he teamed up withA.J. Styles, who was desperately looking for a partner backstage, and won againstThe Rock 'n Rave Infection.[37] He and Styles went toSacrifice, as part of theDeuces Wild Tournament to crown new Tag Team Champions, but lost to the eventual winnersThe Latin American Xchange.[38]
Young started a gimmick where he would look around the streets ofMemphis, Tennessee for Elvis. The gimmick took a hiatus atSlammiversary, afterAwesome Kong attacked a fake Elvis impostor.[39] He revived the Super Eric gimmick on the July 17Impact! and joinedCurry Man andShark Boy as part of a Justice League parody, called "The Prince Justice Brotherhood", which was at the same time making fun of the former ring name of TNA wrestlerAbyss.[40] AtBound for Glory IV, Super Eric competed in a Steel Asylum match, which was won byJay Lethal.[41]
Eric Young at a house show in January 2009
On the October 30Impact!, A.J. Styles andSamoa Joe created a stable calledThe TNA Frontline, which was a group which formed a faction of younger wrestlers to oppose theMain Event Mafia. This group included wrestlers like Eric Young,Jay Lethal,Consequences Creed, Petey Williams,O.D.B. andThe Motor City Machine Guns.[42] His character evolved as well, as he was no longer paranoid and began showing confidence and leadership abilities. He also stopped being startled by his pyrotechnics.[42][43] On the November 13Impact!, Young defeatedSheik Abdul Bashir to win the TNA X Division championship after Bashir shoved TNA OfficialShane Sewell to the mat, leading to Sewell attacking Bashir, which gave Young an opportunity to hit theDeath Valley driver on Bashir and pin him.[44] The following week onImpact!, however, Young was stripped of his X Division Championship due to Sewell's interference, and the title was awarded back to Bashir. Young was awarded a championship match againstBooker T for hisTNA Legends Championship but lost due to the interference fromSharmell.[45] AtFinal Resolution, Sewell once again helped Young defeat Bashir for the X Division Championship. Due to the controversial ending of the match he was stripped of the championship by Jim Cornette, who set up a tournament for the vacant title. Young defeated Bashir in the first quarter-final match of the tournament to move on to the semi-finals.[46] He then lost to Alex Shelley controversially afterChris Sabin interfered to seeThe Motor City Machine Guns face off in the final, which was won by Shelley.[47][48]
On March 20, 2009, Young appeared onDanny Bonaduce's morning radio show onWYSP inPhiladelphia where it was announced that the two of them would wrestle each other atLockdown. Young bad-mouthed Bonaduce and slapped him twice in the face before being pushed out of the room.[49] At theLockdown pre-show, Young defeated Bonaduce. After the bout, Bonaduce attacked Young beforeRhino came to the ring to aid Young and then hit theGore on Bonaduce.[50]
Young began to show frustration over losses to the likes of Sting and Jeff Jarrett. On the May 28Impact!, Young turned heel after attacking Jarrett, who had just defeated him in aKing of the Mountain qualifying match.[51] The following week he confronted Jarrett and made implications to him paying more attention to wrestling than to his daughters just like his father, which led to Jarrett slapping him and starting a brawl.[52] The following week, Young's good friendJeremy Borash confronted him in an interview which resulted in Young slapping JB down.[53] At theSlammiversary pre-show, the heel turn was signified even further when he walked out on his tag team partnerRhino in a match againstThe British Invasion ofDoug Williams andBrutus Magnus.[54] His rivalry with Rhino would continue until Young defeated Rhino after a distraction from Rhino's protegeJesse Neal.[55] He would then be chosen byKurt Angle to be the special guest referee in a 3-way match where Angle faced Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley. Throughout the match, he would perpetually slow count all of Jarrett's pinfall attempts and at the end of the match, when Angle locked the ankle lock on Foley, he ordered for the bell to be rung even though Foley did not tap out or pass out. After the match, Young got beaten down by Jarrett.[56]
