Eddie Kingston is urging fans to avoid tribalism and not cut themselves off from watching wrestling they might enjoy.
While speaking with CBS Sports, Kingston said that — while he might take shots at WWE from time to time — there is no actual hatred there. He’s just a member of the other team right now. He hopes fans don’t get caught up in that tribalistic mindset.
“We’re independent contractors, dog. Why would anybody want places to close? I don’t want a place to close. Am I going to talk sh*t about WWE? Yes. Why? Because I’m not there and I’m with the other team right now. That’s it. There’s no hatred. I got friends there, dog. And I don’t have a lot of friends, but the people who I do consider my friends — some of them are there. You think I want them out of a job? Hell no. Because then they’re going to come for me for money, and of course I’m a sucker for them, so I’m going to give them money and then I’m going to be broke. And I don’t want that,” Kingston said.
“Like I tell people, man: leave taking shots to the boys. Let the boys do it, because it’s fun for us, you know what I mean? That’s it, you know what I’m saying? It’s fun for us. But fan-wise? Don’t cut yourself off from enjoying wrestling.”
Kingston said that, when he was a WWF fan in the 1990s, he would have missed so much great wrestling if he only stuck to one company. Instead, he got to watch the nWo in WCW and see some incredible cruiserweights. And he was also able to see ECW revolutionize the business by offering something different than the two main companies.
After being sidelined for more than a year due to injury, Kingston will make his return at AEW All Out this Saturday. He’s facing Big Bill at the pay-per-view, which has a 3 p.m. Eastern start time after the show was moved to the afternoon to avoid WWE’s counter-programming efforts.
CBS Sports asked Kingston what it means to him that AEW considers his return a significant part of the All Out card (with the show happening on the same day as WWE Wrestlepalooza).
“Humbly, it’s flattering that they think I matter that much, that I can help that much,” Kingston said. “I don’t think too highly of myself. Not because it’s a beat yourself up thing. I was taught that the meek shall inherit the Earth. So you gotta be humble. So I’m very humbled that they believe I can help in whatever bullsh*t war or bullsh*t thing that’s going on. Because all it is, is bullsh*t, you know what I mean? It’s competition, and it’s one place wanting to monopolize. And there’s another place that doesn’t want to monopolize — for now. Because you know how once people get power, it changes. So let’s not get it twisted. I’d like to think if the shoe was on the other foot, things wouldn’t go down like that, you know, the way it is. But power corrupts, man.
“But, anyway, I’m very flattered about that. And at the end of the day, guess what? You know who wins? Who really wins in all of this? Pro wrestling fans.”
Editor’s Note: This is an opinion-based preview that reflects the views of the author and not our website.
Seven years in, Saturday’s AEW All Out is both a pay-per-view and a checkpoint: a place where AEW takes stock of what it is, where they are as a company, and what it might become.
The roster is battered and its depth is tested for the first time in a long time. Yet, the company still stands tall as the most viable alternative in modern wrestling history. A second, viable North American wrestling promotion is a boon to the entire industry; iron sharpens iron and all that. A perfect approval rating will never exist, but the alternative AEW provides is needed.
Injuries to Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, and Swerve Strickland leave this year’s card without some of its most reliable big show anchors. All performers who, if they weren’t closing the show, were a sure bet to steal it. But absences lead to opportunities and AEW has a roster filled with names: Willow Nightingale, Daniel Garcia, Kris Statlander, Jamie Hayter, Queen Aminata and Konosuke Takeshita are among those who are ready for more.
A new generation in wrestling comes faster than anyone expects. For growth to continue, new stars must be developed.
All Out 2025 (3 PM Eastern main card start on PPV) is a test of depth, of patience, and of AEW’s ability to make new stars when old ones aren’t available. Let’s take a look at the card.
