Eddie Kingston reflects on his career
In a new post from The Players' Tribune, Eddie Kingston reflects on his life, career and what led him to AEW a year and a half ago. The article was written by the man himself and is deeply personal, raw and real, very much like the man fans see weekly in AEW.
Eddie Kingston joined AEW after answering Cody's open challenge for the TNT Championship in July 2020. He would sign officially with the company a week later before proving to everyone why he is one of the most beloved wrestlers on the independent circuit.
Kingston sent out a tweet on 9th November 2021, sharing the article for The Players' Tribune, following it up with an explanation. He talks about his mental health and how he is just a man who makes mistakes.
Please take away from the article that yes mistakes are made and things get dark mentally and emotionally but please move forward please. I know I will make more mistakes because life is life but I will move forward. So just move forward.
What Inspired Eddie Kingston?
In the self-penned article The Mad King reflects on the things that inspired him to become a wrestler while touching on his love for All Japan Pro Wrestling. He talks about a tape he received that had the famous June '94 match between Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa, explaining how this "grainy VHS tape" lit a fire within him. He had never seen anything quite like it and his love for these men and their in-ring style can still be seen to this day.
"You’d be waiting MONTHS to get your hands on some All Japan Triple Crown tape through a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy in Queens or something."
He also mentions Jerry Lawler and a very important tape, "Memphis' Bloodiest Brawls", which would greatly influence his in-ring style and love for the more hardcore style of wrestling.
Eddie Kingston credits pro-wrestling with keeping him out of trouble.
"In high school, my friends used to be calling me up at night to come out and get up to who knows what, and I’d stay at home by myself to watch RAW or watch the Super J-Cup or ECW."
The article came out days before Eddie Kingston is set to face off against CM Punk this Saturday at AEW: Full Gear.
Kingston's writing was from the heart and showcased his trademark honesty. The sincerity of the article proved that The Mad King remains a man of the people.