On the July 23, 2009, edition ofImpact!, Young apologized for his crude remarks and personal issues with Jeff Jarrett, and wished Mick Foley best of luck in his match against Kurt Angle that night for the ownership of TNA and stated "If you lose TNA, I lose TNA. If I lose TNA, I lose everything." Foley allowed Young to join the team ofA.J. Styles,Daniels,James Storm, and Robert Roode to face the British Invasion,Kiyoshi, and Sheik Abdul Bashir in a ten-man tag team match. However, in the conclusion of the match, he turned on the TNA originals by hitting Styles with aspike piledriver and allowing him to be pinned.[57] Eric Young then became leader of a new faction namedWorld Elite, consisting of himself (representing Canada), Bashir (representing Iran), Kiyoshi (representing Japan), and The British Invasion (representing the UK). The following week, Young helped Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus win theIWGP Tag Team Championship fromTeam 3D.[58] On the August 6Impact! it was revealed that Kurt Angle and Eric Young had made a deal to turn the Main Event Mafia and the World Elite factions into one super faction.[59] That same night Young debuted a new look shaving his head and wearing new attire in a match where he defeated Daniels.[59] On the September 10 edition ofImpact!, World Elite recruitedHomicide (representing Puerto Rico) into their group, turning him heel in the process. On the October 1 edition ofImpact! the alliance between World Elite and Main Event Mafia came to an end in an all out brawl between the two factions.[60] AtBound for Glory Young pinned Kevin Nash in a three-way dance, which also included Hernandez, to win the TNA Legends Championship.[61] On the October 29 edition ofImpact!, Young made his first title defense, losing toBobby Lashley by disqualification. After the match, Young renamed the Legends Championship to the "TNA Global Championship" and claimed he would not defend it on U.S. soil or against any American wrestler.[62] On the November 19 edition ofImpact! Kevin Nash congratulated Young on outsmarting him the previous month and joined World Elite.[63] On January 27, 2010, Young lost the Global Championship to World Elite teammateRob Terry at a house show in Cardiff, Wales.[64] Since the beginning of 2010 World Elite has not appeared together and the only sign of there still being an alliance between its members, apart from the British Invasion, has been Young teaming up with Kevin Nash on the January 21 edition ofImpact! in a losing effort againstThe Nasty Boys.[65]
The Band and mentally challenged gimmick (2010–2011)
On the February 11 edition ofImpact!, Young started showing signs of a face turn after standing up for Kevin Nash afterThe Band ofScott Hall andSyxx-Pac had turned on him the previous week.[66] The following week Young and Nash brawled with Hall and Syxx-Pac[67] and on the March 8 edition ofImpact! Young defeated Syxx-Pac in a singles match, solidifying his status as a face.[68] AtDestination X, Young and Nash faced Hall and Syxx-Pac in a tag team match, where the Band's TNA futures were on the line. In the end, Nash turned on Young and helped the Band pick up the victory, which finally gave them contracts with the company.[69] On the March 29 edition ofImpact! Nash offered Young a spot in the Band, claiming that what happened in Destination X was just business and nothing personal. Young refused the offer and in the main event of the evening, teamed up withRob Van Dam andJeff Hardy to defeat the Band in a six-man tag team steel cage match.[70] AtLockdown Nash defeated Young in a steel cage match.[71] On the May 3 edition ofImpact!, Young turned heel once again by turning on Team 3D and joining The Band.[72] The following week Nash cashed in his "Feast or Fired" contract and teamed with Hall to defeatMatt Morgan for the TNA World Tag Team Championship[73] Nash named Young one third of the champions under theFreebird rule.[74][75] At the June 14 tapings of the June 17 editionImpact! The Band was stripped of the Tag Team Championship, due to Scott Hall's legal problems.[76][77] The following day it was reported that Hall had been released from his contract with TNA.[78] On the June 24 edition ofImpact! Young and Nash decided to part ways, as Nash intended to go after Hogan, whom he blamed for what had happened to Hall and Waltman, and did not want Young to get into trouble for it.[79][80]