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (with Stokely Hathaway)
FTR has to be kicking their feet in the air and giggling at the thought of this match. Two men who live and breathe tag team wrestling get to square off with Hall of Fame-level Canadians in front of their home crowd. It’s the perfect storm for Dax and Cash who have looked revitalized in recent months. Cope, for me, has always been a mixed bag — overlong matches, overstuffed with drama — but there’s no denying that he’s a living legend.
Christian, a different kind of legend but one all the same, refuses to soften his edges and fully give the crowd what they want. Together, it works.
AEW does this kind of nostalgia showcase better than anyone. FTR will do everything in their power to make the legends shine. Cope and Christian will hit their spots, soak up the deserved love, and go over. Let’s keep this one under 15 minutes, boys.
Prediction: Cope and Christian
Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston
It’s a stroke of booking genius to announce this match rather than have it be a surprise. It gives the audience something to be excited about while saving the outrageous return pop Kingston will receive. Kingston’s authenticity and fervor in the ring are desperately needed. His absence was glaring. I’m thrilled he’s back.
Few things in wrestling are as satisfying as Kingston walloping another man. Bill, meanwhile, has quietly become one of AEW’s most effective big men: simple moves presented without irony. This won’t be pretty and it shouldn’t be. Kingston thrives in these meat-and-potatoes brawls, the kind where emotion carries more than execution. Bill will get his moments: a chokeslam here, a big boot there, but make no mistake, this is Eddie’s showcase. He’ll drag Bill into the deep water, spit in his face, yapping the whole time.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston
The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & MVP) vs. Ricochet and GOA (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Just because this is likely the filler match doesn’t mean it won’t be good with a solid faction on one side, a reinvented daredevil and two bruisers on the other. Lashley and Benjamin are closer to the “greatest hits” stage of their careers rather than their prime, but that can still be wildly effective when paired with Ricochet’s chicanery and the raw power of Kaun and Liona.
The wheel won’t be reinvented, but it doesn’t need to be in order to be successful. Expect Ricochet to bounce around like a pinball, Lashley to hit one or two spears that could be considered like assault, and for the Gates of Agony to show people who they are and what they can do (they’re good!).
Prediction: The Hurt Syndicate
Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin in a coffin match
I should have saved the ‘kicking their feet in the air and giggling’ reference I used earlier for this match. Moxley and Allin have to be over the moon coming up with some really sick things they can do to each other during this match. These are two men who would happily hurl themselves into actual caskets and get buried alive if the occasion called for it. Maybe even light it on fire while we’re at it, but it’s also a perfect match for a perfect pairing.
Moxley is the connective tissue of AEW. There is no situation where he can’t shine. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, the program, or the match. You can drop him into anything and trust it will land. Darby, meanwhile, remains wrestling’s crash test dummy, a man with no regard for either his body or tomorrow. If this clicks, and it should, this won’t feel like a stipulation match, but more like a natural extension of who these two are.
Expect a car crash watched between slits in your fingers, full of blood, and bodies crumpled in unnatural shapes. No one will be left wondering if they held anything back. Darby is one of the few performers in wrestling who is not hurt by losses. Mox wins and continues his path of destruction on whoever steps up next.
Prediction: Moxley
MJF vs. Mark Briscoe in a Tables ‘n’ Tacks match
AEW is never better than when it leans into chaos and there are few wrestlers more chaotic than Mark Briscoe. He’s a one-man demolition derby. The idea of him and Darby Allin working on a blank canvas fills me with joy. Pairing Briscoe’s brand of unhinged with MJF, a man who is all about control and theatrics, is a recipe for either disaster or delight, depending on how self-indulgent the newly married Max (congrats!) is feeling.
He must show restraint and let the match itself be the theatrics. The match will be over the top without his typical antics. His job is to hold the match together and to provide structure around the madness. If he leans into being more of a conductor instead of a melodramatist, this could be special.
The stipulation pushes MJF out of his comfort zone while Briscoe will gleefully throw himself through every piece of furniture in the building if it means entertaining the crowd. Blood is promised; just how much is the unknown. As much as I’d like to see Briscoe gain some constant momentum, I don’t think that’s happening.
