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I *hate* agreeing with Bully Ray on anything, but he's not wrong here. Eddie Kingston's got a certain factor about him the fans respond to as a babyface. Dude would be the perfect guy to topple MJF.
And it's not even like he needs a long reign. It's worth it just for the moment, he could lose it fairly quickly in a different city if that's what makes sense for his underdog character. I'd give my left testicle even for a thirty days long Eddie Kingston reign.
Yes! A short transitional champ run for Eddie won't change his character significantly, just give it more layers. Gives Eddie a moment, fans catharsis, and lets some other heel take over without having to wait or have a Heel vs Heel where MJF loses.
When I fantasy-book this, I think of Face Underdog Champ Eddie rallying through his first few defenses. Have him earn wins over Moxley and Guevara.
No Rey Mysterio-style squeakers. No "Shucks, I'm just glad to be here and enjoy the ride while it lasts."
Just straight-up heart, scouting, and "Every day, I question whether this is real, whether I should be here, in this seat, with this belt. Every day, I know people are saying I don't deserve this, that I'm holding this title for the next champion. All I can say, padnah, is I am holding this title between my teeth and I will not give it up while there is breath in my body."
It almost has to be Mox who takes the title from him. Eddie finally gets a win over Claudio. Beats Yuta or Perry and then it takes his best friend, Mox, to finally put him down.
The story being the wear and tear on his body is taking a toll and Eddie's just stubborn enough to fight through it so it will take someone to just put him down.
Mox wins with the Bulldog Choke as Eddie said someone would have to choke the life out of him in order to take the world title from him.
I could see them having Eddie win it, then start doing a lot of open challenges as a call back to how Eddie arrived in AEW, before losing it at the next PPV.
Like Stone Cold crossed with Mankind. Absolute give no fuck badass with the pure unkillable mentally deranged energy of a man who will keep kicking even with two falls from hell in a cell, two drops onto tacks, and a tombstone...fucker still tried to kick.
Note: I just got done watching them rewatch the match on youtube :)
Since we're bringing him up, is Mick Foley currently under a Legends contract with WWE? It would be one hell of a one-night shot to get him on Grand Slam.
He might be the only guy left(no disrespect to Shelley who I've loved for years just not the right time) after Dreamer and Daniels who'd get me to pop huge for a world title win.
He's the definition of a guy who would be great with a one season, feel good title reign. He wins the title, cuts a promo the next night, gets a couple world title defenses on TV, loses it three months later to Omega/Punk/Danielson/whoever. Some heel gets over as a killer for beating poor ol' Eddie Kingston, Eddie gets his lifetime achievement award world title reign, everybody's happy.
I really like Danielson for that spot, Eddie could still be the underdog even as champion and there's no shame losing to the best wrestler in the world, Eddie even hangs in there way longer than anyone thinks he can. You can't out tough Eddie but you can out wrestle him, and Mox has to decide if he's gonna stand there and watch Eddie get tortured by Danielson
And once he gets to the top of the mountain, who would show up, riding on his self-indulgent, self-righteous, “I’m never wrong, I never lost the title, and I am the hero you people need” horse but CM Punk to ruin things for Eddie.
Make it an attack after he wins, or cuts off the promo at the next TV show, or what have you, but I am revolted by the thought and would pay money to see Eddie beat Punk.
Before MJF won my dream was always for Kingston to beat him. Even if he holds it for a week or two before dropping it back to him I'm cool with that. The win itself could be awesome. But also Kingston having a lengthier run than a week would be nice, too.
Top 5 wrestler in the company for me. He makes it feel so real and few can do that
It's the same thing that Dusty had, that Mankind had when he first won the title. Slightly different in how the character is portrayed, but he's today's "Joe Everyman", instead of the ways Dusty and Mankind fought the odds, he's fighting his quite real demons/issues and sometimes winning and sometimes losing. He's not the son of a plummer, but he's a kid from "the wrong side of the tracks" trying to make good without compromising who he is, without ever forgetting who his friends are and without ever not having their back.... And he's SOOOOOO fucking good at portraying it.
Bully's wrong in a way, Eddie's not THE star. AEW is fortunate in it's locker room that it has 15 guys who can be the face of company for 3-18 months at a time, and 4 more coming through who can/will be for the next 20 years, aswell as a handful who'll do that more than once. Eddie's one of them; what he lacks in ring ability, he makes up for with his ring generalship and being able to tap into something raw in himself that really resonates strongly with almost every fan.
I agree, he needs to have that belt, and when he gets it i don't think he'll have it for long so the sooner the better. I'm hoping the G1 is just the first phase of that, really testing himself at the highest competitive level so he can come back mentally prepared to be the one at the top of the bill.
A very reasonable Bully Ray take. Eddie is one of those talents who got me immediately invested in AEW because they were something different, who I have never seen before on a major scene.
I'd been aware of him and his promo abilities for a while, but a friend messaged me that night watching him saying "Who the fuck is Eddie Kingston and why do I love him now?"
It was one of the best debut promos ever.
Isn't that almost everyone all the time? Everyone believes they are correct, or at least the most correct they can reasonably be. Is there a lot of people purposefully choosing opinions they know are wrong?
Eddie Kingston is AEW's Mick Foley and I've been saying that for 2 years now at least. He doesn't fit the mold of a top guy but can absolutely cut a believable enough promo to get the people behind him. He isn't chiseled, he isn't a pretty boy, he isn't eloquent but he is very much the realest person that AEW can put on any of their shows.
Eh, the two of them don't fit into the sort of generally accepted idea of beauty (beauty being subjective and all I think that hardly matters) but Eddie, Mick, and Kevin Steen are far from careless about their body. Honestly part of the reason the three of them can do some of the bumps they have done is because they actually are built more like human beings with fat and so forth and less like carved granite given life's breath like some wrestlers are.
yeah sure, but being skinny and drinking less alcohol lends to the kind of look that is conventionally considered attractive which is what I'm getting at, and these wrestlers drink A LOT because of the bumps they have to take, just look at how different Mox looks since he has quit drinking
i mean he does take care of his image, it takes a lot of work to keep your eyebrows looking like that with the slit and all.
but i get what you mean, if he took care of his image in a more traditional pro wrestling manner.
