Eric Young on Winning the TNA World Title and Animal Planet’s ‘No Limits’

Fred: I have a very special guest on the line. He has a brand-new show called “No Limits” premiering this Friday night on Animal Planet, and he’s also the current TNA Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion: “Showtime” Eric Young. Eric, how are you?

Eric Young: By the intro, I’m doing really good, man. I’ve got a lot on my plate. It’s been a wild couple of months for me.

Fred: TNA World Champion and a brand-new show with Animal Planet. Can you describe these last couple of months?

Eric Young: It’s hard to describe. It’s happened so quick, I don’t really remember a lot of it. Professionally, it’s obviously been the best couple of months of my life. I’m super proud of “No Limits.” It’s an amazing show that anybody can watch, men, women, children, older people and younger people. It’s just a fun television show. And becoming world heavyweight champion is a lifetime of work. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was 5 years old, and it came true. It’s an amazing feeling.

Fred: How did the “No Limits” concept come about? You had a previous show with Animal Planet where you were put in danger every now and then, and of course in pro wrestling you’re always taking risks. Did you call them up and say, “I have an idea where I’m going to risk my life yet again,” or did they come to you?

Eric Young: It’s kind of a continuation of “Off the Hook: Extreme Catches,” which was a fishing show. Not to our detriment, but we set the bar very high on that show. The first episode was catching sharks from a paddleboard, and we did free diving under the ice and all this really crazy stuff, and we kind of ran out of really crazy stuff to do in North America. This was a natural transition into an adventure show. We find crazy people doing crazy things, whether it’s extreme, singular, dangerous or interesting. I go to wherever they do it, they teach me how to do it, and then I do it with them. We’ve done powered street luge, rock crawling, slacklining, ostrich racing and python wrangling. It’s a really wide list, but it all has the same thing: I put myself in danger to experience something cool and make a good television show. I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I’m getting paid to do stuff I like, to be honest.

Fred: Is snow kayaking one of the scariest things you’ve ever done?

Eric Young: Snow kayaking was wild, and I actually came really close to the world record. The guy we went with still holds the record, I think at 52 miles an hour, and I went 50 that day on a radar gun, so I was two miles an hour off the world record. I’m breaking records all over: world champ, almost broke the record in snow kayaking, and I’m the second-fastest in the world in powered street luge, too. It’s pretty crazy stuff, man.

Fred: How surreal is it these days to be recognized as the Animal Planet host as opposed to the TNA Impact wrestler?

Eric Young: Both are amazing. I get recognized everywhere now, and it’s about 50-50 between wrestling and the Animal Planet show. I consider myself a celebrity on a smaller scale, but it can be very strange. There’s always someone who recognizes me, and they usually have good things to say, so it makes me feel like I’m doing my job. But it can be kind of surreal sometimes.

Fred: Without spoiling anything, is there anything you’ve done on this show that matches the craziest risks and adrenaline rushes you’ve had in wrestling?

Eric Young: Definitely. That’s what the show is designed around: finding the craziest stuff. The premiere episode is slacklining. In a day, I learned basically tightrope walking, except the rope isn’t tight. It’s a ratchet strap about an inch and a half wide. I’d never done it before that day, and then I tried to walk across a canyon in Canyonlands with a 400-foot drop. You’re tied in, so it’s relatively safe, but getting out there with the wind blowing, 400 feet above a pile of rocks, was maybe the most scared I’ve ever been. I’m not scared of heights, but 400 feet is a long way down.

Fred: You’ve had the epic beard for a number of years now. When you were snow kayaking down that huge hill, did it protect you, or was it more of a hindrance?

Eric Young: I get that question a lot. In the winter, it actually really helps block the wind and protect your face. People ask if it gets hot in the summer, and I actually don’t even notice it’s there. I’ve had it since 2009, and I definitely had it when it was weird. I’d be at the grocery store, and people would kind of get out of my way, like I looked untrustworthy. Now beards have become a massive thing. The Boston Red Sox made it very mainstream with their run in the playoffs. It’s like a beard brethren. Guys like Johny Hendricks from the UFC, Daniel Bryan from WWE and me, we’re all linked in some weird way, and it’s a cool group to be in.