Prediction: MJF
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Riho
Mercedes Mone is at her most compelling when she can lean into cruelty. Against Riho, she has a rare size and power advantage which should allow her to work with a different cadence: stretching her out, bullying her, making every bump feel violent.
Riho is an AEW original, someone who can pull on the crowd’s heartstrings and rallying them through her resilience. The success of this match depends on contrast: Mercedes as the precision villain vs. Riho as the stubborn survivor. Play that chord and we have some music. It’s not an epic waiting to happen, but it’s a smart piece of matchmaking.
It’s always nice to see Riho pop back up for her semi-annual six-week run. There were certainly signs of ring rust, but she’s a proven performer on big stages. There’s the potential for some seriously gruesome bumping in this match. Count me in.
Prediction: Mone retains
AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Konosuke Takeshita and Mascara Dorada in a three-way
For all of Okada’s undeniable greatness, this match feels like Takeshita’s to define. He’s been on the cusp of superstardom for what feels like forever and it’s only a matter of time before he makes his move to that tier. If Kenny Omega couldn’t bring out the full Okada experience, can Takeshita? At some point, perhaps, but not in a triple threat.
The subtle teases for an Okada/Takeshita collision have been there for a while, but this doesn’t feel like two titans settling a final score. This is the amuse-bouche for something more and hopefully something greater. It should lead to the Don Callis family imploding in some capacity with Takeshita emerging as a top of the card babyface that’s been inside of him all along.
The intrigue comes in the form of Dorada. He prevents the straight-line collision between Okada and Takeshita. He’s certainly not here to win, but to add a sense of bombast and excitement to the match. Besides, if Big Kazu decides to run this one at 60% capacity, Dorada can certainly pump up the heartbeat of the match.
Prediction: Okada retains
AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) defend against The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey) and The Don Callis Family (Hechicero & Josh Alexander) in a four-way ladder match
This is AEW at its most AEW: eight wildly different wrestlers thrown into a ladder match with full intentions to tear the house down. JetSpeed brings the juice, Knight and Speedball look better and better every week, and Hechicero’s unorthodox brilliance meshing with Josh Alexander’s no-nonsense power.
Then there’s Brodido, a pairing that shouldn’t work on paper but absolutely does. What do you mean the lead singer of a hardcore band is partnering with a masked bandit? That brings us, then, to the Young Bucks. Not much needs to be said about these absolute legends. 20 years of wrestling their style, wrestling their way, and transforming an industry. Their style doesn’t lend itself to longevity, but here they are, as good as they’ve ever been after all this time.
Expect insanity, expect bodies flying off ladders, and expect at least one terrifying spot that will have the older pro wrestling ‘intelligentsia’ clutching their pearls. But don’t expect the belts to change hands. Let Brodido cook for awhile as they’re too much fun to cut short. The Bucks will come close, JetSpeed will shine, and the Callis Family will menace, but Brodido stays on top.
Prediction: Brodido retains
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander and Thekla in a four-way
An ace elevates everyone around them. Toni Storm is exactly that. More than anyone else in the company, she is a foundation. The entire women’s division works because of her. She is the sun everything revolves around. Not everything is a home run, but nothing ever misses. The three most important people to AEW right now are Toni, Moxley, and Hangman and she’s not third on that list.
Kris Statlander is here to take the pin, I fear. She remains AEW’s perennial “almost,” talented enough for the spot but perpetually stuck in holding patterns. The parallels with Daniel Garcia’s character are certainly noted. Booking replete with half measures and unfulfilled teases leave her in perpetual limbo. The talent is well and truly there, but something has to change for it to completely click.
Prediction: Storm retains
AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page defends against Kyle Fletcher
When I listed people ready to make the leap, Kyle Fletcher’s name wasn’t listed. That’s because he’s already made it. He’s seized his opportunity and run through a wall with it. He is ruthlessly efficient. His moves hit hard and hit with purpose. His rise has been consistent with no moment too big for the preternaturally talented Aussie. This is the biggest moment of his career. I doubt he shrinks from it.
