Add as a preferred source on Google Eddie Kingston has once again addressed his limited recent presence on AEW programming, while not pointing to any specific issue with the company.
The “Mad King” spent more than a year away from the ring after suffering a fractured tibia, along with ACL and meniscus injuries, in May 2024 during a match against Gabe Kidd. He returned at AEW All Out 2025, where he defeated Big Bill.
Appearing in a wXw documentary, Kingston was asked about his absence and framed the situation as a natural part of the business.
“I don’t know what to say, bro. Like I said to the people, business is business. Sometimes you’re on and sometimes you’re not. I tell people sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail. I get in my own head and I start doubting myself a lot, but then when I go out there and I hear the people chanting my name and being into the match. I’m in there with such a young kid that I can see his fire in his eyes. I can feel it. That’s a feeling that I love seeing that from younger guys cause I know there’s still fire in my heart and my eyes. I love to see it matched.”
Despite being away from AEW TV, Kingston has not been completely inactive. In January, he said his knee was fine and that he was no longer dealing with any issues, although he was still trying to fully get his rhythm back.
In the months that followed, Kingston began appearing more often at ROH-related events. In March, for example, he was announced for an eight-man tag team match on ROH TV, and shortly afterward, he teamed with Ortiz at ROH x MLP Global Wars, defeating Adam Priest and “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington.
In other words, Kingston’s absence appears to be more tied to AEW’s creative direction than to any new physical limitation.