Eric Young Reveals The Original Plans For SAnitY's WWE Main Roster Debut

Back in June 2018, SAnitY made their main roster debut and beat down The Usos. It was all downhill from there for the faction, though, as they lost a six-man tag team match against Jeff Hardy and The Usos a week later and they only won one match as a team during their run on SmackDown, the 20-Man Tag Team Elimination Match at Survivor Series 2018.

Eric Young revealed on Sitting Ringside with David Penzer that the former NXT Tag Team Champions were originally set to feud with The New Day and close out SmackDown on their debut, but those plans were scrapped after a main event match involving the eight-time tag team champions went long.

"They (WWE) definitely had a plan," the IMPACT World Champion said. "We were supposed to be with New Day and during the show, our debut, the main event was like an eight-man or a six-man and I can't even remember who was in it, but I know it's three guys vs. New Day. And then New Day goes over and then our music hits and we come out and stand at the top of the ramp to end SmackDown. And that's gonna be the first time you see us, SmackDown goes off the air with the three of us standing there. It's a big moment. It's a cool spot to be in working with New Day. These three guys that are absolute pros, three of the most amazing human beings that I know, three of the most talented wrestlers professional that I know.

"And the match went long and our segment got cut and that's what happens with live wrestling. So, we're standing there in the gorilla position and they cut it because we wouldn't have time to get out on the top of the ramp and then shoot us. They would have been able to show maybe a couple of seconds, but they felt it wasn't effective enough. And then, for whatever reason, that plan changed and we ended up doing something with The Usos.

"And then through this weird cosmic event that happened, Shinsuke Nakamura is on a house show in California. We're there with him and he gets attacked by a bomb-sniffing dog. It bites him and he has to go to the hospital. So, the next day is SmackDown. We're in California and they're like, 'Well someone has to wrestle Jeff Hardy for the US Title.'

"I'm pretty sure it was BG James (Road Dogg) said, 'Eric Young is excellent. He's a heel, he's new. It's a good spot for him. So, have him come out and challenge Jeff.' So that’s what we do but they're like, 'Well, Eric can't beat Jeff. We don't even know who Eric is yet. We know that SAnitY is brand new.' And then it's like well then maybe The Usos can come out and we attack Jeff Hardy and it rolls into a six-man. Well, then it's like, 'Well, they can't go over because The Usos are going for the tag titles and Jeff Hardy is the US Title.' So, the first time I'm seeing this work on TV, we get beat. And literally, at that point, I knew we were done, like dead in the water."