"This maybe speaks to my ignorance" - Jim Ross says he had no idea who current champion was before he joined AEW
AEW has given mainstream exposure and opportunities to many wrestlers from all over the world. Jim Ross has recently shared that he did not know much about one such top star who is currently a champion in Tony Khan's company before he debuted there.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the legendary announcer shared his thoughts on Eddie Kingston's recent successes in AEW, praising the Mad King for his diligence and work ethic. Confessing that he had not been familiar with Kingston's work before his tenure in AEW, Ross stated that the champion had paid his dues in the sport and deserved his recent professional achievements.
Ross talked about Kingston's prolific work in the independents. He mentioned the lack of exposure that formerly plagued the Indies in the US led to his ignorance of Kingston's work there. However, he applauded Kingston for making the best of his early opportunities in AEW, putting over the drive of the first AEW Triple Crown Champion and expressing optimism regarding the future of his title run.
Good Ol' JR also spoke about the 2023 pay-per-view World's End being a reset for the company and its talent. It allowed for the emergence of new roles, character arcs, and storylines, and he voiced his excitement about being a part of it.
Ortiz calls current AEW champion the modern Dusty Rhodes
Ortiz, one-half of the former tag team PNP, recently compared Kingston to Dusty Rhodes, calling the former a modern version of the American Dream.
Eddie Kingston, the current AEW Continental Champion, has been an ally and co-worker of Ortiz and his former teammate Mike Santana in several promotions. While speaking on the Shining Wizard podcast, Ortiz said that Kingston, like Dusty Rhodes, played the character of an everyday, relatable, working-class person very compellingly.
Ortiz also emphasized the authenticity that Kingston brought to his performances, which elevates his work to a greater level, expressing his admiration for his friend's work:
"Everyone that knew Eddie or if you’ve seen Eddie on the independents and just any wrestlers that’s shared a locker room with him and just seen him do a promo and just seen him have one of those matches, we all knew who he was and just the rest of the world needed to be exposed to that. I’ve said it to him, he doesn’t like the reference but, he’s almost like our generation’s Dusty Rhodes. He’s the everyday guy, you know what I mean?" [H/T - Wrestling Headlines]
Kingston was last seen on Collision, successfully defending his Triple Crown belts against Trent Beretta of Best Friends. He won the title by beating his long-time friend and rival, Jon Moxley, at World's End in the finals of the Continental Classic.
Who should challenge Eddie Kingston next for the Continental Championship? Let us know in the comments below!