AEW's Eddie Kingston Looks Back On Working With WWE Star Cody Rhodes

Despite having a decorated career on the indie scene that saw him wrestle for the likes of Ring of Honor, CHIKARA, and PWG, Eddie Kingston's breakthrough into the wrestling mainstream came in 2020 when he wrestled Cody Rhodes on "AEW Dynamite." 

Kingston answered Rhodes' TNT Championship open challenge following a promo he cut at an ICW event shortly after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. During a recent interview with "Inside The Ropes," the AEW star touched on what it was like working with "The American Nightmare."

"Just like in life there's good people in pro wrestling and there's bad people in pro wrestling," Kingston said. "I did not know how Cody was going to be. I didn't know if he was going to be like, 'Who's the fat indie guy talking all this trash? I'm going to squash him in two minutes to show what I can do.' But he wasn't about that, he was about, 'No, go out there, talk your s**t and then let's fight,' and I was like, 'Alright, man.'"

Kingston explained that the decision to come out from the back cutting a promo was an idea Rhodes came up with after a conversation about music. He explained that he was asked what entrance music he would like, but since he wasn't signed to the company, he didn't want any, which led to Rhodes suggesting that he come out with a microphone instead. "The Mad King" also explained to Rhodes that he would say some things that he wouldn't like, but Rhodes didn't mind, which Kingston has always remembered. 

"I thank him a lot. People could say whatever they want to say, or whatever rumor go out, but to me, he was nothing but a pro with me, so I gave him a lot of credit," said the AEW star about Rhodes.

Please credit "Inside The Ropes" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.