IN THIS INTERVIEW, Eddie Kingston talks about how one of the things that drew him to Extreme Championship Wrestling as a fan was its realistic nature—the fact that he “grew up with a lot of guys” who reminded him of gritty characters like Tommy Dreamer, Raven, and New Jack.
There’s a good chance that you grew up with an Eddie Kingston in your neighborhood, too. Maybe he was the guy who would drink at the bar while still wearing his mechanic’s uniform—covered in grease stains from a hard day’s work. Maybe he was the loner in high school, who rarely spoke up except to protect you from the school bully. Or maybe he was your dad.
The archetype is a timeless one: an honorable man with some bad habits and quite the mean streak. While Kingston’s flaws may have limited his success in the wrestling business for years, they also provided that sense of authenticity that has allowed fans to connect with him—and that has made him one of the most popular (and unlikely) breakout stars over the last two years.
The gravelly-voiced New Yorker went from plying his trade largely on the independent scene for nearly two decades to becoming a bona fide headliner for AEW, mixing it up with stars like Chris Jericho, CM Punk, and his longtime partner in crime, Jon Moxley.
Even at 40 years old—and marking his 20-year anniversary in the ring—Kingston still has some lofty goals in the business he’s loved since he discovered Memphis Wrestling as a child. In this interview with PWI Senior Writer Al Castle, “The Last Of A Dying Breed” discusses some of those goals, along with the life “code” he believes will allow him to achieve them.
One of the reasons I was interested in talking to you is because we grew up around the same area. People talk a lot about how authentic you are. How much of that