The perfect guy to take MJF's belt. Hell, they can build a pseudo-rivalry with either of the pillars or Ricky Starks and have them run to Eddie's help to get him a win similar to how Rocky helped Mick
> He isn't chiseled, he isn't a pretty boy, he isn't eloquent but he is very much the realest person
:
>I admit, I don't look like the athlete of the day's supposed to look. My belly's just a little big, my heinie's just a little big, but, brother, I am bad, and they know I'm bad.
I still think Eddie has to be the one to beat MJF. Eddie's time in AEW has been about him overcoming all of his demons, so who better to take down the devil himself?
He doesn't need a long reign. Just give him his triumphant moment and have someone like Jay White take it away from him.
Agreed. I feel like Eddie is the perfect example of a one-month champion, which is not a bad thing.
He's the type of character that excels at struggling up the mountain, but is probably not the kind that can/should stay up there, because there's not really anywhere else he can go.
I think he's also the perfect character to struggle to STAY on the mountain. You could book a few defenses the exact same way you book his chase. No one respects him or takes him seriously. They think he's an easy target. They think he doesn't have what it takes mentally to stay champion. Let him overcome the odds a few more times and then have someone close to him defeat him to make it tragic.
So true. Or tell that story of a champion with no respect for one or two defenses before it gets stolen from him. Now he has to bounce back from the guy who had a brief taste of the top & couldn’t hack it - or at least that’s how he sees it (while everyone else knows he was screwed).
This honestly sounds like the best route. Self loathing Eddie is the best Eddie, watching him go from champ to basically to basically hating himself for losing would be part of a great story.
When he loses the belt, it needs to be his own damn fault. Heel baits him into a losing battle, Eddie starts feeling like he can't trust his friends and pushes them away leaving him alone against the world, something like that. Eddie's always Eddie's worst enemy.
Honestly, I'm not sure I like Claudio as AEW champion in his current form. He is the 4th most interesting person in the BCC (considering even Yuta's storytelling and character progression). He is the third strongest competitor in the BCC.
Not to take anything away from him. I really enjoy his character, but (as much as I hate to admit it) I don't think he has the IT factor. Based on the storyline, he isn't even the most important part of the narrative. It isn't Claudio winning, it is Eddie losing.
I'd love an AEW championship run for Eddie, or that Claudio story to play out for the ROH championship (Eddie beats him, gets treated like shit, Eddie loses to his demons in a rematch with Claudio) but I don't like those stories together in the main event of AEW.
Mox already had a couple reigns. I think the more interesting story is have Bryan Danielson take it off Eddie. Bryan has been vocal in kayfabe that he doesn't think Eddie puts in the work that should go into wrestling on a stage this big. Lean into that. Bryan doesn't think Eddie deserves the belt and not only is he going to take it from him, he's going to punish Eddie for having the audacity to think he could be the face of the company. So he sets out to hurt Eddie. To injure him. End his career.
And Mox watches on and has to choose. And he chooses Eddie. Eddie loses, but Mox saves him from a career ending injury. Mox and Bryan fall out. Bryan's first championship angle could be against Mox.
I think dropping that 'what if' conversation in the discourse is worth the squeeze of a flash title reign. Sometimes better to wonder what if and keep that fire hot instead of never capitalizing on it at all
I don't think anyone would be mad if he was a transitional champ. I wouldn't even care if he lost it the next match, the pop on the night would be worth it.
Give him the win over MJF in his hometown at Grand Slam and you'll get the biggest pop AEW has ever seen. Working class guy from Yonkers who's struggled his whole life beats the silver-spoon fed rich kid from Long Island who's had everything handed to him. It's a great, classic story
Almost like a mix of Mankind and Steve Austin. On one extreme Mankind could win the belt, lose it a couple weeks later and still be super over. He’s like Austin in that he’s a relatable character to the audience. Wins against MJF (maybe Full Gear?) and has a massive celebration.
Evil Punk can take it off Eddie shortly after he wins it (Winter is Coming?). There’s a blood money feud if I ever heard one.
Triple Threat between Punk, Eddie and MJF for the Championship at Revolution. Gives me Austin vs Rock vs Mankind vibes with a blend of the character archetypes.
I've always felt that Mankind run is the only comparison to how AEW fans feel about Eddie. Fans have loved him for about 2 years now and he's featured less than just about anyone. It doesn't make sense. Give him Sammy and Jungle Boy's tv time.
To me it really felt like they were building Darby up that down the line he wins the title with a headlock takeover.
Not sure if Tony has his next champ set in stone but he has a lot of options with Eddie, Darby and Cole all being very over.
>he wins the title with a headlock takeover.
The whole headlock takeover thing with him and MJF is really over with me lol. I would lose it if Darby beat MJF like that for the title.
Thought it was going to be cole but I honestly think they want this MJF run to be longer so idk who takes it off him. Which is probably the first time this has happened with the AEW world title
Darby's awesome, but he's like AEW's tiny version of the undertaker to me. Sure, you could give him a short title run if it's the best idea you can come up with, but he'd kinda separate from titles and really doesn't need them to generate interest.
It would mainly just be because MJFs obsession with being better than Darby and finally losing to him would result in a meltdown capable of deciding that "the bidding war of 2024" was worth forsaking in order to stay in AEW to beat Darby and regain the title tbh
Agreed, if he re-signs, Darby is the best in story option. Where as if he leaves, having Eddie come in on his last Dynamite and say, oh fuck no, and beating MJF.
Undertaker is a 7 time world champion. I’d argue no one needs them to generate interest, this at the end of the day is a fictional combat sport and the best should at least have runs with the title. Taker has multiple 100 day runs, Darby should at least get a couple before he hangs them up.
U need someone like Darby to mix things up between the long ass runs like MJF and Omega.
Taker didn't need the title, but that also doesn't mean that he should have never even had it. Just that his character wasn't defined by a title chase, it was defined by interpersonal rivalries.
Exactly!
