Eric Young thinks the hate TNA gets is like the Nickelback phenomenon.
It has become somewhat of a joke to like (or cool to hate) Nickelback. Despite their ever-popular music, the general public finds it hilarious to dismiss them as trash, despite many never listening to their songs.
This is similar to TNA. Many people dismiss the promotion, some for things done over a decade ago (thanks, Hogan), while some make fun of it without ever having seen the show.
Eric Young spoke to WrestleSphere (H/T to POSTWrestling) about this phenomenon. He claims it got cool to hate TNA, just like it was ‘cool’ to hate the band.
“I mean, a lot goes into that. I knew months before (that the TNA branding was coming back). They had kind of told me this is their idea and this is what they were gonna go. And I mean, I was honest with them and I’ll be honest with you is I was worried. I was part of TNA Wrestling when it was still TNA Wrestling.
“Before it changed to IMPACT and it was one of those things. It kind of became cool to hate it and I liken it to the Nickelback phenomenon. I know they got a documentary I think on Netflix now. Those guys never did anything wrong in their life. They just made simple, good Rock and roll music and if you wanna listen to it, cool, but it became cool to not like them. That’s where TNA was and it didn’t matter how hard we worked, how well the show was written or produced or any of that.”
Eric Young: TNA Memory Is What I’ll Look Back On Most Fondly
Eric Young continued. He added that the negativity towards TNA was a black cloud over the promotion, and one they had to change to move away from.
However, he noted that the nostalgia of the TNA name is a now a bonus. Young said the announcement that TNA was back is one moment he’ll look back on most fondly in his career.
“It was just this black cloud over it and that’s why they changed and moved away.” Eric Young said. “I was worried about that but I think nostalgia kind of wipes the grime away, you know? It wipes the dirt away. It had been long enough. I can say walking through the crowd in the Cicero Stadium in Chicago and they played that video at the end of the pay-per-view when it was all the guys that were in the video in the ring when they came back up, that’s one of the most electric moments of my entire career. I’ve wrestled in front of 20,000 people.”
“I’ve headlined pay-per-views, I’ve done everything. I can say I think when it’s all said and done, that’s one of the things I’m gonna look back on most fondly. It’s hard to describe unless you’re there. I think it came through the TV. But it never fully comes through unless you’re there live…”
