Reforming Sanity in WWE - 5 directions for Eric Young and Co. upon return
Eric Young was the founder and leader of Sanity (stylized as SAnitY), a faction that was popular on WWE NXT from 2016-18.
According to original member Sawyer Fulton, Sanity's concept came from Triple H, who was inspired by the film Smokin' Aces, "long before 2016."
The group also consisted of Nikki Cross, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe.
While those who are familiar with their NXT days are still supporters, a lot among the WWE Universe either don't know or don't care as much for the group, as evidenced by certain tweets.
However, there has been a flurry of excitement surrounding rumors on the internet of Young's return to the Stamford-based company.
For those that are unaware, Eric Young made his WWE debut on May 4, 2016 after leaving IMPACT Wrestling on March 19 of the same year. He showed up in WWE NXT to challenge then-NXT Champion Samoa Joe. Young then faced Joe in the main event, losing by submission.
On the October 12, 2016 edition of NXT, Young officially debuted as the leader of Sanity, along with Alexander Wolfe, Sawyer Fulton, and Nikki Cross. After Fulton suffered an injury in November, he was replaced by Killian Dain on in January.
The group was a popular act in the former black and gold brand, going on to win the NXT Tag Team Championships and holding them for 123 days. The stable didn't find much success on the main roster, however, wherein they moved as a trio as part of the 2018 Superstar Shake-Up, leaving Cross behind at NXT.
A statement issued by WWE.com following the group's release in 2019 blamed their lack of success on being "in the same division as The New Day, The Usos, The Bar, and The Bludgeon Brothers."
Nikki Cross, however, went on to find reasonable success on the main roster, separately making her debut as a singles star in 2019. She even went on to win the RAW Women's Championship in 2021 as Nikki A.S.H after successfully cashing in her MITB contract on Charlotte Flair.
Listed below are five potential directions for SAnitY on the main roster and how they can make a huge impact from the get-go.
#5. Eric Young is... Uncle Howdy?
On the December 16 episode of SmackDown, Uncle Howdy finally appeared live in front of a crowd for the first time since the character was introduced back in September. After months of vignettes, the man behind the mask appeared on the entrance ramp to taunt LA Knight, who had just beat up Bray Wyatt.
Rumors swirled online, as reported the other day, that Eric Young might be the man behind the mask.
However, PWInsider stated that Young will not start with the promotion until 2023, and it is not known who is under Uncle Howdy's mask.
"I haven’t heard that [if Young is Uncle Howdy] and was told that Young would not be starting with WWE until 2023, but until we see Uncle Howdy actually inside the ring, it doesn’t matter who is playing him on the videos at this point."
This is nevertheless an interesting route for the former NXT Tag Team Champion. LA Knight has massively benefitted from feuding with Bray Wyatt, moving from completely irrelevant to a main program on WWE television. It's a culturally significant one at that, too.
Young could immediately make an impact by aligning with Wyatt in some capacity. It also paves the way for an interesting program against The Eater of Worlds.
#4. Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, Bray Wyatt, Eric Young, and... Some Sanity
One of the biggest stories to come out of the pandemic was that of Bliss turning heel and attaining supernatural powers. She was previously part of a tag team alongside Nikki Cross.
At Survivor Series: WarGames, Nikki Cross and Little Miss Bliss crossed paths in the WarGames match. Cross was seen muttering the words, "You think I forgot," while trying to handcuff her during the bout.
Cross has a team to back her up in her quest to take down Bliss. The latter, on the other hand, has already been teasing yet another turn to the dark side with Wyatt clouding over her segments on television, albeit subtly.
A feud between them post-Royal Rumble, where Wyatt is expected to face Knight in a match, could work massively as a unique storyline en route to WrestleMania. It in turn benefits all parties involved to make it to the Show of Shows' match card.
#3. Sanity paves way for Eric Young's first singles championship in WWE
Eric Young is an exceptional talent outside WWE. He is known for his stint in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he won 14 championships in total, which includes two world title reigns.
Despite being in WWE NXT for four years, he has only held the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Alexander Wolfe.
On the main roster in 2023, Young can chase for a mid-card title. There is Austin Theory and GUNTHER currently on the RAW and SmackDown brands respectively, and which way they go may even mold their babyface/heel dynamic.
#2. Sanity joins the fray between The Miz and Dexter Lumis
For those fans that don't know, Sanity was unceremoniously disbanded in 2019 after an embarrassing loss on the main roster to The Miz in a 3-on-1 Falls Count Anywhere match on SmackDown.
The Awesome One is the perfect candidate for a starting feud if the group reforms.
The former WWE Champion has had entertaining storylines since the dawn of the new decade, including a MITB cash-in on Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber 2021, a buffer feud for Edge this year before the Rated-R Superstar formed Judgment Day, and most recently, against Logan Paul and Dexter Lumis.
Sanity could take down The Miz immediately upon arrival to make a statement.
Dexter Lumis is also an interesting character that can get involved. Both he and the former WWE Champion need something completely different to breathe life into their feud, which has long ran its course and has since been dragging.
#1. Sanity is on the hunt for tag team gold upon main roster formation
Sanity moved to the main roster after vignettes began to air promoting their debut in the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. However, they delivered a subpar performance and not much time was invested in their characters. They did not have a substantial feud either.
In 2023, they don't need to wait in line. Instead, similar to The Nexus invasion in 2010, they can directly target the tag champions. Whether it's The Usos or Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, Sanity can create an impact with this hunt. It also keeps the tag team division in a strong story and relevancy.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. The Usos is planned for WrestleMania 39 in April.
- WrestlingNewsCo. https://t.co/KBqbzQ9MVf
If Zayn and Owens join forces and attain tag team gold, they will need to have quality opponents and deep storylines to keep their reign fresh and significant. Sanity is the answer. Perhaps a return on the RAW after WrestleMania is the right way to go.
Even if it's The Usos that remain tag champs post-Mania, a feud against The Bloodline will work wonders for Eric Young and Co. It is a step in the direction of relevancy and major impact for Sanity upon returning to WWE.
What do you think about Sanity taking on the tag champs upon arrival to the main roster? Let us know in the comments below!