Bobby Roode and Eric Young are free agents
Both talents requested their releases from TNA at the same time in 2016, just as they arrived at the same time 12 years ago. Although they have a great friendship and it has been confirmed that they will face each other at the House of Hardcore event on May 7th, it is purely coincidental that their departures have occurred at the same time.
On the other hand, a few months before leaving, Young had renewed a contract with the company that he was not too satisfied with. In his opinion, TNA did not value his loyalty and his pay was lower than what other talents with much less time in the company or who had just returned received. EY expressed his frustration with the officials, who gave him the possibility to break the contract and end their alliance. From good terms, Young, being close to 40, decided it was time to try new things.
"It was twelve years and sometimes it's time to move on. It's not that I wasn't happy with what I was doing or that I didn't like the people I was working with. TNA has been my home for twelve years, they allowed me to have a great life as a professional wrestler and I wish them all the luck in the world. Things didn't go as they were supposed to and that's why it was time for me to step aside and do new things. What am I going to do? I still have no idea."
With Roode, although friendly, things didn't end as well as with Young. The former partner of James Storm — former NXT — in Beer Money had been complaining about the delay in payments to the wrestlers, which had brought him some disagreements with the management. TNA made the decision to not continue with Roode, as they couldn't afford the expenses that paying him entailed, a situation that also led to AJ Styles' departure in 2013. Roode had also recently signed a new agreement, but ended up agreeing to leave due to disagreements.
Upon leaving Dixie Carter's ship, rumors of a possible arrival of both to NXT began to gain strength, and it seems that there is more than just rumors behind it. WWE would be interested in signing them, according to what the Wrestling Observer newsletter indicated, and there have apparently been conversations with them recently through an intermediary. Apparently, the interest is more inclined towards Eric Young, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of Bobby Roode receiving an offer.
"Obviously going to NXT/WWE is a possibility. From the moment something comes up I'm going to consider it and that's an option for me without hesitation. The book is more than open and never in my career have I been in this position. I have always been a TNA guy... it's exciting to say that I'm going to start a new chapter in my life. I have a good foothold in wrestling and it's great to be able to choose which path to take, because not everyone has the opportunity to do so," Young concluded.