Page is as reliable a champion as AEW could want. He’s always good for a fight, always capable of tapping into emotion. Will this be as memorable as his clashes with Omega or Swerve? Probably not as there’s not enough heart in the story. When emotion is involved, no one is better than Hangman. If this had a few more weeks, maybe we could get there. As is, we’re looking at an incredibly solid main event with the potential for more.
Expect Hangman to give Fletcher a ton, maybe too much, before closing the door. The goal of this match isn’t for Page to dominate, but to put the final stamp on the main event version of “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher.
It was a tough road back, but Eddie Kingston is ready to finally return to the ring.
Kingston was sidelined for 16 months after suffering a broken leg, a torn ACL, and other knee damage in May 2024. His return match is set for this Saturday, where he’ll face off against Big Bill at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view.
“The hardest part of anything in life is the mental game. Pain is whatever,” Kingston said. “I’ve had eight or nine surgeries already.”
Kingston shared that advice from ROH legend Homicide, who is one of his best friends, helped give him motivation to keep going and return to the ring. Homicide had to retire earlier this year due to a cyst on his brain.
“He didn’t get to go out his way,” Kingston said. “So he’d tell me, ‘Go out your way. I know this is not the way you want to go out.’ I want to go out on my shield. I want to go out swinging to the end. People can say whatever they want about Eddie Kingston, but one thing they can’t say is that I wasn’t defiant to the end. That’s what kept me going.”
Support from the fans also helped Kingston in his recovery.
“And as corny as this sounds, but I need to say it, I’d read messages from fans…” he said. “I would sit there and wonder why these people even care. I’m just a kid from Yonkers, New York. That’s it. I got to live out my nine-year-old dream and be a pro wrestler.”
Kingston’s injury happened at a show for NJPW, where he dropped the Strong Openweight Championship to Gabe Kidd. That title is currently held by Tomohiro Ishii.
In AEW, the 43-year-old Kingston is one of the most popular babyfaces on the roster. He’s a former AEW Continental Champion and ROH World Champion. This match against Big Bill was set up a few weeks ago when Big Bill called out Kingston, calling himself a real New York tough guy while claiming that Kingston is someone who just runs his mouth.
All Out is being held at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday. The main card will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
On Saturday’s Collision, Big Bill came out and made the match between him and Eddie Kingston official for All Out, saying he’d see him in Toronto. Bill said the idiots on the internet actually think he’ll show up, but Bill knows he won’t.
Big Bill has been on a winning streak + wants to prove he belongs on the Big stage! After being out for over one year, Kingston has answered Bill’s challenge! Eddie will return Saturday at All Out! pic.twitter.com/qrLzB8PVc4
Bill made the challenge on last week’s Collision, saying that he wanted to call out someone who hasn’t been around in a while. On social media, Kingston responded by saying that contract had been signed on his end and was waiting for Bill to name the location. This would be the first match Kingston has had in over a year after tearing his ACL and meniscus during a match against Gabe Kidd back in May of 2024.
Also added to the show is a four-way ladder match for the AEW Tag Team titles. Champions Brodido will defend against three teams that will qualify for the match on the next episode of Dynamite. The qualifying matches include Heichero & Josh Alexander vs. Top Flight, Kip Sabian & Killswitch vs. Jet Speed, and The Bang Bang Gang vs. The Young Bucks.
Here is the updated card for All Out:
Updated AEW All Out card | Toronto, Canada | Saturday, September 20
AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against Kyle Fletcher
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Riho
AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Konosuke Takeshita and TBD in a three-way
AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) defend against three TBD teams in a ladder match
The Hurt Syndicate (Shelton Benjamin, MVP & Bobby Lashley) vs. Ricochet and the Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin in a coffin match
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Thekla, Jamie Hayter and Kris Statlander in a four-way
After being sidelined for more than a year, Eddie Kingston is ready to get back in the ring.