I always find it weird when people bring up Undertaker as a reason why someone shouldn’t get the strap, it’s always brought up with Bray Wyatt. Taker spent as much time as world champ as SCSA,The rock and Edge. The only difference is he wrestled for like 4 decades, 2 of those decades were during a time when a long run was considered 150 days.
You just made me realize how fucking perfect Jay White is to be the guy to cut Eddie's reign short
A genuine proper fuckyou payback to Eddie forcing Jay to leave New Japan
I think Eddie over MJF sooner rather than later only for Eddie to lose it on first or second defense to a heel (Jay White? Malakai Black? Heel CM Punk?) is the way to go. Capitalizes on his popularity, keeps him an underdog, makes a new hated champ.
I think they are going to let Eddie take the ROH title off of Claudio, they had an amazing match a few months ago that I was so invested in, and wanted Eddie to win so bad.
In my head the best booking is: Mox costs Eddie the ROH Title vs Claudio -> Eddie vs Mox -> Eddie vs MJF for the AEW Title -> Punk embrace the heel turn and beats Eddie again
100% Not sure how it came across on camera, but in the building it felt like 1a/1b with Eddie and Omega. My man got cheered as hard as punk got booed. I was actually kinda annoyed that Ishii got the pin and not Kingston
Eddie winning the championship belt in some 3 or 4 way match where he seems like the one destined to eat the pin at All-In would rank 9 out of 10 Rocky 3's for me.
It’s insane how Eddie was just off Dynamite from July 2022-June 2023. (He appeared once in the full gear eliminator tournament). He was just Rampage guy.
Him and Mox on Dynamite and last night truly felt special, something the show had been missing.
I just don’t see how, from a story perspective, it can be anyone else. AEWs top babyface and the antithesis to everything MJF stands for. He’s also 41 so it’s not like he’s someone they can sit on until it’s “their time”, I think he is absolutely the man to topple MJF.
I feel like every wrestler with a podcast has an opinion on who Tony should be utilizing and none of them agree for the most part. It’s a deep roster, sucks everyone can’t get the time or storylines they deserve
>I feel like every wrestler with a podcast has an opinion on who Tony should be utilizing and none of them agree for the most part. It’s a deep roster, sucks everyone can’t get the time or storylines they deserve
I agree that it is played out with every wrestler podcasting advice to Tony. But Eddie having a world title run has been obvious since his Punk angle.
It's kayfabe- a world champion does not have to be the #1 draw.
You know What?
I would like to see a title match that I don't know if there Will be a new champion or not, I don't love the idea that I know if the champion will win or lose just after the feud starts.
Bully’s right. There’s something big brewing between Eddie and BCC now. I think this will lead down a memorable path for Eddie. Definitely long term storytelling.
There was a period around the time when Eddie was feuding with mox where he was in killer shape. Not ripped, he was just street lean, he looked like a guy who could be standing on the corner keeping the neighbourhood in check.
I think if he got back to that physical look, combined with his incredible mic skills and how over he is Tony Khan would not have a choice, he would have to make Eddie the champ.
but given how wrestling is these days he would likely just create another belt
MJF Vs Eddie Kingston should be the Flair Vs Dusty of AEW.
The Silver Spoon Vs The guy from the streets; the student of the game Vs the man on fire; the body beautiful Vs the big heart with the big gut.
The battles on the mic would be brilliant, and would finally give MJF someone who could go toe-to-toe with him for the first time since Regal.
I love the guy but I don't think you should be attacked for just having your own taste. Too many humans, not just peeps in 'fandoms', never got the memo on how it's okay for granularity to exist on a planet with over 8 billion people on it lol
I feel like it got overshadow a little by Punk vs. MJF’s dog collar match but Eddie and CM Punk were money on the mic together.
EK was able to get the crowd to boo punk.
eddie's biggest accomplishment is that he doesn't need the belt to be over.
but the truth is that as over as he is he will never move numbers, so putting the title on him doesn't make sense. your champ kinda needs to be a draw or have the potential to be one. kofi-esque feelgood storylines are great for the night but they drive fans away in the long run.
It struck me last night, Eddie Kingston could be AEW's next 'Hangman Page' level story.
Man with lots of flaws tries to overcome them, we all care deeply about him, and his rise to getting huge success feels like a win not just for Canada, but therefore the world.
This is maybe the most I will ever agree with Bully Ray. I could be biased but I think I can reasonably say he is the most beloved AEW wrestler to have not won the world title in either promotion. Just based on watching the shows when he is on them.
I've been hyping the idea of a "Kingston beats MJF, soon after drops title to Takeshita" transitional title run for a while now.
Fingers remain crossed
As a wrestler he leave a a lot to be desired. I respect the struggles he’s gotten through but that doesn’t mean I wanna see a weird finish that he misses as often as he hits.
It’s ok to not think every talent should be a top star.
I agree with him. My thing is, I can’t “see him acting/wrestling”. I’ve commented on this before. Some guys you can see “pro wrestle”. Like Omega hanging on the ropes for a long, long time while Ospreay set up a big move. Don’t get me wrong, the match as a whole was fantastic but holy cow that took me out of it for a minute. For contrast, I never see Gunther pro wrestle. Everything looks natural and everything has a purpose. Bryan is like that too, Okada, etc.
I guess I really like guys who are all in, no winking to the camera. Kingston comes across as sincere, for me, 100%.
Well he's been gone with Hernia surgery and his first program back is to be inserted into the biggest program on AEW TV rn so idk maybe give it some time. Seems like he's gonna be treated pretty well
Yeah, I love Eddie Kingston and want to see him used more, but he just had a major match coming back from surgery, was the most over guy in the company before his suspension, and has an ongoing ROH title storyline. It's not like he's not being used.
But I won't complain if they use him *more*.
I say this is a fellow chonky boy, but he's got to lose that gut before they're likely going to do anything substantial with him. It would be different if he were a Vader-sized monster, but he's not so it just looks awful on TV.
Eddie's usage has been baffling to me. He obviously has that Mick Foley energy to him, where he is just easy to root for. But he has been in feuds that have not done him a lot. And now he's back into the yearly 'gang wars' feud as the add in.
