Eddie Kingston Names Specific Match That Showcases Influence On Him

Eddie Kingston has never been shy to praise Japanese legends or matches that took place in Japan in the past and has stated that he believes there are only two perfect wrestlers ever, with one being Kenta Kobashi. The other is Terry Funk, whose career spanned over 50 years from his first match in 1965 until his most recent in 2017.

Kingston has revealed that his Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling is the "four pillars" of All Japan Pro Wrestling: Kobashi, Akira Taue, Toshiaki Kawada, and Mitsuharu Misawa. Taking to Twitter, AEW star Kingston revealed a specific match that helped shape him as a performer.

"Kawada vs Misawa 1995-07-24 is the match where you can see Toshiaki Kawada's influence on me and my Pro Wrestling Style," Kingston wrote.

Kingston has been known to go all out in the ring and take influence from Japanese style, with this match being no exception. On July 24, 1995, Misawa defended the Triple Crown Championship against Kawada in a match that wound up going almost 25 minutes, a hard-hitting encounter that had the live crowd excited throughout much of the match. Misawa wound up retaining his championship after a stiff rolling forearm, followed by a running forearm attack coming off the ropes for the win. Misawa would go on to defend the Triple Crown Championship successfully three more times until he eventually dropped the title to Taue.

Kingston has been seen on-screen taking inspiration from Japanese legends with his wrestling style and also his ring gear. At Full Gear 2020, in his "I Quit" Match against AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Kingston showed up to the match wearing green, a nod to Japanese legend Misawa.