Kingston was forced out of action in May 2024 when he suffered a broken leg, torn ACL, and other knee damage at a show for NJPW. It was a difficult recovery process both physically and mentally, but Kingston’s AEW return is now on the horizon with him accepting a challenge from Big Bill. A date for the match has not been announced yet.
During his recovery, Kingston has been working out with Cezar Bononi and documenting the process on Bononi’s YouTube channel. In the latest video, Kingston confirmed that he feels ready to compete again.
“I feel ready to go today if I had to — if I had to,” Kingston said in the video, which was recorded before his return plans were revealed.
The feeling of competing in the ring is something Kingston has missed — and he’s looking forward to getting that feeling back.
“All I do know is — this is the only fact I know — is that when I do come back, I’m at least going to have fun beating the sh*t out of somebody,” Kingston said. “And if they beat the sh*t out of me, fine. Here’s the list, add your name to it. But I’m also going to beat your ass, whoever it is.”
Kingston’s recovery process was complicated by health insurance issues that delayed his physical therapy for a period of time until he switched providers. There was also an issue where his previous provider denied paying for his knee surgery at the last minute. When that happened, Tony Khan footed the bill.
“When I had hernia surgery three years ago, my insurance at the time said that they would cover it. The day of the surgery, they said they couldn’t cover it. So thank god other people took care of that one. I’m still paying for the anesthesia though, still,” Kingston said.
“And then it happened again, same insurance, with the knee surgery. The day of the knee surgery, they said, ‘Oh no, we’re not covering.’ And the surgeon kind of knew that was going to happen because he’s seen this before with this kind of insurance. And he was like, ‘Let me make a couple of calls.’ And then, of course, you know, Tony took care of it. I’ll say it, thank god.”
A date hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Eddie Kingston is officially ready to get back in the ring.
The stage was set for Kingston’s return when Big Bill called him out on AEW Collision last week. Kingston has now responded to the challenge and said he’s ready to compete.
“So got the phone call and the money is right contract is signed on my end,” Kingston posted. “So Big Bill you dumb goofy bastard just send [location].”
It’s been a long road back for Kingston, who will be wrestling his first match since May 2024. He suffered a broken leg, an ACL tear, and other knee damage while facing Gabe Kidd at an NJPW event. Recovering was a difficult process both mentally and physically for Kingston, but he revealed last month that he was back training in the ring.
The 43-year-old Kingston has risen from a cult favorite to one of the most popular babyfaces in AEW. He was the winner of the promotion’s first-ever Continental Classic tournament in 2023 and has also held gold as a former ROH World Champion and NJPW Strong Openweight Champion.
In his promo calling out Kingston, Big Bill called himself a real New York tough guy while claiming that Kingston is someone who just runs his mouth.
Eddie Kingston could be returning to AEW sooner than later.
In a promo on Saturday’s Collision, Big Bill said he comes from New York City, and knows another guy from New York that claims to be a tough guy that likes to run his mouth. But he hasn’t been seen in a while and doesn’t know where he’s at. He officially called this person out, finally revealing his name: Eddie Kingston.
The former ROH Champion has been injured and out of action for over a year, recovering from a spot at last year’s NJPW Resurgence where he was suplexed through a table. Upon landing, Kingston smashed both legs on top of a nearby barricade, not only breaking one of his legs but also tore his ACL and meniscus in the process.
Last month, he appeared on Cezar Bononi’s podcast and gave an update on his status, saying at the time he wasn’t cleared, but was getting ready for his return.
“My job, right now, is to be ready for when it’s time,” he said. “You never know when that call is. I talked to my boss. I talked to him and everything is good. Everything takes time. I’m not cleared yet. I feel, because I’ve done practice, sparring matches, I feel like I can go right now, but again I’m not (medically cleared).”
Big Bill and Bryan Keith have mostly been working on Collision shows as a tag team since their mentor, Chris Jericho, decided to take a break from wrestling in April.
