Ex-AEW Champion Blasts WWE For “Bulls**t Tactics”
An AEW wrestler isn’t shy about taking shots at WWE for their “bulls**t tactics” by scheduling a PLE on the same night as AEW All Out.
Eddie Kingston will be back in action at AEW All Out on September 20th in Toronto when he faces Big Bill. For Kingston, it will be his first match in an AEW ring in 16 months since he suffered serious leg injuries during a match in May 2024.
The 43-year-old Kingston is a former Continental Champion who has also challenged for other major championships, including the AEW World Championship. Kingston has become one of the most beloved wrestlers in AEW and will be cheered heavily for his in-ring return.
A big reason why Eddie Kingston is so beloved is that he’s a straight shooter who isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind. While speaking to CBS Sports, Kingston spoke about the tribalism that exists among wrestling fans and why he hopes fans aren’t caught up in that.
“We’re independent contractors, dog. Why would anybody want places to close? I don’t want a place to close. Am I going to talk s**t about WWE? Yes. Why? Because I’m not there and I’m with the other team right now. That’s it. There’s no hatred.
I got friends there, dog. And I don’t have a lot of friends, but the people who I do consider my friends — some of them are there. You think I want them out of a job? Hell no. Because then they’re going to come for me for money, and of course I’m a sucker for them, so I’m going to give them money and then I’m going to be broke. And I don’t want that.
Like I tell people, man: leave taking shots to the boys. Let the boys do it, because it’s fun for us, you know what I mean? That’s it, you know what I’m saying? It’s fun for us. But fan-wise? Don’t cut yourself off from enjoying wrestling.”
Eddie Kingston Takes Shot At WWE For Countering AEW
AEW All Out was originally an evening show on September 20th, but it was moved to a 3 p.m. ET start time because WWE is running their Wrestlepalooza PLE on the same day at 7 p.m. ET. It has been stated that WWE plans to keep messing with AEW owner Tony Khan because he moved All Out’s start time, which means he could change things in the future as well.
Kingston would go on to talk about how he was humbled that AEW chose to advertise his return match.
“Humbly, it’s flattering that they think I matter that much, that I can help that much. I don’t think too highly of myself. Not because it’s a beat yourself up thing. I was taught that the meek shall inherit the Earth. So you gotta be humble.”
That led to Kingston trashing WWE for running Wrestlepalooza on the same day as All Out by saying it’s “bulls**t” and WWE wanting to monopolize.
“So I’m very humbled that they believe I can help in whatever bulls**t war or bullsh*t thing that’s going on. Because all it is, is bulls**t, you know what I mean? It’s competition, and it’s one place wanting to monopolize.
And there’s another place that doesn’t want to monopolize — for now. Because you know how once people get power, it changes. So let’s not get it twisted. I’d like to think if the shoe was on the other foot, things wouldn’t go down like that, you know, the way it is. But power corrupts, man.
But, anyway, I’m very flattered about that. And at the end of the day, guess what? You know who wins? Who really wins in all of this? Pro wrestling fans.”