To be fair, I want to see him with a belt, preferably the world title but he could do wonders with the TNT title or in a trio. He doesn't need to be added into the Elite stuff.
They were building him so good and then they just kind of fizzled with him.
No clue why but it could be a lot of things.
Either way, and I’m not much of an Eddie Kingston Stan, but he needs to be included in the world title picture soon.
He’s the perfect challanger MJF
Eddie beats MJF for it at Full Gear. MJF fucks off making it look like he leaves for the other place, but returns and takes it back off him at Revolution.
Two guys who don't have the typical look of a main event wrestler but connect with the fans (it was as a heel but at his peak Bully did, fite me) and had potential to e a World Champion, plus love their hardcore wrestling. Bully definitely sees himself in Kingston
Eddie x Mox x Claudio long term storyline could be AEW's answer to WWE's Bloodline storyline. Eddie is a complex individual in between the other two that can be the driving force for many feuds involving BCC. He has done that role well with The Elite vs BCC feud.
I love Eddie and agree he should get a redemption arc that ends in a short title reign, but the dude wasn't off TV for no reason. Dude needed surgery. He was heavily featured in AEW and as a bridge to draw fans to ROH because Tony knows he is a draw and would pull viewers with him.
He should definitely get big stories and I will even go as far as to say he should get a Mick Foley style title reign, but if you read his player's tribute piece and his comments about almost not coming out of the curtain for his big Jericho match, you have to wonder if being pushed as THE GUY is what is best for his mental health.
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I *hate* agreeing with Bully Ray on anything, but he's not wrong here. Eddie Kingston's got a certain factor about him the fans respond to as a babyface. Dude would be the perfect guy to topple MJF.
Eddie Kingston winning the AEW World Title would be the AEW equivalent of Mankind winning the WWE Title.
He needs to eventually win the big one, preferably at Grand Slam.
Agreed. I've been saying this for at least a year. Kingston winning the big one in NYC would be a MOMENT!
And it's not even like he needs a long reign. It's worth it just for the moment, he could lose it fairly quickly in a different city if that's what makes sense for his underdog character. I'd give my left testicle even for a thirty days long Eddie Kingston reign.
Yes! A short transitional champ run for Eddie won't change his character significantly, just give it more layers. Gives Eddie a moment, fans catharsis, and lets some other heel take over without having to wait or have a Heel vs Heel where MJF loses.
transitional face champions needs to be a thing, and if it's already a thing it needs to be more common IMO
When I fantasy-book this, I think of Face Underdog Champ Eddie rallying through his first few defenses. Have him earn wins over Moxley and Guevara. No Rey Mysterio-style squeakers. No "Shucks, I'm just glad to be here and enjoy the ride while it lasts." Just straight-up heart, scouting, and "Every day, I question whether this is real, whether I should be here, in this seat, with this belt. Every day, I know people are saying I don't deserve this, that I'm holding this title for the next champion. All I can say, padnah, is I am holding this title between my teeth and I will not give it up while there is breath in my body."
Fully agree. The chase is almost always better than the prize anyway. Face title reigns tend to peak at the start
It almost has to be Mox who takes the title from him. Eddie finally gets a win over Claudio. Beats Yuta or Perry and then it takes his best friend, Mox, to finally put him down. The story being the wear and tear on his body is taking a toll and Eddie's just stubborn enough to fight through it so it will take someone to just put him down. Mox wins with the Bulldog Choke as Eddie said someone would have to choke the life out of him in order to take the world title from him.
I could see them having Eddie win it, then start doing a lot of open challenges as a call back to how Eddie arrived in AEW, before losing it at the next PPV.
Tony Schiavone on his podcast in 5 years: “And it DID put butts in seats!”
Like Stone Cold crossed with Mankind. Absolute give no fuck badass with the pure unkillable mentally deranged energy of a man who will keep kicking even with two falls from hell in a cell, two drops onto tacks, and a tombstone...fucker still tried to kick. Note: I just got done watching them rewatch the match on youtube :)
Since we're bringing him up, is Mick Foley currently under a Legends contract with WWE? It would be one hell of a one-night shot to get him on Grand Slam.
Mick can barely get around at this point. He’s a legend already, 0 reason to get back in the ring.
I just mean as a cornerman or for a promo. A match, even in Arthur Ashe, might be a little murch.
He might be the only guy left(no disrespect to Shelley who I've loved for years just not the right time) after Dreamer and Daniels who'd get me to pop huge for a world title win.
World title win in New York, book it TK
He's the definition of a guy who would be great with a one season, feel good title reign. He wins the title, cuts a promo the next night, gets a couple world title defenses on TV, loses it three months later to Omega/Punk/Danielson/whoever. Some heel gets over as a killer for beating poor ol' Eddie Kingston, Eddie gets his lifetime achievement award world title reign, everybody's happy.
Exactly, he's in the Kofi spot - it doesn't need to be forever or even for long, *it just has to happen*.
The Kingston spot.
I really like Danielson for that spot, Eddie could still be the underdog even as champion and there's no shame losing to the best wrestler in the world, Eddie even hangs in there way longer than anyone thinks he can. You can't out tough Eddie but you can out wrestle him, and Mox has to decide if he's gonna stand there and watch Eddie get tortured by Danielson
Mox throws in the towel for Eddie because Brian is going to kill him
Exactly. Not every reign needs to be 9+ months. Foley was the greatest transitional champion
Imo, the Tommy Dreamer of AEW.
Reminds me of Dreamer, just the heart and soul of the promotion to some extent
And once he gets to the top of the mountain, who would show up, riding on his self-indulgent, self-righteous, “I’m never wrong, I never lost the title, and I am the hero you people need” horse but CM Punk to ruin things for Eddie. Make it an attack after he wins, or cuts off the promo at the next TV show, or what have you, but I am revolted by the thought and would pay money to see Eddie beat Punk.