Kingston shared details of his recovery during a recent appearance on Cezar Bononi’s podcast. He mentioned that he’s still not cleared to return, but feels like he’s ready.
Kingston said:
“My job, right now, is to be ready for when it’s time. You never know when that call is. I talked to my boss. I talked to him and everything is good.”
He continued:
“Everything takes time. I’m not cleared yet. I feel, because I’ve done practice, sparring matches, I feel like I can go right now, but again I’m not (medically cleared). Because when I went to PT, they said, ‘Oh, your strength went down,’ because I’ve been doing more agility stuff. They said, let’s get back to it. So, I started to do that. I still have six sessions of PT that I want to do.”
“Then the guy who books the show has to book a fight. People have to say yes. People have to say yes to all that stuff. It’s not just me being ready to rock and roll. It’s nobody’s fault; it’s a business. It happens. When it’s time, when I get cleared, when the fight is booked, when everything is good to go, you will know.”
“That’s it. Just for the people out there getting mad that think something’s deeper than what it is, it’s not.“
Kingston hasn’t wrestled since suffering a leg injury in a No Ropes Last Man Standing match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence on May 11, 2024. He took a suplex from the ring onto to a stack of tables on the outside, but his leg hit the guardrail. Kingston suffered a broken leg, as well as a torn meniscus and torn ACL. He posted to social media earlier this month revealing that he has resumed in-ring training. In a separate video, also from Cezar Bononi’s podcast, Kingston expressed disappointment at missing AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door for the second year in a row.
Kingston’s appearance on Cezar Bononi’s YouTube channel is available below:
Eddie Kingston is set to miss his favorite PPV for the second straight year.
Kingston has been out of action since NJPW Resurgence on May 11, 2024, when he broke his leg and tore his meniscus and ACL in a match against Gabe Kidd. He missed last year’s Forbidden Door the following month and appears likely to miss this year’s event on August 24 as well.
He appeared as a guest on Cezar Bononi’s podcast recently and mentioned several NJPW wrestlers he would have liked to wrestle.
“I am disappointed that it looks like, I’m just saying it now, it looks like I’m not going to be able to do Forbidden Door again,” Kingston said on the show.
“Everybody else has their favorites, you know what I mean? And my favorite was always Forbidden Door.“
“The Japanese dudes are my dudes. I wanted to fight Shingo (Takagi) or Yuya (Uemura), which is one of the young lions they got there that’s coming up in the game.”
“I would love to fight Shota (Umino). There’s so many. Taichi. I would love to fight Taichi because he was trained by Kawada. Everyone knows my history with Toshiaki Kawada-san.”
“Hopefully, this comes out and I’m wrong and I’m actually at Forbidden Door fighting somebody.”
At the first Forbidden Door PPV in 2022, Kingston teamed with Wheeler Yuta and Shota Umino in a loss to Minoru Suzuki, Chris Jericho, and Sammy Guevara. In 2023, he teamed with Tomohiro Ishii, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page in a win over the Blackpool Combat Club. He missed last year’s show after being injured at Resurgence the month prior.
Kingston’s full appearance on Cezar Bononi’s podcast is available below:
Eddie Kingston appears to be preparing for his return to the ring.
Kingston has been sidelined since suffering a broken leg along with a torn meniscus and ACL during his No Rope Last Man Standing match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence on May 11, 2024.
He recently shared on his Instagram stories that he’s back training in the ring:
In June, Kingston shared a video on Instagram documenting his rehab. He captioned it, “I tried to find some ‘motivational’ quote, but let’s be real, shit sucked and I hate doing it, but it has to be done.”
Kingston’s injury occurred during his NJPW Strong Championship match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence, when Kidd suplexed him onto a set of tables at ringside and his leg struck the barricade. He lost the title to Kidd in that match, which was the third championship he had dropped in recent months. Coming out of the original Continental Classic tournament in 2023, Kingston held the ROH World, Continental, and NJPW Strong titles. He lost the Continental title to Kazuchika Okada that March, the ROH World title to Mark Briscoe in April, and finally the NJPW Strong title to Kidd that May.
