It’s been a tough road for Eddie Kingston.
The inaugural Continental Champion was on top of the world in 2024 as he was both the Continental and NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship, but his last man standing match against Gabe Kidd changed everything.
He suffered a leg injury during that match, which required surgery for a fractured tibia, torn ACL, and meniscus tear. This ensured that Kingston would be out for a lengthy period of time, but many assumed that the 43-year-old would be back around the time of Double or Nothing.
Sadly, no.
The progress on Kingston’s recovery is happening so slowly that many wonder if the AEW star will make a full recovery altogether. Kingston has highlighted the struggles he’s had during his journey, but does feel that the ball is moving in the right direction.
"I am not there. I have started running in the ring. I am still doing physical therapy and I am mentally better. Yet again, as people know, it's a struggle, but being able to be in the ring again and work out with PT and working out with Cezar [Bononi] is helping my mental health, let alone my body. I can finally feel the ball is moving in the right direction"
Kingston has updated fans about his rehab and well…it still sucks.
Eddie Kingston wrote in the caption, “I tried to find some ‘motivational’ quote, but let’s be real, s*** sucked and I hate doing it, but it has to be done.” Check out the clip he shared below:
Unfortunately, there’s no timetable for Kingston’s return, which is a real shame. With Jon Moxley doing his Death Riders angle, it would’ve been great to explore their dynamic as long time friends throughout this entire story arc. There’s no telling how long this angle will go on, but it’s more than likely to end before Kingston returns to the ring.
Though it sucks that Kingston won’t be ready to go anytime soon, it’s great that the former Continental Champion is making progress, even if it’s really slow. Best of luck to Eddie Kingston! He did say that he hopes to train with Ortiz and Homicide ahead of his return, so perhaps his full recovery isn’t too far off. Kingston has mentioned running the ropes a bit during his interview with Cezar's YouTube channel; definitely watch that interview as it’s a greater insight on the progress Kingston has made thus far.