Eddie Kingston says advice from ROH legend helped him during AEW absence

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.

Being away from what he loved for so long was a challenging time for Kingston, with insurance difficulties contributing to what was a difficult recovery both mentally and physically. Kingston spoke with CBS Sports ahead of All Out and said the mental aspect was the most difficult part of his absence.

“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.