Judas Icarus has reflected on the changing leadership and creative evolution of The Northern Armory during Sinner and Saint’s time in TNA Wrestling.
Icarus and Travis Williams, the duo known as Sinner and Saint, worked as part of The Northern Armory alongside Josh Alexander before Alexander departed the company. Eric Young subsequently became the group’s central figure, beginning a considerably longer stretch with Icarus and Williams. Looking back on those two versions of the stable, Icarus described the transition as a meaningful adjustment for a group that was still establishing its footing when the initial lineup came to an end.
Speaking on In The Weeds, Icarus said the group had not fully settled into its identity even during its run with Alexander. In his view, that made the eventual move to working under Young a shift that required everyone involved to recalibrate.
“It was very different,” Icarus said. “I think it was an adjustment period, because I felt like we hadn’t completely settled in even with what we were doing with Josh I think at the time too. I think we were still figuring things out as a faction or somebody that works together would. Just figuring out stuff that makes sense and all that.”
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The Northern Armory concept connected a pair of highly regarded performers in Icarus and Williams with an established TNA name at the top of the act. For Sinner and Saint, the setup carried clear opportunity: it placed the team alongside a prominent wrestler while giving them a vehicle to build a larger presence on TNA programming. At the same time, Icarus’ comments underline the reality that groups can require time to develop their rhythm, especially when the performers are working out the details of their respective roles and how the unit should be presented.
Icarus estimated that the version of the group led by Alexander lasted around six months. That is not an insignificant period, but it was also a relatively limited window in which to establish a stable’s chemistry, its visual identity, and its collective direction before the circumstances changed.
“I think we got maybe a six-month stint maybe with Josh, and then, yeah, we got probably just over a year with E.Y., which was insanely important,” Icarus said.
A longer runway with Eric Young
While Icarus acknowledged the difficulty created by the leadership change, he also emphasized the benefits that came with the extended run alongside Young. With more than a year to work together, Sinner and Saint had more opportunity to develop their own ideas and show a clearer version of what they could contribute as a team.
That expanded runway matters in wrestling, where a faction’s success is not solely defined by its initial concept. The audience’s understanding of a group often grows through repetition, character choices, interactions between its members, and a consistent approach to presentation. Icarus felt that the period with Young offered Sinner and Saint greater ability to build upon those elements.
“But I think with E.Y., at least we kind of got more of an ability to kind of expand on ideas and ways in which we wanted to present ourselves, which I felt made it easier to at least show the audience and show TNA what we had and what we could give to them,” Icarus said.
Icarus did not frame either leader as difficult to work with. Instead, he portrayed Alexander and Young as performers who each had distinct ideas about how a team should operate and how they wanted the act around them to be presented. That distinction is significant. Both wrestlers brought established personas and strong perspectives to their respective roles, but a group constructed around one leader can naturally look different once another takes that position.
For Sinner and Saint, the switch was therefore not simply a matter of replacing one name with another. It meant adapting to a new central personality, new priorities, and a different creative framework. Icarus said the contrast between the two approaches was palpable.
“The switchup did make it difficult, especially because they both wanted completely different ideas of a team,” Icarus said.
Working alongside two major TNA figures
Despite the adjustment, Icarus made clear that being able to collaborate with Alexander and Young was valuable. He called both men “main figures” and noted that it was easy to generate concepts and consider different ways Sinner and Saint could be used alongside them.
There was, however, an inherent balance to find. Building around a featured leader can make creative direction more straightforward, because the group has a clear focal point. It can also challenge the other members to ensure their own personalities and contributions are visible within that structure. Icarus’ comments suggest that Sinner and Saint experienced both sides of that process.
“Again, obviously, working with both of those guys, it was insanely easy to think of ideas and ways to present ourselves,” Icarus said. “Josh and E.Y. are both just such main figures and kind of grooving around what they want and how they want to present themselves I think was easy at times but then also… sometimes was difficult too.”
The comments offer a measured look at a common challenge in faction-based wrestling storytelling. A stable can provide a younger or less-established act with exposure and association, while the lead performer supplies credibility and direction. Yet the ensemble must still find a version of itself that works for all its members. In The Northern Armory’s case, that work continued across two different eras, each shaped by the ideas of a different leader.
Alexander’s tenure with Icarus and Williams was shorter, leaving the group in a developmental phase by Icarus’ assessment. The Young era ultimately became the more substantial chapter, not merely because it lasted longer but because it allowed Sinner and Saint to explore a wider range of ideas regarding how they wanted to be seen.
Sinner and Saint return to the independent scene
Icarus and Williams are now back on the independent scene full-time. During the summer, Sinner and Saint requested their releases from TNA Wrestling, bringing an end to their time with the company.
The team’s next announced appearance is at MLP Northern Rising on Saturday, October 3. The event gives Sinner and Saint an immediate opportunity to continue their work together outside TNA following their release requests.
For Icarus, the Northern Armory experience appears to have been defined by growth through change. The original association with Alexander gave the team a starting point, even if the group was still identifying what worked best. The subsequent year-plus with Young gave the pair more time and freedom to refine their presentation. Neither period was identical, and Icarus was candid that the move between them was not seamless. Still, he characterized the chance to work with both established names as creatively useful and important to the team’s development.
That perspective may be especially relevant as Sinner and Saint begin their next full-time independent chapter. Their time in TNA involved learning how to operate within a larger faction, adapting to different leadership styles, and attempting to make their own presence stand out alongside major figures. Now working independently once again, Icarus and Williams will have the chance to apply those lessons while steering the direction of Sinner and Saint entirely on their own terms.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.