"I know I'm never going to get there" - Eddie Kingston names WWE Hall of Famer as one of his 'perfect wrestlers'
Top AEW star Eddie Kingston has heaped praise on Terry Funk and Kenta Kobashi, describing the two legendary performers as the "perfect wrestlers."
Throughout his career, The Mad King has expressed his admiration for various styles of wrestling from all around the world. Kingston has taken inspiration from the fast and loose style of ECW, as well as the hard-hitting "King's Road" style of 90's All Japan Pro Wrestling. Some of these inspirations have even bled on to AEW TV in the form of t-shirts that the star wears to the ring.
Speaking on the MackMania podcast, Eddie Kingston talked about how hard he is on himself when he looks back on his matches. He cited WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk and Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi as the "perfect wrestlers" for him to strive to emulate.
“I don’t think I always deliver, I’m very hard on myself… I always feel like there’s more. I don’t feel like I reached where I want to reach. I want to be perfect. I know I’m never going to get there and, to me, the perfect wrestlers are Terry Funk, Kenta Kobashi. Those are my two perfect wrestlers that I’m trying to get to their level. I know I may not but I’m trying to get there.” said Eddie Kingston (H/T Wrestling Inc.)
Eddie Kingston wearing the "Four Pillars of Heaven" shirt!!
#AEWDynamite
#AJPW https://t.co/McSIeLlSRg
Terry Funk is one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time, having held championships in WWE, WCW and ECW during his career before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 with his brother Dory Funk Jr.
Kenta Kobashi was one of the "Four Pillars of Heaven" in All Japan Pro Wrestling, and put on some of the most wince-inducing yet widely celebrated matches of all-time. One of his most famous matches came in 2005 against current AEW star Samoa Joe, which is widely regarded as one of the best matches in ROH history.
Eddie Kingston will be in action at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door
Eddie Kingston will surely showcase some of the influence Japanese wrestling has had on him at the upcoming AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
The Mad King will team up with Blackpool Combat Club's Wheeler Yuta and rising NJPW star Shota Umino to take on the all-star line-up of Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki in a featured trios match.
There's going to be a guaranteed FIGHT at #ForbiddenDoor LIVE on PPV when @IAmJericho, w/ @suzuki_D_minoru & @sammyguevara, faces perpetual nemesis @MadKing1981, joined by @WheelerYuta & @Shooter_us THIS SUN 8pm ET/5p PT; avail. on major providers/@BleacherReport/@FiteTV (intl)! https://t.co/SAxIBfCgnW
Kingston's hatred of Jericho has reached boiling point on multiple occasions in recent months. He will now get the opportunity to take some of that anger out on The Wizard and his team at Forbidden Door.
Who will win this star-studded match on June 26th? Tune into the pay-per-view to find out!