At the July 12, 2010, tapings ofXplosion, Young made his return to singles competition, losing toSuicide.[81] In the finish of the match Young took a bump on his head and on the July 29 edition ofImpact! he re-emerged as a face, returning to his comic relief roots with a gimmick of a mentally challenged person, teaming withOrlando Jordan and costing him their tag team match againstInk Inc. (Jesse Neal andShannon Moore), after throwing amannequin in the ring, which he had first tagged into the match.[82][83] The following week Young's antics provided a distraction, which cost Jordan his match againstD'Angelo Dinero.[84] Young kept teaming with Jordan the following months, appearing exclusively onXplosion, before returning toImpact! on the October 7 live edition, where they defeated Ink Inc., after a low blow by Jordan. However, after the match, Young announced that they were forfeiting the match due to the finish and suggested they set up a rematch atBound for Glory.[85] In storyline, Young's mental issues made him completely unaware of Jordan's bisexual orientation and interest in him.[86] At the pay-per-view, Young's antics cost him and Jordan the match against Ink Inc.[86] On the November 4 edition ofImpact!, Young and Jordan were featured in a segment, where they tried to get help from a specialist to improve their relationship with one another.[87] This ended up being Fritz's final appearance for the company on his old contract, which expired shortly thereafter.[88] On November 12, it was reported that Fritz had re-signed with the promotion.[89] Young and Jordan returned toImpact! on December 16, defeatingGeneration Me (Jeremy and Max Buck) in a tag team match. Prior to the match, Young appeared with the oldTNA World Heavyweight Championship belt, which had been thrown away byImmortal, when they introduced the newly designed version of the belt.[90] The following weeks, Young kept walking around with the belt, claiming to be the World Heavyweight Champion.[91] On April 17 atLockdown, Young and Jordan were unsuccessful in becoming the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a four tag team steel cage match, which was won by Ink Inc.[92]
On the May 12 edition ofImpact!, Young took part in a number one contender's battle royal. After eliminating TNA Television ChampionGunner, Young jumped out of the ring and left the arena with his title.[93] On May 17 at the tapings of the May 26 edition ofImpact Wrestling, Young admitted that he had mistakenly taken Gunner's title and agreed to lie down for him in the ring, but ended up double crossing him and pinning him to win the TNA Television Championship, the title formerly known as the TNA Legends and Global Championship, for the second time, which made him the second person to hold the title under all three of its incarnations.[94][95] On July 10 atDestination X, Young teamed with the returning Shark Boy to defeat Generation Me in a tag team match.[96] As the new Television Champion, Young started a storyline, where he claimed that the title could only be defended against television stars, making a challenge towardsAmerican Gladiators alum Matt Morgan and "defending" the title against TNA producer and former cast member ofThe Wonder Years,Jason Hervey, in a backstage assault, before embarking on a several-week-long trip toHollywood to findScott Baio.[97][98] The trip culminated in a comedy segment on the August 25 edition ofImpact Wrestling, where Young pinned Baio to, in his mind, successfully defend the Television Championship.[99] Young returned to in-ring action on the September 8 edition ofImpact Wrestling, when he successfully defended the Television Championship againstRobbie E.[100] After another successful title defense against Robbie on the October 27 edition ofImpact Wrestling, Young was attacked by both Robbie and his bodyguard Rob Terry, which led to him announcing that he was going to bringRonnie from the television showJersey Shore to face them the following week.[101] On November 1, Young became the longest reigning TNA Television Champion in history by breaking the previous record of 167 days, held by Rob Terry. On the November 3 edition ofImpact Wrestling, Young and Ronnie were attacked by Robbie E and Rob Terry, which led to a tag team match the following week, where Ronnie pinned Robbie for the win.[102][103] On November 13 atTurning Point, Young lost the Television Championship to Robbie E, following interference from Rob Terry, ending his reign at 180 days.[104] On December 11 atFinal Resolution, Young failed to recapture the title from Robbie E in a rematch.[105]