Fred: TNA has given you a lot to work with, some comedy and some serious, and you’ve always knocked it out of the park, just like with Animal Planet. Obviously you have the talent to succeed in show business, but is part of it having the right attitude and being willing to try new things?

Eric Young: For sure. One of my biggest things in wrestling is my versatility. If you want me to make people laugh, I can do that. If you want me to make them sad or upset, I can do that, too, and I’ve always prided myself on that. TNA has allowed me to play a really wide gamut of characters, from a superhero to somebody who was afraid of everything to a crazy person who didn’t understand what was going on to a guy wrestling Scott Steiner. I’ve held every belt in the company at one point or another, even a women’s title. For me, that’s what life is about. My favorite thing in life is experiencing as much as I can. In wrestling, I haven’t just been one Eric Young. I’ve been 20 or 30 different versions of Eric Young. It’s the same with “No Limits.” It’s allowed me to experience things I probably wouldn’t have, like rock crawling in Moab, Utah, and snow kayaking. It’s another notch on the belt, and on to the next thing.

Fred: I always ask TNA wrestlers who the funniest guy backstage is, and without hesitation they say Eric Young. Could stand-up comedy also be in your future?

Eric Young: I’ve actually never tried it, but it’s always come up. I love stand-up comedy. It’s an art form, and there’s technique to it. It’s not just about being funny. It’s knowing when to be funny and how to lay jokes out. There’s a strategy to it. I’d probably be willing to try it at some point, but I know it’s really, really difficult. Mick Foley has made the transition to it, and he talks very highly of the art form. Who knows, man? It’s about experiences for me, and standing in front of a couple hundred people with them looking at you, and it’s “1, 2, 3, be funny,” that’s an experience, no doubt about it.

Fred: If you survive the craziness of “No Limits,” you’ll defend your TNA World Heavyweight Championship against MVP on June 15 at the Slammiversary pay-per-view. If I’m on the fence about ordering Slammiversary, why should I buy it?

Eric Young: Slammiversary is TNA’s marquee event. It’s the big one. I know ticket sales are going very well in Dallas, and Texas is a massive wrestling state. For me, it’s the biggest match of my career. Something I can always promise is that you’ll get 100 percent. I’ll give everything I have, which is often to my physical detriment, but that’s OK. That’s what I signed up for, and that’s what pro wrestling is. I plan on retaining the belt, putting on a show and having people walk away remembering Slammiversary and, more importantly, remembering my match.

Fred: How’s your body holding up with everything you’re doing these days?

Eric Young: Surprisingly good. The show is very physical, very tough and time-consuming to make, and anyone who watches wrestling understands it’s a very physical thing with no offseason. But I was built to do it. I’m not super tall, about 5-foot-11, but I’m thick and built to take punishment, and I’ve always had a very high tolerance for pain. I think I said this on Steve Austin’s podcast: I’m kind of like a Walmart Wolverine. I’m built to do this kind of thing, and that’s a good thing for me, because I’m putting my body to the test right now.

Fred: Where can fans find you online?

Eric Young: I’m on Twitter at @ShowtimeEY. That’s the best way to get hold of me. I didn’t know if I was ever going to be a Twitter guy, but I’m addicted to it. It’s allowed me to meet all kinds of people, talk with fans and with people I’m a fan of, advertise what I have coming up and find out opinions, good, bad or indifferent.

Fred: Bonus question: The last time you were on Animal Planet, you rocked a Speedo. Could we see you bring it back this time?

Eric Young: I promised to wear my Speedo at Slammiversary in Dallas. When you wear knee pads and wrestling boots with a Speedo, all of a sudden it’s not weird. I don’t know why that is, but when you wear just the Speedo, it’s real weird. We cut down on the Speedo for this show, but I’m proud of it, man. If you forced me to pick, “No Limits” is it. There are also 10 “Off the Hook” episodes that will air under the “No Limits” banner this season, with really wild stuff like catching sailfish from a kayak in Baja. I hope people like it. I can’t wait for it to come out Friday.

Fred: If it’s anything like the first episode, which I had the pleasure of seeing, fans are in for a treat. Eric, very happy for your success. I wish you all the best.

Eric Young: Appreciate it, man.