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Last night's AEW Dynamite may have been the last appearance for a top star in the promotion. Eddie Kingston took part in the Face of the Revolution ladder match. In a brief interview after the contest, the wrestling veteran promptly announced that he is quitting the promotion and stormed out.
The Mad King debuted for All Elite Wrestling in July 2020 when he challenged Cody Rhodes in a No Disqualification Match for the TNT Championship. Although he lost the match, Kingston would go on to become one of the most adored stars in the company.
His no-nonsense attitude and ability to make every storyline feel larger than life made him a fan favorite. But now that he has seemingly left the company, the big question is: "Why?"
Here are five possible reasons Eddie Kingston quit AEW.
#5. He has heat backstage
Kingston has never been one to mince his words. He has spoken out several times about his disdain for the AEW roster. He even went so far as to say that he will "die alone" in a recent Twitter post.
"Side note since we need to see his world champ 3 times within a hour and a half when it is a two hour show. F*ck ortiz f*ck house of black and f*ck the roster. Born aline die alone I tried. I don't need anyone including mox and penta. F*ck everyone. Especially the "pillars," Kingston tweeted.
Kingston also served a suspension for a backstage altercation he had with Sammy Guevara. These backstage disputes could very well be the reason for Kingston's walkout.
#4. He is heading to Ring of Honor
Apart from AEW, Eddie Kingston is probably most well-known for his time in Ring of Honor. Since ROH now falls under the Khan banner, King may be exclusive to that brand.
Kingston was recently seen at ROH tapings where he seemingly started a feud with Claudio Castagnoli, the current ROH World Champion. Perhaps Kingston quitting AEW was a quickfire way to write him off television and make his budding rivalry with Castagnoli a priority.
#3. He is tired of the lackluster creative in AEW
At one stage, Kingston was being billed as a possible World Champion in Tony Khan's promotion. Many fans wanted to see it happen and the fact that Kingston was involved in many high-profile feuds indicated that he might win the gold at some point.
More recently, however, the former LAX leader has been involved in never-ending, no-direction programs with Chris Jericho, The House of Black, and Ortiz. While these feuds seemed alright on paper, they did very little to boost Kingston's star power.
Kingston has spoken out multiple times about his less-than-stellar relationship with AEW management and his frustrations with their creative direction for his character. The recent ladder match on Dynamite may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
#2. Eddie Kingston is leaving the business entirely
Eddie Kingston made his wrestling debut in 2002 and has been in countless brutal matches. The 41-year-old isn't getting any younger and his body can only take so much damage.
Akin to his former rival CM Punk, perhaps Kingston is simply done with wrestling and would prefer to seek other opportunities. It is not uncommon for wrestlers to retire early, or at least leave the industry indefinitely. Whether his departure from AEW is his official retirement or an indefinite hiatus, fans will be clamoring to see the New York native on their screens sooner rather than later.
#1. He is signing with WWE
It's WrestleMania season in WWE, and the Stamford-based promotion usually likes to bring in a few big names this time of year. One such name could be Eddie Kingston, whose popularity will serve as a major asset to Triple H's regime.
WWE has previously shown interest in signing the independent wrestling legend, however, Kingston chose to sign with their rival company instead. With his momentum in AEW plateauing, a move to the world's largest promotion could interest The Mad King.