On the December 22 edition ofImpact Wrestling Young teamed up withODB in theWild Card Tournament, advancing to the semi-finals after a win overAnarquia and Shannon Moore.[106] The following week, the team was eliminated from the tournament by Magnus and Samoa Joe.[107] After this loss, Young would pursue a storyline relationship with ODB and the two would begin a feud withAngelina Love andWinter. Young and ODB defeated Love and Winter in a tag team match on the January 26 edition ofImpact Wrestling.[108] On the March 8Impact Wrestling, Young and ODB defeated Gail Kim andMadison Rayne to win theTNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, making Young the first male wrestler to have held the title and the first wrestler to have held all of TNA's exclusive tag team titles; the NWA World Tag, TNA World Tag and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships. After the match, ODB accepted Young's marriage proposal.[109]
Young and ODB made their first title defense two weeks later, when they defeatedMexican America (Rosita andSarita).[110] Young's and ODB's wedding ceremony took place on the April 12Impact Wrestling.[111] Three days later atLockdown, Young and ODB defeated Rosita and Sarita in a steel cage match to retain the Knockouts Tag Team Championship.[112] On May 13 atSacrifice, Young was defeated byCrimson in a singles match.[113] Afterwards, Young took a hiatus from TNA to film his upcomingAnimal Planet program.[114] During the hiatus, Young and ODB became the longest reigning Knockouts Tag Team Champions in history by surpassingThe Beautiful People's reign of 141 days on July 19. Young returned to TNA on the August 30Impact Wrestling, reuniting with ODB after her match with Madison Rayne.[115] Young made his in-ring return on November 11 atTurning Point, teaming with ODB to defeatTara andJesse in a non-title mixed tag team match.[116] On the followingImpact Wrestling, Young was defeated by Jesse in a singles match.[117] The following week during theTNA Turkey Bowl, Young pinned Jesse in a three-way match, which also included Robbie E and forced Jesse to wear a turkey suit as part of the Thanksgiving theme. After the match, both he and ODB were ambushed by theAces & Eights and they proceeded to injure Young by hitting his exposed ankle with aball-peen hammer, while ODB was handcuffed outside the ring and forced to watch.[118] Young returned on the February 28, 2013, episode ofImpact Wrestling, being revealed as the final member of Sting's Lethal Lockdown team and attacking their opponents, Aces & Eights.[119] On March 10 atLockdown, Team TNA, consisting of Young, James Storm, Magnus, Samoa Joe, and Sting defeated Aces & Eights, consisting of Devon,DOC,Garett Bischoff,Knux, andMr. Anderson in aLethal Lockdown match, with Young pinning Knux for the win.[120]
On the June 20 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young and ODB were stripped of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship byBrooke Hogan due to Young being a male, ending their reign at a record 478 days. The titles were then retired on June 27.[121]
On the September 19 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young then returned to singles action when he defeatedRobbie E. In September 2013, Young began working and teaming withJoseph Park. On the September 26, episode ofImpact Wrestling Young along with ODB and Joseph Park defeatedThe BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E) andGail Kim in a six-person mixed tag team match.[122] At theBound for Glory pre-show, Young and Joseph Park competed in a tag-team gauntlet match for be the number one contenders to theTNA World Tag Team Championship later that night. However, after eliminatingBad Influence, the team was eliminated by the BroMans. Later, during the PPV, he was attacked by Bad Influence, but was saved byAbyss. On the October 31 episode ofImpact, Abyss came to the aid of Young again after he was attacked by Bad Influence, and proved he is no threat to Young. However, on December 5, 2013, Bad Influence revealed the Parks' Law Firm closed 15 years ago. Next week, Park and Young defeated Bad Influence. After the match, Young said to Park that he was Abyss. On December 26, 2013, Young booked a Monster's Ball match between Bad Influence and Park and gave Janice to Park. Joseph won the match when he turned into Abyss. On February 6, 2014, Abyss defeated Young in a Monster's Ball match. However, during the match, Young stripped Abyss' mask, revealing to Park that Abyss and Joseph are the same person. Abyss went on to turn heel as he aligned with Magnus. On March 27 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young lost to Samoa Joe by knockout/submission.