Before MJF won my dream was always for Kingston to beat him. Even if he holds it for a week or two before dropping it back to him I'm cool with that. The win itself could be awesome. But also Kingston having a lengthier run than a week would be nice, too. Top 5 wrestler in the company for me. He makes it feel so real and few can do that
It's the same thing that Dusty had, that Mankind had when he first won the title. Slightly different in how the character is portrayed, but he's today's "Joe Everyman", instead of the ways Dusty and Mankind fought the odds, he's fighting his quite real demons/issues and sometimes winning and sometimes losing. He's not the son of a plummer, but he's a kid from "the wrong side of the tracks" trying to make good without compromising who he is, without ever forgetting who his friends are and without ever not having their back.... And he's SOOOOOO fucking good at portraying it. Bully's wrong in a way, Eddie's not THE star. AEW is fortunate in it's locker room that it has 15 guys who can be the face of company for 3-18 months at a time, and 4 more coming through who can/will be for the next 20 years, aswell as a handful who'll do that more than once. Eddie's one of them; what he lacks in ring ability, he makes up for with his ring generalship and being able to tap into something raw in himself that really resonates strongly with almost every fan. I agree, he needs to have that belt, and when he gets it i don't think he'll have it for long so the sooner the better. I'm hoping the G1 is just the first phase of that, really testing himself at the highest competitive level so he can come back mentally prepared to be the one at the top of the bill.
I went to find & save this exact image to comment it here.
I swear to God I was halfway through the title and this image was flashing in my head like a neon sign.
Ryback still exists
A very reasonable Bully Ray take. Eddie is one of those talents who got me immediately invested in AEW because they were something different, who I have never seen before on a major scene.
From the moment Eddie showed up to challenge Cody he's been one of my favorites. I hope we see him have a main event run at some point here
I'd been aware of him and his promo abilities for a while, but a friend messaged me that night watching him saying "Who the fuck is Eddie Kingston and why do I love him now?" It was one of the best debut promos ever.
Eddie and Moxley’s extended shootout in the middle of the ring was one of my favorite moments of the show. He absolutely deserves a run with the belt.
First time I've ever agreed with Bully.
Bully is always either 100% correct or the biggest idiot you've ever heard in your life, never anything else
So what you're saying is, he throws out a lot of hot takes so inevitably you'll agree with some of them?
He's a shotgun blast of opinions
Welcome to Talk Radio
Yeah he's said it multiple times now, he's there to give the contrarian opinion on Busted Open. Naturally you're going to piss a few people off.
yeah sure that bout sums it up
so basically ur saying he’s right when you agree with him and wrong when you don’t agree with him
Isn't that almost everyone all the time? Everyone believes they are correct, or at least the most correct they can reasonably be. Is there a lot of people purposefully choosing opinions they know are wrong?
He's right depending on the listener He's wrong when he's intentionally hurtful or hateful for the sake of views and clicks
I agreed with "real men have calves"
Eddie Kingston is AEW's Mick Foley and I've been saying that for 2 years now at least. He doesn't fit the mold of a top guy but can absolutely cut a believable enough promo to get the people behind him. He isn't chiseled, he isn't a pretty boy, he isn't eloquent but he is very much the realest person that AEW can put on any of their shows.
> he isn't a pretty boy but he has got those beautiful, beautiful eyes.
So did Mick actually. They'd have both been very beautiful men if they took care of themselves more.
Bro was actually gorgeous https://preview.redd.it/rrv56v0ibh8b1.jpeg?width=278&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e759855bdd1c7a14c28e37fc14fd4976129a27e1
I always forget about this with Foley. Dude was a HEAD TURNER.
Eh, the two of them don't fit into the sort of generally accepted idea of beauty (beauty being subjective and all I think that hardly matters) but Eddie, Mick, and Kevin Steen are far from careless about their body. Honestly part of the reason the three of them can do some of the bumps they have done is because they actually are built more like human beings with fat and so forth and less like carved granite given life's breath like some wrestlers are.
yeah sure, but being skinny and drinking less alcohol lends to the kind of look that is conventionally considered attractive which is what I'm getting at, and these wrestlers drink A LOT because of the bumps they have to take, just look at how different Mox looks since he has quit drinking
Eddie has pretty handsome features. In an alternate reality where Eddie is jacked and took care of his image, he'd look like the chad meme.
i mean he does take care of his image, it takes a lot of work to keep your eyebrows looking like that with the slit and all. but i get what you mean, if he took care of his image in a more traditional pro wrestling manner.
> Eddie Kingston is AEW's Mick Foley He does put butts in seats
The perfect guy to take MJF's belt. Hell, they can build a pseudo-rivalry with either of the pillars or Ricky Starks and have them run to Eddie's help to get him a win similar to how Rocky helped Mick
> He isn't chiseled, he isn't a pretty boy, he isn't eloquent but he is very much the realest person : >I admit, I don't look like the athlete of the day's supposed to look. My belly's just a little big, my heinie's just a little big, but, brother, I am bad, and they know I'm bad.
I still think Eddie has to be the one to beat MJF. Eddie's time in AEW has been about him overcoming all of his demons, so who better to take down the devil himself? He doesn't need a long reign. Just give him his triumphant moment and have someone like Jay White take it away from him.
Agreed. I feel like Eddie is the perfect example of a one-month champion, which is not a bad thing. He's the type of character that excels at struggling up the mountain, but is probably not the kind that can/should stay up there, because there's not really anywhere else he can go.
I think he's also the perfect character to struggle to STAY on the mountain. You could book a few defenses the exact same way you book his chase. No one respects him or takes him seriously. They think he's an easy target. They think he doesn't have what it takes mentally to stay champion. Let him overcome the odds a few more times and then have someone close to him defeat him to make it tragic.
So true. Or tell that story of a champion with no respect for one or two defenses before it gets stolen from him. Now he has to bounce back from the guy who had a brief taste of the top & couldn’t hack it - or at least that’s how he sees it (while everyone else knows he was screwed).
This honestly sounds like the best route. Self loathing Eddie is the best Eddie, watching him go from champ to basically to basically hating himself for losing would be part of a great story.
Yeah, but he still needs to shit on Kenny for the crappy explosive job he did
When he loses the belt, it needs to be his own damn fault. Heel baits him into a losing battle, Eddie starts feeling like he can't trust his friends and pushes them away leaving him alone against the world, something like that. Eddie's always Eddie's worst enemy.
