Eddie Kingston nearly retired from wrestling in 2020, after turning down a chance to become a coach in WWE in their developmental system called NXT.
Whether you’re an AEW fan or a WWE fan, you cannot deny Eddie Kingston is one of the top stars in the wrestling industry at the moment.
From selling his wrestling gear to get through the pandemic to main eventing AEW shows for the AEW Championship, Eddie Kingston’s rise in AEW has been nothing short of meteoric.
To go from unknown to a fan-favourite in no time at all is a testament to his incredible skill and work rate, as well as his ability to inspire the crowd with his incredible mic work.
However, Eddie Kingston was not always destined for greatness in All Elite Wrestling. Like many, Eddie Kingston’s dream was to be in WWE (as well as in AJPW, the company which inspired him to become a wrestler).
Now, thinking about Eddie Kingston in WWE seems like a pipe dream, but it actually nearly happened just a few years ago.
Just not how you’d think…
Eddie Kingston WWE
Eddie Kingston came close to joining WWE after he appeared on AEW Dynamite.
In July 2020 he was a surprise opponent in Cody Rhodes TNT Championship open challenge, and wowed the crowd with his pre-match promo and accompanying debut.
Eddie Kingston revealed on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho that after the match, he received two phone calls offering him work – from Christopher Daniels (AEW’s Head of Talent Relations) and from WWE (or as he called them, “the competition”).
He later clarified about the offer and revealed why he turned down WWE in a later interview with Swerve Strickland.
On an episode of the Swerve City Podcast, Eddie Kingston spoke about being offered a job as a coach at the NXT Performance Centre and revealed why he turned down WWE.
“I didn’t want to collect the paycheck I didn’t earn, you know what I mean? Because I knew if I was there, if I was there, and I had that resentment of ‘I know I have ten more good years, I know I’m better than what, they’re not giving me a chance, let me go.’”
“If a football player or amateur wrestler walks in and the machine (WWE) is behind them all the way, and they want me to help him and teach him, I’m not going to. But if I do, if I do, I’m going to be a piece of s—. Cause I’m going to be resentful of him.“
Thankfully, Eddie Kingston ignored WWE’s contract offer and stuck with AEW, where he could showcase his skills and be respected as the veteran wrestler that he is.
He stuck to his guns and became the Eddie Kingston in AEW we all know and love. In WWE, Eddie Kingston would be nothing more than a behind the scenes figure.
He certainly wouldn’t have been featured as heavily, nor would Kingston get the huge opportunities to wrestle top stars in AEW and Japan that he deserves.
Meanwhile, he has been given the chance to be himself in AEW and the fans have embraced him completely.
Kingston is the first ever AEW Triple Crown Champion, has picked up huge wins against wrestlers like Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley, and even met and wrestled with his various AJPW idols.