On the April 10 edition ofImpact Wrestling, after winning a battle royal earlier in the night to become number-one contender, Young defeatedMagnus to becomeTNA World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his career.[123] The victory also makes Young the seventhTriple Crown Champion and the fourthGrand Slam Champion in TNA.[124] The following week, Young successfully made his first title defense against Abyss in aMonster's Ball match.[125] AtSacrifice, Young defeated Magnus in a rematch for the title.[126] Proclaiming himself a fighting champion, he successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship againstBobby Roode on the followingImpact Wrestling.[127] On the May 8 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young and Roode agreed to have a rematch, but TNA Director of OperationsMVP declined the match and promised Young that he would reveal his opponent at June's Slammiversary event. MVP revealed himself as the opponent, which was shown when he attacked the champion.[128] On May 15, Young challenged MVP to a match, which he agreed, but was disqualified whenKenny King attacked Young.Bobby Lashley pretended to help Young, but he speared him.[129] On June 5, Young,Bully Ray,Austin Aries andSamoa Joe defeated MVP, Kenny King, Bobby Lashley andEthan Carter III in aneight-man tag teamFirst Blood match. As Aries and Joe had been among MVP's harshest critics, they were put in matches against MVP associates King and Lashley respectively in singles matches at the PPV. MVP was later injured and not able to compete at the PPV, TNA announced on their website Friday before the PPV, that the match will now be a three-way cage match for the title, with the winners of Lashley vs. Samoa Joe and Austin Aries vs. Kenny King qualifying for the match. AtSlammiversary XII, Young successfully defended his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Lashley and Aries.[130] On the June 19 edition ofImpact Wrestling, Young lost the title to Lashley.[131] On the July 3 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young had a rematch but failed to regain the title.[132]
On the January 7, 2015, episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young turnedheel when he savedBobby Roode from an attack byMVP,Kenny King,Low Ki andSamoa Joe, but instead hit Roode with a chair, costing Roode his match againstLashley, as well as the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[133] On the following night's tapings of the January 16 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young defeated Bobby Roode thanks to help fromThe Beat Down Clan, and assisted the group in beating down World Heavyweight Champion Lashley, who refused to become a part of the new group. Young and Roode would then face off in a variety of matches, including a steel cage match atLockdown and aLast Man Standing match, both of which Roode won.[134] The feud ended when Young defeated Roode in a submission match using the figure-four leglock. AtSlammiversary, Young competed in aKing of the Mountain match for theTNA King of the Mountain Championship, againstJeff Jarrett,Matt Hardy,Drew Galloway, and Bobby Roode, but lost the match.[135]
AtBound for Glory, Young faced a returningKurt Angle in a No Disqualification match but lost.[136] During October and November (taped in July), he participated in theTNA World Title Series, where he ended first of his block, tied with Bobby Roode, advancing to the round of 16, but was defeated in the semi-finals by Matt Hardy. On the January 12, 2016 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young defeated Roode to win the TNA King of the Mountain Championship for a record-breaking third time.[137] With this victory, Young is the only wrestler to have held the title in all four of its incarnations. On the January 26 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Young formed an alliance withBram, attackingJeff Hardy and piledriving him through a table. Eric Young and Bram entered in a feud againstBeer Money, after a returningJames Storm saved Bobby Roode from an attack of the duo. Eric Young and Bram were defeated by Beer Money atTNA One Night Only, and once again atLockdown in a Six Sides of Steel match, thus ending the feud. Young entered in a short feud against Jeff Hardy, who defeated him on the March 15 episode ofImpact Wrestling in a match to become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Young was defeated by Hardy once again in a Six Sides of Steel match on the April 5 episode ofImpact Wrestling.[138] The following week, Young and Bram were defeated by Beer Money in a match for theTNA World Tag Team Championship, which also includedDecay and the BroMans. During the match, Bram unintentionally hit Young.[139] On the April 17 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Eric Young declared that he left TNA with the TNA King of the Mountain Championship with Bram. However, Bram refused, which resulted in Young attacking him. AtSacrifice, Eric Young lost the title to Bram in a Falls Count Anywhere match.[140]
On March 19, 2016, TNA announced that Young would be leaving the company after 12 years.[141]
