AEW Eddie Kingston Recovery & “Wrestling Wars” Criticism
Eddie Kingston bares soul on Injury, Retirement Fears, adn Wrestling’s “tribalism”
Chicago, IL – In a raw and deeply personal interview, All Elite Wrestling’s Eddie Kingston has opened up about the physical and mental battles he faced during his recent recovery from a serious leg injury. Speaking with shakiel Mahjouri on the “SHAK wrestling” YouTube channel,Kingston offered a candid glimpse into his struggles,his near-retirement experience,and his passionate plea for unity among wrestling fans.
Kingston’s journey back to the ring was far from smooth. He revealed that insurance issues delayed his physical therapy for months, compounding the initial physical trauma. “My leg at one point in time wouldn’t straighten,” Kingston admitted. Despite the pain, he pushed through, driven by the desire to return to the ring. his doctor has told him it could take a year to feel like himself again, but Kingston is undeterred. ”I don’t remember a day where I wasn’t a little beat up going into the ring. So, yeah, I’m ready.”
However, the physical pain paled in comparison to the mental anguish he endured while sidelined. Kingston described a period of isolation and darkness, struggling with the feeling of being disconnected from the wrestling world he loves. ”The hardest part of anything in life is the mental game,” he said. “It’s always the mental part that’s a struggle… for two months I was by myself… just sitting there days in the dark.” He confessed that watching AEW thrive without him was heartbreaking, especially missing events like Forbidden Door, which he considers his “WrestleMania.”
The mental strain led Kingston to contemplate retirement, a decision he wrestled with intensely. ”It was me beating myself up, not knowing if I’m not going to get back in the ring, and trying to be satisfied,” he explained. He found himself trying to convince himself that it was okay to walk away. Ultimately, it was the thought of unfulfilled goals and the wisdom of his mentor, Homicide, that pulled him back from the brink. Homicide, who was forced to retire, urged Kingston to continue fighting. “[Homicide] was forced to retire. He goes, ‘You can walk, you can run… Why leave?’ He’s like, ‘Are you really satisfied? Why leave?’… He would tell me, ‘Go out your way. and I know this is not the way you wont to go out.’ Very true. I want to go out on my shield. I want to go out swinging to the end.”
beyond his personal struggles,Kingston addressed the divisive “tribalism” that plagues the wrestling fanbase. He passionately condemned the “war” between different promotions, emphasizing that it ultimately hurts the fans and the wrestlers themselves. “You know who wins? Who really wins in all this? The wrestling fans,” kingston declared. “And for the boys too, as we get to get paid. We’re autonomous contractors. More companies, more money.” He urged fans to broaden their horizons and enjoy all that wrestling has to offer. “The thing I don’t get about the wrestling fan is that I never was that tribalistic, where I cut myself off from enjoying wrestling… Don’t cut yourself off from enjoying wrestling. Now, let’s say you don’t enjoy AEW… okay, don’t watch it then. But I doubt it… Don’t fall into the trap… You’re part of the team that loves pro wrestling, not part of a team that loves just one place.”
Kingston also touched on the support he receives from fans, particularly those who say he has helped them with their own mental health struggles. while he appreciates the sentiment, he doesn’t see himself as a role model.”I just want everyone to understand that I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’m not healed or cured. I fight things every day, but if you look at me to be like, ‘Hey, he can do it,’ that helps me, and I’m going to try my best.”
Kingston is scheduled to face Big Bill at All Out.