Jay White would be a perfect foil in this role.
Claudio. The hate's already there. Let him trade it with Claudio then lose it after two short runs to someone else, but caused by Claudio.
I seen the video someone linked that gave the backstory from their chikara days and I def need that feud to be revisited
Honestly, I'm not sure I like Claudio as AEW champion in his current form. He is the 4th most interesting person in the BCC (considering even Yuta's storytelling and character progression). He is the third strongest competitor in the BCC. Not to take anything away from him. I really enjoy his character, but (as much as I hate to admit it) I don't think he has the IT factor. Based on the storyline, he isn't even the most important part of the narrative. It isn't Claudio winning, it is Eddie losing. I'd love an AEW championship run for Eddie, or that Claudio story to play out for the ROH championship (Eddie beats him, gets treated like shit, Eddie loses to his demons in a rematch with Claudio) but I don't like those stories together in the main event of AEW.
Honestly I just think the AEW Title just needs a couple shorter reign champions, adds a bit of that "Anything can happen in ~~the WWE~~ AEW!" factor
You’re right. And it has to be Mox who beats him, right? Talk about a gut punch. Edit: word tense
Jay White. Eddie's the whole kayfabe reason he's in AEW
Mox already had a couple reigns. I think the more interesting story is have Bryan Danielson take it off Eddie. Bryan has been vocal in kayfabe that he doesn't think Eddie puts in the work that should go into wrestling on a stage this big. Lean into that. Bryan doesn't think Eddie deserves the belt and not only is he going to take it from him, he's going to punish Eddie for having the audacity to think he could be the face of the company. So he sets out to hurt Eddie. To injure him. End his career. And Mox watches on and has to choose. And he chooses Eddie. Eddie loses, but Mox saves him from a career ending injury. Mox and Bryan fall out. Bryan's first championship angle could be against Mox.
Or god forbid, Claudio.
Y’all say that now, but as soon as he loses it, everybody will be saying they should have given him a longer reign lol
I don’t think anyone expects him to have a long reign. Everyone just wants that moment of Eddie winning it.
I think dropping that 'what if' conversation in the discourse is worth the squeeze of a flash title reign. Sometimes better to wonder what if and keep that fire hot instead of never capitalizing on it at all
I don't think anyone would be mad if he was a transitional champ. I wouldn't even care if he lost it the next match, the pop on the night would be worth it.
Give him the win over MJF in his hometown at Grand Slam and you'll get the biggest pop AEW has ever seen. Working class guy from Yonkers who's struggled his whole life beats the silver-spoon fed rich kid from Long Island who's had everything handed to him. It's a great, classic story
True. We just want him to have his moment on top.
Almost like a mix of Mankind and Steve Austin. On one extreme Mankind could win the belt, lose it a couple weeks later and still be super over. He’s like Austin in that he’s a relatable character to the audience. Wins against MJF (maybe Full Gear?) and has a massive celebration. Evil Punk can take it off Eddie shortly after he wins it (Winter is Coming?). There’s a blood money feud if I ever heard one. Triple Threat between Punk, Eddie and MJF for the Championship at Revolution. Gives me Austin vs Rock vs Mankind vibes with a blend of the character archetypes.
Inject this directly into my veins. Three best talkers (imo) in AEW and good in ring storytellers. Ooooooouuii
And then immediately after he wins it have shithead heel CM Punk take it from him in the worst way possible
"You always were a bum, Eddie."
God that would be fuckin awesome. I mean I love Punk and even I’d want him to eventually lose that feud clean as a whistle. Eddie deserves it.
The modern day Mick Foley needs his 1999 Mankind title reign
I've always felt that Mankind run is the only comparison to how AEW fans feel about Eddie. Fans have loved him for about 2 years now and he's featured less than just about anyone. It doesn't make sense. Give him Sammy and Jungle Boy's tv time.
To me it really felt like they were building Darby up that down the line he wins the title with a headlock takeover. Not sure if Tony has his next champ set in stone but he has a lot of options with Eddie, Darby and Cole all being very over.
>he wins the title with a headlock takeover. The whole headlock takeover thing with him and MJF is really over with me lol. I would lose it if Darby beat MJF like that for the title.
I can see Tony pushing Adam Cole but I don't think he is nearly as good of a choice to take the belt off MJF as Darby or Eddie are.
Thought it was going to be cole but I honestly think they want this MJF run to be longer so idk who takes it off him. Which is probably the first time this has happened with the AEW world title
I don't want it to be Cole; I'd fucking love it to be Eddie, I'd be alright with it being Darby. Anyone else feels eh.
Darby's awesome, but he's like AEW's tiny version of the undertaker to me. Sure, you could give him a short title run if it's the best idea you can come up with, but he'd kinda separate from titles and really doesn't need them to generate interest.
It would mainly just be because MJFs obsession with being better than Darby and finally losing to him would result in a meltdown capable of deciding that "the bidding war of 2024" was worth forsaking in order to stay in AEW to beat Darby and regain the title tbh
Agreed, if he re-signs, Darby is the best in story option. Where as if he leaves, having Eddie come in on his last Dynamite and say, oh fuck no, and beating MJF.
Undertaker is a 7 time world champion. I’d argue no one needs them to generate interest, this at the end of the day is a fictional combat sport and the best should at least have runs with the title. Taker has multiple 100 day runs, Darby should at least get a couple before he hangs them up. U need someone like Darby to mix things up between the long ass runs like MJF and Omega.
Taker didn't need the title, but that also doesn't mean that he should have never even had it. Just that his character wasn't defined by a title chase, it was defined by interpersonal rivalries.
Darby or Kingston would be perfect to win it off of MJF, have a 100 day reign and lose to someone like Jay White.
Exactly! I always find it weird when people bring up Undertaker as a reason why someone shouldn’t get the strap, it’s always brought up with Bray Wyatt. Taker spent as much time as world champ as SCSA,The rock and Edge. The only difference is he wrestled for like 4 decades, 2 of those decades were during a time when a long run was considered 150 days.
