Eddie Kingston to return at AEW All Out after year-long injury

Eddie Kingston, sidelined for more than a year by severe leg injuries, will make his long-awaited in-ring return at AEW All Out on September 20 in Toronto, promoters confirmed, ending a recovery that at one point left the veteran wrestler considering retirement. Kingston, who suffered a torn ACL, torn meniscus and a fractured tibia during a No Ropes Last Man Standing match with Gabe Kidd at NJPW STRONG Resurgence in May 2024, is slated to face Big Bill in the pay-per-view’s undercard.

In interviews with CBS Sports and SHAK Wrestling, Kingston described a grueling physical and mental recovery. He said insurance problems delayed physical therapy early on and that his leg at times would not straighten. “My leg at one point in time wouldn’t straighten,” he told SHAK Wrestling, and a doctor warned it could be a year before he felt the same or better. Kingston said he has undergone “eight or nine” surgeries related to his injuries.

Beyond the surgeries and rehab, Kingston said the hardest challenge was psychological. “The hardest part of anything in life is the mental game,” he said. He recounted two months alone, isolating himself from his partner and describing days “in the dark”...