Eddie Kingston reflects on his win at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.
At AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam: NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston defeated Claudio Castagnoli to win the ROH World Championship. The crowd was clearly on his side, as Kingston is a native of Yonkers, and the show was held in Queens. His victory garnered a huge pop from the crowd, which was hot for the whole match.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Kingston shared his thoughts about his win. He noted that he thinks he could have done better, but the New York crowd was special.
“You know me, I’m always hard on myself. I think I always could have done better. But the crowd was the best part. I’m biased, but New Yorkers, they’re the best. They don’t just cheer for you, they fight for you. I saw it all the time at Yankee Stadium. It’s how we are. The match was fine, but the crowd made it feel bigger. They took it from a four to a ten," Kingston said.
Kingston went on to describe how he's not used to the kind of love he has been getting, as it makes him nervous. He noted that he starts to question it and doubt himself. However, Kingston stated the fans loving wrestling is good enough for him.
“It feels great when the crowd cheers, but it makes me nervous,” said Kingston. “I’m not used to this kind of love. It makes me ask myself, ‘Why do they love me?’ Then I start doubting myself. It’s all part of my curse. But as long as people are fans of pro wrestling, that’s good enough for me," he said.
The new ROH World Champion also thanked fans for supporting wrestling. He stated that he's still the guy who grew up in Yonkers, so he doesn't see the big deal about himself. Kingston then emphasized his gratitude for being able to do his dream job.
“Professional wrestling is my mixed martial arts. So thank you very much for supporting pro wrestling. Me, I’m the guy who grew up in Yonkers–I’m still that guy. So when people cheer for me, or want to take a picture with me, I get a little bashful. I don’t see the big deal. I’m just me. But I am blessed and lucky enough to do the dream job I’ve wanted since I was nine. I don’t see myself as a big deal. I’m still the kid from Yonkers," he said.
Check out Kingston's initial post-match comments here.
Matt Hardy recently compared Eddie Kingston to Mick Foley. Click here to see what he had to say.
Click here to check out the card for AEW Rampage: Grand Slam. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs.