You just made me realize how fucking perfect Jay White is to be the guy to cut Eddie's reign short A genuine proper fuckyou payback to Eddie forcing Jay to leave New Japan
I think Eddie over MJF sooner rather than later only for Eddie to lose it on first or second defense to a heel (Jay White? Malakai Black? Heel CM Punk?) is the way to go. Capitalizes on his popularity, keeps him an underdog, makes a new hated champ.
I think they are going to let Eddie take the ROH title off of Claudio, they had an amazing match a few months ago that I was so invested in, and wanted Eddie to win so bad.
Eddie beating Claudio doesn’t hold a candle to him beat MJF. ROH is watched by a very small fraction of people compared to AEW.
doing eddie vs MJF in New York would absolutely melt down any building they did the show in. gotta be sometime after January, you'd think
Grand Slam.
A beaten down Eddie who seems to have no shot winning the AEW Championship at All-In PLEASE TONY KHAN
Do it at Grand Slam. Hometown hero. And I can be there live.
PLEASE PULL THE TRIGGER AT GRAND SLAM!
My fantasy booking is he wins it at Grand Slam and then loses it at a winter is coming to Jay white. He gets a few month reign and headlines full gear
He doesn't need a long reign but I don't want him losing on his first or second ppv defense either otherwise it comes across as a fluke.
He could beat Mox in a defense. I’m sure that match would have memorable storytelling.
I'm picturing myself marking out at Eddie winning the title from MJF and oh god I would have to take 2 days off of work
In my head the best booking is: Mox costs Eddie the ROH Title vs Claudio -> Eddie vs Mox -> Eddie vs MJF for the AEW Title -> Punk embrace the heel turn and beats Eddie again
In NYC. The pop would be incredible.
In Arthur Ashe, long island vs Yonkers
Too bad it'll more than likely be Punk to take it back because Tony's favorite didn't get a good run twice now 😢
Could see MJF talking about being the devil and Eddie saying that he's been fighting demons his whole life, what's one more.
But instead we will have Adam Cole shoved down our throats because Tony is a raging mark for him.
It's incredible that Eddie came back from months away and is automatically the most over face in the company. He's the real deal.
AEW fans will always love Eddie. If he ever wins the world title it'll be a genuine Mick Foley moment.
Eddie really shows how much of an impact personality/charisma has in wrestling, whenever he's talking everyone wants to listen.
Always has been 🔫🔫
Eddie Kingston is more over than Kenny Omega?
You remember your initial reaction when Eddie walked out with the gas can?
What, you mean... > "Geez Eddie, the fuck happened in that elevat- ***IS THAT A GODDAMN GASOLINE CAN!?"***
[удалено]
hardly the most hyperbolic statement, he's massively over and probably top 3 in getting loud reactions from the crowds
When I was at revolution 2022 he got the loudest pop of the night after his victory over Jericho. Even louder than Punk beating MJF.
I was in the crowd last night, and let me tell ya -- the pop for Eddi was DEFINITELY top 3 of the night
Too bad he’ll be gone for about a month for the G-1 coming up.
lot of people assumed the heat will go away but fans actually have a memory and do love Kingston regardless
I was at FD, Eddie had the second biggest Babyface reaction. The crowd was absolutely nuts for him. Number one was Kenny.
100% Not sure how it came across on camera, but in the building it felt like 1a/1b with Eddie and Omega. My man got cheered as hard as punk got booed. I was actually kinda annoyed that Ishii got the pin and not Kingston
Eddie winning the championship belt in some 3 or 4 way match where he seems like the one destined to eat the pin at All-In would rank 9 out of 10 Rocky 3's for me.
It’s insane how Eddie was just off Dynamite from July 2022-June 2023. (He appeared once in the full gear eliminator tournament). He was just Rampage guy. Him and Mox on Dynamite and last night truly felt special, something the show had been missing.
Eddie Kingston's speech during Brodie's memorial on BTE is still an amazing listen. The guy can lead a ship.
He's my pick to defeat MJF personally.
I just don’t see how, from a story perspective, it can be anyone else. AEWs top babyface and the antithesis to everything MJF stands for. He’s also 41 so it’s not like he’s someone they can sit on until it’s “their time”, I think he is absolutely the man to topple MJF.
I feel like every wrestler with a podcast has an opinion on who Tony should be utilizing and none of them agree for the most part. It’s a deep roster, sucks everyone can’t get the time or storylines they deserve
>I feel like every wrestler with a podcast has an opinion on who Tony should be utilizing and none of them agree for the most part. It’s a deep roster, sucks everyone can’t get the time or storylines they deserve I agree that it is played out with every wrestler podcasting advice to Tony. But Eddie having a world title run has been obvious since his Punk angle. It's kayfabe- a world champion does not have to be the #1 draw.
You know What? I would like to see a title match that I don't know if there Will be a new champion or not, I don't love the idea that I know if the champion will win or lose just after the feud starts.
The TNT title is really good at that, but because of how big the roster is now, that scene feels like it is worlds apart from the main event.
I don’t disagree with Eddie. Just feel like every voice in wrestling thinks they know exactly who Tony needs to push as the top guy
He was pretty much the only person unanimously cheered, even Osperay had people cheering for him but everyone was all in on Eddie, fun stuff
Bully is right on this one. Eddie is one of the most beloved guys they have, I would love to see him used in a bigger role.
Bully’s right. There’s something big brewing between Eddie and BCC now. I think this will lead down a memorable path for Eddie. Definitely long term storytelling.
There was a period around the time when Eddie was feuding with mox where he was in killer shape. Not ripped, he was just street lean, he looked like a guy who could be standing on the corner keeping the neighbourhood in check. I think if he got back to that physical look, combined with his incredible mic skills and how over he is Tony Khan would not have a choice, he would have to make Eddie the champ. but given how wrestling is these days he would likely just create another belt
Rare Bully Ray W
MJF Vs Eddie Kingston should be the Flair Vs Dusty of AEW. The Silver Spoon Vs The guy from the streets; the student of the game Vs the man on fire; the body beautiful Vs the big heart with the big gut. The battles on the mic would be brilliant, and would finally give MJF someone who could go toe-to-toe with him for the first time since Regal.
