Eric Young has held a lot of championship gold in his time in wrestling – not least being a two-time IMPACT World Champion, a Grand Slam Champion, a Triple Crown Champion, and even having a lengthy run with the IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championships!
One of the more surprising titles Young has held, though, is the World Beer Drinking Championship – a title that may be very fitting for a couple of Good Brothers who are now with the company.
Inside The Ropes‘ Lead Writer Gary Cassidy recently asked the World Class Maniac, in an exclusive interview for Inside The Ropes, about his memories – if he has any – from being paid to drink a lot of beer in an IMPACT ring.
“Well, I’m way out of practice now and I don’t think I would even be in the running for champion! But, yeah, it was a very cool time. Everyone’s like, “Man, was it weird?”
“I got hired at TNA because I was a good wrestler. I had never done comedy wrestling. I had never been a funny character. I had never done that ever, in my life, before getting there. They asked me if I wanted to do it and I jumped at the opportunity – and the rest is kind of history. Working with James [Storm], doing the the Beer Drinking Championship, I think maybe for some some pretty entertaining television. You know, drinking beer was then and still is a part of my life. I was way better at it then than I am now. I don’t bounce back like I used to do so I have to watch the consumption. But yeah, I loved it, man. I think people dug it. It made us seem it’s more personable. It’s makes us seem like regular people, which we all are. You know, some guys pretend like they’re not but we are.
Would EY fancy his chances against Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows?
“I wouldn’t put my beer-drinking championship abilities up against either of the Good Brothers. They’re too well-seasoned and practiced for that. I mean, I don’t imagine it comes back. I think it was more of a one-off thing and just kind of something that just through promos, and me and Storm talking about it, just kind of took on a life of its own and became this this thing. A beer drinking contest back and forth on a pay-per-view and I’m spilling it all over myself.
“It was wild, very fond memories of it. It was really cool to get paid to drink beer at work for four months.”
You can read the full interview with Eric Young here and our past interview with the Good Brothers here.
Thanks so much to Eric Young for taking the time, and to IMPACT UK & Ireland for facilitating the interview. Fans in the UK & Ireland can catch IMPACT! every Wednesday on FreeSports at 10pm. Hard To Kill is available via Premier Sports in the UK, and also via Fite TV worldwide.