WWE cuts this past week, why and more details, lots of reaction to R-Truth and the story behind it
Preview of the WWE Money in the Bank and Worlds Collide shows as well as updated ticket demand for the shows as well as odds
New Japan Dominion and Kosei Fujita win Best of the Super Juniors in one of the year’s best matches
The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling TV shows this past week including competition, segments, demo and what things on the different shows boosted the audience
Notes on one of the biggest Arena Mexico shows this year
Major arena sells out seven weeks in a row
Newcomers behind the scenes as WWE takes over AAA
Stardom PPV notes
Major signings for Hogan & Bischoff’s RAF company
Who has won the most awards in specific categories in the 45 year history of the Observer awards
Ratings for the past season of Dark Side of the Ring
Notes on wrestlers recently cut by WWE
AEW departures and details
Advance ticket sales for WWE, AEW and TNA shows
Lots more notes on AEW going to Arena Mexico
Bryan Danielson says his career highlight
Significance of the Phil Davis lawsuit and how it affects TKO and perhaps even WWE
Promotion cutting prices to increase ticket buys
Notes on MMA reporter Jordan Breen
Update on WrestleMania in Las Vegas
Nick Khan and Vince McMahon selling TKO stock
How much are analysts expecting the WWE PLE right and UFC rights to end up at and what does this mean for the stock price
Paul Levesque and Dwayne Johnson
Notes on WWE counter programming AEW
Bill Goldberg updates
How much money has Dwayne Johnson made from WWE since his return 18 months ago
AEW has uploaded the entire match between Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. from WrestleDream 2023.
Eddie Kingston shared a video on social media of him going through rehab on his knee: “I tried to find some ‘motivational’ quote, but let’s be real, s*** sucked and I hate doing it, but it has to be done.”
Mike Sempervive & Filthy Tom Lawlor are back to take a look at Eddie Kington’s mindset as he recovers from surgery, Filthy’s picks for Saturday’s Elimination Chamber, as well as thoughts on last night’s AEW Dynamite, and much more.
Eddie Kingston is doing ok in his recovery from injury, but not being able to wrestle has been difficult for his mental health.
A torn ACL and broken tibia have kept Kingston out of action since May 2024, when he suffered the injury during a match against Gabe Kidd at an NJPW event in California. While speaking with Wrestling With The Narrative for a new interview, Kingston gave an update on how he’s feeling. It’s not been an easy process either physically or mentally, but he’s working to get better every day.
“Physically, I feel like sh*t. Mentally, I feel like sh*t,” Kingston said. “So every day I’m just working on getting better, you know what I’m saying? Physical therapy — it’s been tough just to get to physical therapy because of my insurance. I just got new insurance. And then right when I was ready to start my new PT place, I started getting stomach issues. And I had to wait a long time — they had to do a thing where they put a camera down my throat. It was like, everything’s happening — well, good that it’s happening now when I’m off, but, you know, I was in a lot of pain. Thank god, as of right now, it was nothing serious, because I’m still waiting for results. But from the initial thing, he was like, ‘Look, no cancer. No ulcer. No nothing.’ Him and my primary doctor were just like, ‘So how stressed are you?’ I said, ‘Ohhhh, really, how long do you have? Do we need a therapist to come in here at least and talk?’ So they’re trying to get me to like not stress out, calm down.”
Being in the ring is what brings Kingston the most happiness in life, so not having that has been tough. Kingston said he feels euphoric when in the ring, and it’s the one place where he feels free. But he is doing ok and has good friends and family around him.
“Not having that’s really messed with my head. Thank god I have a good lady and I got good friends around me, you know what I mean? I’m not going to mention who because some work at other companies [laughs]. And I don’t want to ruin their stuff. But I have good people around me, I really do,” Kingston said. “It just takes me a while to open up about it. As you can see, no hair cut, no shave. Going through my [Bruiser] Brody era. Homicide and my mother — even my mom said I look like Brody. She goes, ‘You look like that crazy guy you used to always watch.’