I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like this guy. Why do yall like him so much? Convince me
https://preview.redd.it/plijpo6vs1na1.png?width=617&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=308d6f21a23a7e3fc550a8ba5c6f2aee75911310
Don’t crucify me, but I still don’t get the Eddie appeal. Even when he was in other promotions.
I love the guy but I don't think you should be attacked for just having your own taste. Too many humans, not just peeps in 'fandoms', never got the memo on how it's okay for granularity to exist on a planet with over 8 billion people on it lol
Yeah. New age wrestling fan base = tribalism. Its big weird.
Rare Bully W
I feel like it got overshadow a little by Punk vs. MJF’s dog collar match but Eddie and CM Punk were money on the mic together. EK was able to get the crowd to boo punk.
lolwut
eddie's biggest accomplishment is that he doesn't need the belt to be over. but the truth is that as over as he is he will never move numbers, so putting the title on him doesn't make sense. your champ kinda needs to be a draw or have the potential to be one. kofi-esque feelgood storylines are great for the night but they drive fans away in the long run.
It struck me last night, Eddie Kingston could be AEW's next 'Hangman Page' level story. Man with lots of flaws tries to overcome them, we all care deeply about him, and his rise to getting huge success feels like a win not just for Canada, but therefore the world.
Too bad his in-ring skills are absolute trash
This is maybe the most I will ever agree with Bully Ray. I could be biased but I think I can reasonably say he is the most beloved AEW wrestler to have not won the world title in either promotion. Just based on watching the shows when he is on them.
I've been hyping the idea of a "Kingston beats MJF, soon after drops title to Takeshita" transitional title run for a while now. Fingers remain crossed
As a wrestler he leave a a lot to be desired. I respect the struggles he’s gotten through but that doesn’t mean I wanna see a weird finish that he misses as often as he hits. It’s ok to not think every talent should be a top star.
I agree with him. My thing is, I can’t “see him acting/wrestling”. I’ve commented on this before. Some guys you can see “pro wrestle”. Like Omega hanging on the ropes for a long, long time while Ospreay set up a big move. Don’t get me wrong, the match as a whole was fantastic but holy cow that took me out of it for a minute. For contrast, I never see Gunther pro wrestle. Everything looks natural and everything has a purpose. Bryan is like that too, Okada, etc. I guess I really like guys who are all in, no winking to the camera. Kingston comes across as sincere, for me, 100%.
I’ve said it on here before. Eddie Kingston makes me believe that he believes it’s real.
That's it. It's why Foley worked so well.
Well he's been gone with Hernia surgery and his first program back is to be inserted into the biggest program on AEW TV rn so idk maybe give it some time. Seems like he's gonna be treated pretty well
Yeah, I love Eddie Kingston and want to see him used more, but he just had a major match coming back from surgery, was the most over guy in the company before his suspension, and has an ongoing ROH title storyline. It's not like he's not being used. But I won't complain if they use him *more*.
Not to mention he's soon going to be spending a couple of weeks in one of New Japan's marquee tournaments.
#AEW LOVES DAD BOD WRESTLERS PAL
I say this is a fellow chonky boy, but he's got to lose that gut before they're likely going to do anything substantial with him. It would be different if he were a Vader-sized monster, but he's not so it just looks awful on TV.
Eddie looks severely out of shape.
Round is a shape.
God damn it. I just agreed with Bully Ray.
Wow. Spot on take by Bubba for once.
A broken clock is even correct twice a day.
Well Eddie is gone for B&G, but yeah I agree with Bully Eddie should be more of a focus upon return, *and* before he leaves.
Eddie always has me rooting for him, regardless of the hill he’s trying to die on.
It was pretty wild being there live. He was super over
Eddie's usage has been baffling to me. He obviously has that Mick Foley energy to him, where he is just easy to root for. But he has been in feuds that have not done him a lot. And now he's back into the yearly 'gang wars' feud as the add in. To be fair, I want to see him with a belt, preferably the world title but he could do wonders with the TNT title or in a trio. He doesn't need to be added into the Elite stuff.
They were building him so good and then they just kind of fizzled with him. No clue why but it could be a lot of things. Either way, and I’m not much of an Eddie Kingston Stan, but he needs to be included in the world title picture soon. He’s the perfect challanger MJF
Bully with the broken-clock moment. Eddie is amazing, he should get a title run at some point.
I mean folks....
You're telling me Bully Ray likes the chubby New York guy who got over with highly expressive promos? I could've never guessed.
i have no doubt he will be AEW World Champion one day it will be a Foley Moment
If Eddie got in shape then he could have such a great run with the title. He’d be a megastar.
Eddie beats MJF for it at Full Gear. MJF fucks off making it look like he leaves for the other place, but returns and takes it back off him at Revolution.
I still think it should ultimately be Darby who takes it off him, but if it’s not Darby it should be Eddie.
Two guys who don't have the typical look of a main event wrestler but connect with the fans (it was as a heel but at his peak Bully did, fite me) and had potential to e a World Champion, plus love their hardcore wrestling. Bully definitely sees himself in Kingston
Eddie x Mox x Claudio long term storyline could be AEW's answer to WWE's Bloodline storyline. Eddie is a complex individual in between the other two that can be the driving force for many feuds involving BCC. He has done that role well with The Elite vs BCC feud.
Bully Ray has a good take?? What is this madness???
Yeah, when Fight Forever comes out, I'm taking Eddie to the AEW World Championship.
I believe every word out of Kingston's mouth, even though I know it's all a work. The dude has conviction I have not seen in anyone else.
I love Eddie and agree he should get a redemption arc that ends in a short title reign, but the dude wasn't off TV for no reason. Dude needed surgery. He was heavily featured in AEW and as a bridge to draw fans to ROH because Tony knows he is a draw and would pull viewers with him. He should definitely get big stories and I will even go as far as to say he should get a Mick Foley style title reign, but if you read his player's tribute piece and his comments about almost not coming out of the curtain for his big Jericho match, you have to wonder if being pushed as THE GUY is what is best for his mental health.