Eddie Kingston Beats Claudio Castagnoli, Wins ROH World Title On AEW Dynamite Grand Slam

Eddie Kingston, clad in the colors of his wrestling hero Toshiaki Kawada, stood victorious in his hometown of New York City on Wednesday.

In the opening contest of "AEW Grand Slam" in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kingston defeated Claudio Castagnoli, defending his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship and winning Castagnoli's ROH World Championship in a champion vs. champion match. Avenging his loss at Supercard of Honor earlier this year, Kingston's Kawada tribute attire was seen and raised by Castagnoli, who wrestled in the green and white of AJPW franchise face and longtime Kawada rival Mistuharu Misawa, a small flourish comparing Kawada and Kingston's underdog reputations. Kingston won the match with a powerbomb, one of Kawada's signature moves.

Kingston and Castagnoli have been bitter rivals going all the way back to their time on the independent scene, with the rivalry reignited by Castagnoli's friendship with Kingston's former friend Jon Moxley. Moxley and Castagnoli have united in the Blackpool Combat Club, which has led to them both teaming with and fighting Kingston. Kingston has been NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion since July 5, when he defeated KENTA in Korakuen Hall for the title.