Though not under contract, Young appeared on the May 4, 2016, episode ofNXT, confrontingNXT ChampionSamoa Joe. Young then faced Joe in the main event, losing by submission.[142][143][144]
On April 17, 2018, Young and the rest of Sanity, except for Nikki Cross, were drafted to theSmackDownbrand as part of theSuperstar Shake-up.[155] They debuted on the June 19 episode ofSmackDown Live, where they attackedThe Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso).[156] The next week onSmackDown Live, Young made his main roster in-ring debut by answeredUnited States Champion Jeff Hardy's open challenge, which he won by disqualification afterThe Usos ran in, leading to a six-man tag team match, where Sanity lost.[157] AtExtreme Rules, Sanity defeatedThe New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) in a tables match.[158] AtSurvivor Series, they made up part of Team SmackDown as they took on Team Raw, and they would go on to win the match, although they were eliminated from match.[159] On the April 2, 2019, episode ofSmackDown Live, Sanity lost toThe Miz in a handicap falls count anywhere match, in what would be their final match as a stable.[160] A WWE.com article blamed their lack of success onSmackDown on being "in the same division as The New Day, The Usos,The Bar, andThe Bludgeon Brothers."[161]
On April 15, Young was drafted toRaw brand as part of theSuperstar Shake-up, separating him from Sanity.[162] His first appearance as a part of the brand was on the May 20 episode ofRaw, when he was involved in a scramble to crown the first everWWE 24/7 Champion, which was ultimately won byTitus O'Neil.[163] In the following months, Young primarily competed onMain Event and suffered many losses and onRaw against the likes ofAleister Black andAndrade.[164][165][166][167] On April 15, 2020, Young was released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from theCOVID-19 pandemic.[168]
AtSlammiversary on July 18, 2020, Young made his return to TNA, now known asImpact Wrestling, as a surprise participant in afive-way match for theImpact World Championship where he eliminatedTrey before being eliminated himself byRich Swann. He then proceeded to attack Swann with a steel chair and injure Swann's knee.[169] Following this, he began feuding withEddie Edwards for the Impact World Championship. On the September 1 episode ofImpact, Young defeated Edwards to win the Impact World Championship for the second time.[170] AtVictory Road, Young successfully defended the title against Edwards.[171] Young would then continue his feud with Swann after he returned from injury challenging him for the Impact World Championship atBound for Glory which Young accepted.[172] At the event, Young lost the title to Swann.[173]
After losing the title, Young started a new stable, which was eventually calledViolent By Design (VBD). During the last months of 2020 and early months of 2021, the stable includedJoe Doering (who made his debut atTurning Point),[174]Deaner (who joined them after he turned on his partner, Cousin Jake),[175] andRhino.[176][177] On March 29, Young tore hisACL, but continued to appear alongside VBD.[178] After VBD members Doering and Rhino won theImpact World Tag Team Championship, Young declared the titles belonged to VBD as a group, and as leader, he would decide who defended them, thus giving him and Deaner a share of the titles under theFreebird Rule.[179][180] AtSlammiversary, VBD would lose the titles toThe Good Brothers in a four-way tag team match.[181]
After failing to regain the tag titles atEmergence,[182] Young put the blame on Rhino[183] and they tortured him to cure him of "the sickness".[184][185] On the September 16 episode ofImpact!, Young, Deaner, and Doering attacked Rhino, thus kicking him out of the VBD.[186][187] In the following weeks, VBD started a feud with Rhino's former tag team partnerHeath when he saved Rhino from a potential attack by VBD.[188][189] AtBound for Glory, Doering and Deaner lost toHeath and Rhino.[190][191] On the October 28 episode ofImpact!, Young returned from injury, attacking Heath and Rhino.[192][193] On November 20, atTurning Point, he teamed with Doering to defeat Heath and Rhino in a rematch.[194]
On January 8, 2022, atHard To Kill, VBD teamed with The Good Brothers to take on Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann,Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino in a 10-man Hardcore War match in a losing effort.[195][196] AtNo Surrender, Young lost toBullet Club leaderJay White in a match of faction leaders.[197] On March 5, atSacrifice, VBD defeated The Good Brothers to win the Impact World Tag Team Championship for the second time. VBD then lost the Impact World Tag Team Championships to the Briscoes[198] On the May 12 episode ofImpact!, Young won aGauntlet for the Gold to get an Impact World Championship match againstJosh Alexander atSlammiversary.[199] At the event, Young failed to defeat Alexander for the title.[200] On the December 1, 2022 edition of Impact Wrestling, Young was "stabbed" by Violent By Design stablemate Deaner, following that it was reported that Young's contract with Impact had expired thus ending his second tenure with the promotion.
