Eric Young

Jeremy Fritz (born December 15, 1979), known by his ring name Eric Young, is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and WWE. Fritz made his debut in TNA in 2004. During his time with the promotion he has won 14 championships, being a two-time World Champion, a one-time X Division Champion, a three-time Legends/Global/Television/Ki...

Jeremy Fritz (born December 15, 1979), known by his ring name Eric Young, is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and WWE. Fritz made his debut in TNA in 2004. During his time with the promotion he has won 14 championships, being a two-time World Champion, a one-time X Division Champion, a three-time Legends/Global/Television/King of the Mountain Champion and a seven-time World Tag Team Champion, being a two-time NWA World Tag Team Champion with Bobby Roode, and a four-time TNA/Impact World Tag Team Champion once with Kaz, once as a member of The Band with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (under the Freebird Rule), and twice as a member of Violent By Design with Deaner and Joe Doering (again under the Freebird Rule). He also, jointly with ODB, holds the record for the longest-reigning TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, holding the title for 478 days despite being male. Fritz left TNA (then called Impact Wrestling) in 2016 and signed with WWE, where he was assigned to NXT and won the NXT Tag Team Champion as a part of Sanity. 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, formed Violent 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 television and returned to Impact for the second time in 2023, which ultimately reverted to the TNA name. He departed from TNA in 2026. Early life Eric Young was born Jeremy Fritz on December 15, 1979. Professional wrestling career Early career (1998–2004) After graduating from high school, Young began training with veteran wrestler Waldo Von Erich in Cambridge, Ontario. After training for ten weeks, he wrestled his debut match on October 14, 1998, in Benton Harbor, Michigan, facing his friend "Suicide" Sean Ball. He later received supplementary training from Scott D'Amore and Chris Kanyon. After four months, he had wrestled ten matches and was promoted to head trainer. After his training was complete, Young began working on the independent circuit. When wrestling infrequently, Young subsidised his income with a number of other jobs, including working in a pizza parlour, manufacturing brass horse harnesses, and sand 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 mainstay Crazzy Steve, and World Wrestling Entertainment signee Shawn Spears. Young appeared on WWE television three times in 2003. In August, he and future tag team partner Bobby Rude were defeated by Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli on an episode of WWE Velocity. In October, Young (announced as "Showtime" Eric Young) was defeated by Val Venis on an episode of WWE Sunday Night Heat. In November, Young lost to Sean O'Haire on WWE Velocity. On June 30, 2007, Eric secured the APWF Light Heavyweight Championship defeating former four-time NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion "Luscious" Rocky Reynolds in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2016) Team Canada (2004–2006) In January 2004, Young debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a member of Team Canada. He took part in the World X Cup event, defeating Jerry Lynn, Mr. Águila and Taichi Ishikari in a ladder match. Team Canada were a regular feature on Impact! throughout mid-2004, feuding with the 3Live Kru. On the October 15, 2004 episode of Impact!, Young and Bobby Roode defeated Christopher Daniels and "Cowboy" James Storm for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. They held the titles until November 7, when they were defeated by the 3Live Kru (represented by Konnan and B.G. James) at Victory Road. They regained the titles a month later at Turning Point on December 5, defeating B.G. James and Ron Killings. Young and Roode began feuding with America's Most Wanted in early 2005, and lost the NWA World Tag Team Championship to America's Most Wanted on January 16 at Final Resolution. Young began teaming with Team Canada member Petey Williams, and on April 24, they unsuccessfully challenged America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Lockdown. After defeating Apolo and Sonny Siaki at Hard Justice on May 15, Williams and Young challenged and lost to new NWA World Tag Team Champions The Naturals at Slammiversary on June 19. Team Canada began feuding with The Naturals and Lance Hoyt, with Young, Roode and A-1 defeating Hoyt and The Naturals at No Surrender on July 17. 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 at Sacrifice on August 14. After Williams renewed his pursuit of the X Division Championship, Young began teaming with A-1 on a regular basis. At Unbreakable on September 11, Young and A-1 faced America's Most Wanted, Alex Shelley and Johnny 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 after Chase Stevens managed to pin A-1. At Bound 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 by Kip James. Later that night, Team Canada stopped 3Live Kru from saving Rhino from an attack by Planet Jarrett, and then helped Jarrett place Rhino in a casket 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 a 3D 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 the NWA World Heavyweight Championship over Jeff Jarrett. As a result of the events of Bound For Glory, Young, Roode and A-1 faced the 3Live Kru in a rematch at Genesis on November 13. Team Canada lost the match after Ron Killings pinned Young. The long-running feud between Team Canada and the 3Live Kru ended at Turning Point on December 11 when Young, Williams, Roode and A-1 defeated the Kru and Kip James (the "4Live Kru") after Konnan turned on his teammates. After the debut of TNA on Spike TV in October 2005, Young adopted a new character who was highly paranoid and afraid of almost anything and anybody. The character was introduced at the mock funeral staged by Planet Jarrett for Team 3D on the October 15, 2005 Impact!, when Young was startled after Abyss crushed a box of tissues that were offered to him, and then speculated that the funeral parlour was haunted by a ghost named "Katie", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the WWE "Katie Vick" storyline. The simplest things began to frighten Young, including the pyrotechnics that accompanied Team Canada's entrance. The character drew comparisons to South Park characters Tweek and Butters, and was often used for comic relief. During an interview about the World X-Cup by SoCal Val during TNA Global Impact!, Young stated "Foreigners frighten me. They're from other countries, and I don't know how to deal with that". Two weeks after Sting and Christian Cage defeated Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown at Final Resolution, Sting made his Impact! 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, 2006 Impact!. 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. When Jim 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 on Impact! 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 29 Impact!, Young wrestled like a classic fan 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 was Earl Hebner who got fired, not Young. On the July 14 Impact!, Team Canada lost an "all or nothing" match (their only chance to stay together), keeping Team Canada disbanded. Feud with Bobby Roode (2006–2007) 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 was fired on the October 5 Impact! after being hit with a golf club by Larry 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 at Bound for Glory. Young won and got his job back, avoiding the unemployment line in the process. On the Genesis pre-show, Young scored an upset by defeating Team Canada captain Robert Roode. This infuriated Roode and on the following Impact!, 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 announcer Mike 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 at Turning Point on December 10, 2006, by wearing a SpongeBob SquarePants bikini. Young continued his feud with Robert Roode and Ms. Brooks, with Ms. Brooks trying to get Young to join "Robert Roode Inc.". Finally at Against 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, 2007 Impact!, the "friend" was revealed as Jeff Jarrett. Young eventually sued Roode for breach of contract and subsequently defeated Roode at Slammiversary via an inside cradle, af