Eddie Kingston is set to return to Absolute Intense Wrestling on Saturday, May 21, at Gauntlet for the Gold.
Kingston won the last Gauntlet for the Gold in 2019 -- the promotion hasn't been able to hold the event the past two years due to the pandemic -- and has been a regular for the promotion over the years, even after he signed with AEW.
Speaking on Fightful's The Spotlight, AIW Owner John Thorne gave insight into the kind of person Eddie Kingston is and his relationship with "The Mad King."
"Eddie Kingston is great," he stated. "We worked with him for so many years when he was on the independents and it’s kind of crazy that you just brought that up because I didn’t even put that together until you said that—that he was the last winner because it’s been such a blur, honestly. Having Eddie Kingston there is amazing. I’m so happy that he’s finally being recognized as the star that everybody who’s ever followed independent wrestling knew that he was. I realize at this point you can’t bring him in every month anymore. So I was joking with him, I said, ‘Hey, I know you don’t want to do this, but a lot of fans want you to do a meet and greet on Saturday. I know that’s really not your thing but you’re kind of a television star now.’ He reluctantly has agreed to do a meet and greet on Saturday. I don’t know how long it’s gonna last ‘cause, if anybody out there listening to this knows Eddie Kingston, you absolutely know that is not his thing But he has agreed to do it. The thing about Eddie Kingston is he is a very loyal person. He has thanked us so many times for booking him all those years when he was struggling. He likes being able to come back and do this for the promotions that really stuck by him. We booked him for years and years and years. I’m happy to have him."
Kingston made his official return to AIW in April, defeating Dominic Garrini. It was his first bout in the promotion since December 2019.
Though Kingston has become one of the top stars in AEW, sharing the ring with CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, and more, he hasn't forgotten his Independent roots, even if it embarrasses Thorne.
"I was down for the AEW pay-per-view last May in Jacksonville and I was hanging out with him. He’s so embarrassing to me. I’m just there to see a couple people or whatever. Like every person that walked by he was like, ‘Hey, Christian! Christian, this is John Thorne. He kept me fed for all these years! I would like for you to meet him.’ I’m like, ‘Christian does not care about this story,’ you know? He doesn’t want to meet me. But he did that to everybody. That’s just the kind of guy that he is. I hate any recognition or any of that. I’m a very behind-the-scenes, low-key person. He certainly went out of his way to embarrass me that entire weekend," recalled Thorne.
Kingston is set to face Isaiah Broner at AIW Gauntlet For The Gold.
Elsewhere during the interview, Thorne discussed his relationship with Johnny Gargano and how Gargano remained on his "rookie deal" from his first match to his last match. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
AIW will hold its Gauntlet For The Gold event on Saturday, May 21. Fightful will have results following the conclusion of the event.
