Bray Wyatt returned to WWE during Extreme Rules back in 2022 and fans couldn’t have been happier. However, Wyatt passed away last year and left behind a legacy that will forever remain untouched. With that said, Eric Young has revealed scrapped plans with Bray Wyatt before his untimely demise.
It was reported earlier that WWE signed Eric Young to a new contract in November 2022, but he never made a comeback. Although he was working backstage, he didn’t have much to do.
After Vince McMahon returned to WWE last year, Young wanted nothing to do with the company or working under him. As a result, he requested his release and left the company after waiting for his 90-day non-compete clause to expire.
Eric Young was originally with WWE from 2016 to 2020 and returned in November 2022 but left just a few months later. During his time there, he never appeared on TV. In a conversation with Chris Van Vliet, Young shared that there were plans for him to work with two wrestlers, one of whom was Bray Wyatt, but those discussions did not move forward. He mentioned that someone he previously worked for “forced their way back in,” which led him to ask for his release.
Young explained that he was employed by WWE for about eight or nine months, but many fans were unaware of this because he never appeared on TV. He stated that he never left his house during that time. Young was excited about a proposed gimmick involving two wrestlers, including Bray Wyatt, but after Wyatt passed away, those plans fell through. Young felt that it was unfair and deeply regrettable.
Young mentioned that after the initial pitch for new ideas, the person he had worked with before returned, which was a significant factor in his decision to leave. He expressed that there were many reasons he didn’t want to work there anymore, but the main reason was his unwillingness to work for that individual. He believed he understood the person’s character well, and morally, he felt he couldn’t work for someone like that. Consequently, he asked for his release, which was granted, but he couldn’t discuss details due to an NDA.
“So I was employed by them for I think eight or nine months. [People don’t know this because you weren’t on TV.] Yeah, some people know, but I think the majority of the world does not understand, because I would never show up at TV. The truth is, I never left my house. So yeah, I was proposed a gimmick to work there with two guys and was super excited about it. Then that didn’t happen, and one of them was Bray, and then Bray passed away, which sucked, and is unfair in every way possible.
So then it’s like, well pitch some new ideas, and then the person I worked for before forced his way back in. I just kind of said, there’s a lot of reasons why I didn’t want to work there at that point, but the number one reason was I just don’t want to work for a person like that. This is long before all the other stuff would come out.
But I was pretty convinced I knew who he was and how he was professionally, but more importantly, for me, morally, I just can’t work for a human being like that. So I asked for my release and was granted it. I’m not saying any of the stuff, because I had to sign an NDA. So yeah, it’s a whole weird thing.”
When asked about his potential involvement in an early version of The Wyatt Sicks group, Young confirmed there were plans for him to form a trio with Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas. He felt excited about the opportunity since he was friends with both and believed it would have been a fantastic creative experience. He noted that Bray Wyatt’s return, along with The Fiend character, was one of the most popular aspects of WWE at that time, with millions viewing their viral videos shortly after release.
Young believed being part of that group would have been a unique challenge that he would have enjoyed. However, after the sale of WWE and other changes, he found himself no longer working for the person who initially hired him. Young expressed that he had no regrets about his decision to leave, emphasizing that he was able to walk away from financial stability due to his personal beliefs and values.
Young reflected that ten years ago, he might not have been able to make such a choice. He felt confident in his ability to figure things out after leaving WWE, even though he hadn’t discussed returning to TNA or contacted Scott D’Amore at that time. Ultimately, he stated that it was entirely his choice to leave WWE and that he felt proud of his decision, regardless of how others might view it.
“Yeah, I think the original idea was me, Bray and Bo as a trio. That’s what was told to me from Hunter, basically. So obviously I’m gonna jump at that. I’m friends with both of those guys. It would have been creatively just an unbelievable opportunity working there, working on the main roster, wrestling all over the world with two guys that I get along with well, and obviously a huge part of the show at that point.
The Fiend and Bray coming back was one of the most popular things at that time, one of the most viewed things. They put up those viral videos, they’d be viewed within six hours by millions of people. So being part of that was very appetizing. It’s kind of not in my wheelhouse, but close enough to my wheelhouse where I would have really enjoyed it, it would have been challenging, but in a really cool way. So I was obviously very excited, and then all the stuff happened with the sale and all this other weird stuff.
All of a sudden I wasn’t working for the person who hired me, and I wasn’t willing to do that. I don’t regret it, not at all. I think it’s the coolest. It’s not lost on me that I was able to walk away from money like that, stability like that because of what I believe, beliefs of the kind of human being that I am.
10 years ago, I don’t know if I would have been able to make that choice financially or personally or certainly not professionally. I’m in a position where I’ll be fine, I’ll figure it out. I hadn’t even talked to Scott [D’Amore] at the time, or TNA, we had zero conversations about it. I just knew I wasn’t going to work for the WWE anymore.
So it’s a wild one, but the truth is it was 100% my choice. I think there’ll be a lot of people that think that’s stupid, a lot of people that won’t make that choice. But I think for me in my career, I think it’s one of the proudest things I’ve ever done to be honest.”
Bray Wyatt will forever hold a cherished place in the hearts of those who knew him both inside and outside the wrestling ring. His legacy remains unshaken, and his memory lives on through the love and admiration of countless fans worldwide.
