Eric Young is best known for being Impact Wrestling's resident underdog. A terrific character worker with over fourteen championships on his resume, Young excelled despite immense pressure and stiff competition on the roster.
Although Young has flown under the radar lately, his best matches in TNA are what many fans still hold onto. Young's best matches, as listed on Cagematch.net, are a testament to his desire and willingness to perform inside the six-sided ring.
10 Eric Young vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy (Impact, 17/09/2014) - 7.00
This number one contender's elimination match included four of the top stars in Impact Wrestling at the time. Young and Jeff Hardy were eliminated simultaneously after missing their signature top rope maneuvers.
Bobby Roode and Austin Aries' back and forth at the end sets this match apart. Although Young wasn't involved during the brilliant last five minutes, his contributions were felt.
9 Abdul Bashir, Alex Shelley, And Chris Sabin vs. Consequences Creed, Eric Young, And Jay Lethal (TNA Sacrifice, 24/05/2009) - 7.33
Being the preliminary match on a card that features Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, and Mick Foley may not be what many wrestlers ultimately want. However, one thing about six-man tag matches on PPV is that many of them managed to boost the crowd.
Young took the most of the opportunity with the help of Lethal Consequences, Jay Lethal and Xavier Woods. Lethal won the match for his team after performing a sunset flip.
8 Deaner And Eric Young vs. Jay Briscoe And Mark Briscoe (Impact Wrestling Under Siege, 07/05/2022) - 7.35
After losing the Impact World Championship to Rich Swann, Young became the leader of a new stable called Violet By Design. Deaner eventually joined Young, and the two began tagging with each other.
Young and Deaner encountered Jay and Mark Briscoe at Impact Wrestling's Under Siege. Once again, Young proved that no matter the odds, he could outperform his opponents in tag team competition.
7 Eric Young vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Lashley (TNA Slammiversary XLL, 15/06/2014) - 7.37
Eric Young's 2014 reign as World Champion included a triple threat steel cage match against two of the baddest dudes in the company, Bobby Lashley and Austin Aries. The odds were stacked against Young as Lashley defeated Samoa Joe and Aries defeated Kenny King to qualify for the match.
Young ended up retaining the title despite the odds. Unfortunately, Young would lose the title to Lashley four nights later.
6 Eric Young vs. Eddie Edwards (Victory Road, 03/10/2020) - 7.53
When Eric Young returned to Impact Wrestling in 2020, he immediately set his sights on reclaiming the World Title. One of his singles feuds that helped define Young's second reign as champion was his feud against Eddie Edwards.
Young and Edwards battled over the championship multiple times, with Young coming out on top. After the feud, Young would lose the title to Rich Swann.
5 Eric Young vs. Jay White (No Surrender, 19/02/2022) - 7.57
Young's faction, Violet By Design, would go on to have an encounter with Bullet Club. The two heads of each faction met in a singles match at No Surrender.
Young would fall to Jay White's Blade Runner. Still, Young and White tore each other apart that night as the leaders of their respective factions proved why they were at the top of their game.
4 Eric Young vs. Rich Swann (Bound For Glory, 24/10/2020) - 7.62
At Impact Wrestling's biggest show of the year, Eric Young defended the Impact World Championship against Rich Swann. Young was coming off his feud with Eddie Edwards and had been established as the top heel.
Swann would dethrone Young to become the new champion. The main event at Bound for Glory would perhaps be one of Eric Young's finest moments in his career.
3 Eric Young, Bobby Roode, Johnny Devine, And Petty Williams vs. Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, And Jerry Lynn (NWA Total Nonstop Action, 05/05/2004) - 7.75
Starting his TNA career, Eric Young allied with Bobby Roode, Johnny Devine, and Petty Williams to form the stable known as Team Canada. The group was heavily featured in TNA and had many tag matches with some of the roster's best at the time.
The eight-man tag match was another terrific showcase of Young as he performed amongst a crop of talent looking to prove themselves. Sometimes it's good to have friends when starting in a new promotion.
2 Eric Young vs. Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Rich Swann vs. Trey (Slammiversary XVlll,18/07/2020) - 7.97
The five-way elimination match at Slammiversary 2020 has a rocky backstory. It was supposed to be Tessa Blanchard defending her title against four men in an intergender match, but allegations and releases changed the match drastically.
The match that ended up happening saw Eddie Edwards capture the world title and Eric Young returning after a long hiatus away from the company. This ultimately led to the feud between Edwards and Young.
1 Bobby Roode And Eric Young vs. Chris Harris And James Storm (Final Resolution, 16/01/2005) - 8.09
Eric Young's early days in the company did showcase his ability to perform well in tag matches. Young and Roode entered into a tag feud with America Most Wanted, Chris Daniels, and James Storm for the NWA World Tag Team Championships.
The tag match nearly stole the show at Final Resolution as both teams strived to prove which were the best on the roster. Young and Roode would fail to keep their titles that night in a stellar 20-minute match. This was one of Young's first significant outings, and he was already on a hot streak.