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Wrestlers battle during a tag team battle royal during AEW Dynamite. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Eddie Kingston has a message for 'nasty' wrestling fans

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 1/13/24

Eddie Kingston had a strong end to 2023. He won the AEW Continental Classic to become a triple crown champion at Worlds End. He now holds three titles across three companies.

He has the AEW Continental championship, Ring of Honor World championship, and New Japan Pro Wrestling Strong Openweight championship. It's safe to say Kingston is among the biggest names in wrestling at the moment.

However, Kingston is also known for being outspoken. He speaks his mind, regardless of the situation. Whether you believe that to be him playing a character or a genuine personality trait is up for discussion.

Either way, he has consistently poked fun at WWE. Yet, during a recent interview on "Eat Sleep Podcast Repeat," he shared a message to fans who consistently want to see either WWE or AEW crumble.

"I understand it because when I was a fan, I was all about ECW and screw everybody else, but I never said I want a place to close," Kingston said. h/t to Fightful for the transcription. "To me, when you sit there and say, ‘I hope AEW closes’ or ‘I hope WWE closes’ or whatever, to me, you’re a nasty human being because people are losing their jobs. People with families are losing their jobs. This has nothing to do with tribalism; this is you being nasty and not understanding what life is about ...These fans don’t get that. We’re all pulling for each other. We want everybody to eat, but we want our people to eat first and eat more, that’s it, but everyone can eat."

Since AEW became a prominent force in the wrestling world, there has been a clear divide among fanbases.

Yes, there are plenty of fans who enjoy both promotions and see the good that additional competition has done for the industry. Yet, others would rather see a promotion crumble. They root for the opposite "team" to fail spectacularly.

Kingston, 42, has spent most of his career on the indie scene. He understands how difficult it is to land a job with a top promotion. Now, with AEW, WWE, TNA, ROH and NJPW, there are more job opportunities than ever.

Yes, AEW and WWE are the industry leaders and will likely continue to grow, but there is a clear pathway to making a living and furthering your career. That's good for the sport of wrestling, for the wrestlers themselves, and, of course, for fans around the world.

Given the growth of professional wrestling in recent years, it's highly unlikely that AEW or WWE are going to close, both now and in way into the future.

However, Kingston's message was clear: support the brand you love, but be grateful for the options and opportunities that are out there.

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