“Yeah, I’m doing ok [laughs]. That was long just to say: I’m doing ok. I’m doing ok, man.”
Kingston believes everything happens for a reason, even if it might take a while for him to find out what the reason is. He hasn’t been watching much current AEW or NJPW because he knows doing so while out of action would only piss him off, but Kingston said he has been keeping up with Konosuke Takeshita’s matches. Kingston has his eyes on Takeshita’s AEW International Championship, then would like to go after the TNT Championship and AEW World Championship down the road.
Takeshita posted a tweet responding to Kingston’s comments about him: “I appreciate that but you know we have unfinished business. You haven’t forgotten our dream of 1on1 in Budokan. Make sure you come back.”
Wrestling With The Narrative’s full conversation with Kingston can be watched below:
Eddie Kingston misses the euphoric feeling that he experiences when he’s in the ring.
The AEW star has been out of action for eight months now after suffering a torn ACL and broken tibia. As he recovers from the injury, Kingston recently worked out with Cezar Bononi for a video on Bononi’s YouTube channel. Kingston explained that, when he’s in the ring, he feels free and all other worries go away. That feeling of “total, unbelievable euphoria” is what Kingston has missed most while out of action.
“I feel free when I’m in the ring. I’m not worried about bills, if something happened at home, backstage, nothing. I’m free. I am Eddie Kingston — full mind, body, and soul,” he said. “And a lot of times I don’t remember matches until I watch them. I’ll remember it like right after when I’m talking like right after the match, but once I’m done with the match and I’ve taken a shower, I forget everything. And the only way I remember is if I watch. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience.
“That’s what I miss the most. And that’s why, when I come back — I can’t wait. Just for that feeling. Everything else, I don’t care. I don’t care about talking to this person, that person, I don’t care [laughs]. I just miss that feeling of being free. Like, I wish everybody had that. You know what I mean? Just one thing. I wish everyone had that one moment in their lives, whether it’s for 12 [minutes], eight minutes, five minutes, where it’s just total, unbelievable euphoria. That’s what I feel when I’m in the ring. That freedom is euphoric for me.”
Kingston’s injury happened during a match against Gabe Kidd at an NJPW show in California. The latest report on Kingston’s recovery time was that, while he wants to return as soon as possible, he likely won’t be cleared until June 2025.
Eddie Kingston provided an injury update during a recent interview.
Kingston suffered a broken leg, a tibular fracture, a torn ACL, and a strained meniscus at NJPW Resurgence on May 11, 2024, when he was suplexed through a table in a no-ropes Last Man Standing match against Gabe Kidd. It is believed he had surgery in July. He’s hoping to return by May 2025.
When speaking about his recovery on The DAVINci Report, Kingston also expressed frustration with his insurance company.
“It’s been a process. It’s going good until my insurance acts up, and then that’s when I get annoyed,” Kingston said. “Insurance is a fraud, folks. Just throwing that out there.”
Kingston also said he’s starting to get “itchy” now that he’s able to walk and workout more.
“I’m starting to get itchy at home. I’m starting to get like, ‘Alright.’ Because I can walk now a little bit. I can walk, I can lift weights now and I can do squats a little bit, not too low. Now it’s at the point of, ‘Alright, let’s hurry this up, let’s get going.'”
However, one thing Kingston feels grateful for currently is that he’s still financially taken care of while injured.
“There’s days where mentally I’m defeated but there are other times when I go, ‘Look man, I remember getting injured on the indies and not being able to pay for anything.’ I’m blessed to be part of a company that is still helping me out during my injury. I still get those direct deposits, you know what I mean?”
Kingston also discusses the video games he’s been playing since getting injured and his current thoughts on New York sports teams. His full appearance on the show is available below.