Fightful Select reported on April 10, 2023, that Young had re-signed with WWE on November 1, 2022, but never appeared on television before being released again per his own request. In a September 2024 interview with Chris Van Vilet, Young revealed that he was originally planned to return in astable withBray Wyatt andUncle Howdy, and the reason behind his release request was due to him refusing to work withVince McMahon.[201]
On May 3 atUnder Siege, Young teamed with Josh Alexander to defeat Frankie Kazarian andSteve Maclin.[213] On June 14 atAgainst All Odds, the team lost toABC (Ace Austin andChris Bey).[214] On the followingImpact!, Young lost to Alexander in a "Road toSlammiversary" qualifier to be in a six-way elimination match for the TNA World Championship.[215] On July 20 at the "Countdown to Slammiversary", Young defeatedHammerstone.[216] On August 30 atEmergence, Young defeated Maclin.[217] On September 13 at the "Countdown toVictory Road", Young teamed with Maclin to defeat Hammerstone andJake Something.[218]
On the January 30, 2025 episode ofImpact!, Young turned on Josh Alexander and became the new leader ofThe Northern Armory, turning heel for the first time since 2022. Young defeated Alexander in the latter's farewell match, with the group's assistance, on the February 13 episode ofImpact!.[219] In March, Young began a feud withSteve Maclin, where Young failed to win theTNA International Championship from Maclin in a standard match atRebellion and adog collar match on the May 8 episode ofImpact!, despite interference by Northern Armory.[212] AtUnder Siege, The Northern Armory (Young, Judas Icarus and Travis Williams) defeatedThe System (Moose,Brian Myers andJDC). On the September 11, 2025 episode of Impact!, after Joe Hendry defeated Travis Williams in an match, Young would deliver piledrivers to both Williams and Judas Icarus, officially disbanding The Northern Armory stable.
On the September 23 episode ofNXT, Young, along with other wrestlers of the TNA roster, took part in a major storyline, where they invaded NXT and brawled with various wrestlers on the NXT roster.[220]
Fritz has hosted his own television program,Off the Hook: Extreme Catches, on theAnimal Planet channel.[223][224] After the first season ran successfully from July to September 2012, the show returned for a second season from June to August 2013.
On April 26, 2014, Fritz announced that he would hostNo Limits, scheduled for May 30 on Animal Planet.[225] The show ran for one season, beginning on May 30, 2014. The show consisted of Fritz taking part in variousextreme sports and other activities.[226]
Fritz has been known for his raspy voice which he attributed topapillomas, which are non-cancerous warts that grow on the vocal cords, and has had 30 surgeries on his throat as of October 2024.[227]
1 Young defended the championship with either Hall or Nash/Deaner, Rhino or Doering under theFreebird Rule during reigns 2–4. 2 Championship not officially recognized by TNA.
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