Folks, you know the deal by now, so let’s get to it.
Eddie Kingston vs. Baron Black – AEW Dark #56 (10/13/20)
We continue our journey with another main event for King, this time taking on Baron Black. At this point, Kingston is only three weeks away from Full Gear, his PPV main event with Moxley Considering that, the comedy of his 3-2 record isn’t lost on me but who really cares? He rules. Either way, Eddie’s initial approach here isn’t as defined as usual, trading holds as he feels things out. My brain explains this as Kingston being cautious before the biggest match of his life, but I think he’s just slightly bored.
Nonetheless, the strikes soon follow as Kingston begins to expand his arsenal until Black makes a comeback. The result is a 1-count and little more, as this is probably Kingston’s least giving YouTube bout yet, going Kitchen Sink/Uraken once again. This time, it’s the guillotine that finishes things, building on last week’s theme in a straight showcase match. No real depth here unfortunately, but such is life.
Eddie Kingston vs. Aaron Solow – AEW Dark #75 (2/16/21)
Four months later and the AEW universe has transformed. I mean, not really, we’re still in Daily’s Place, pretending that a pandemic isn’t happening for the sake of fake fighting, so identical really. In fairness, things are about to change quite dramatically for King but until then, he’s still a pretty vile fella that hates everyone. I’ll say one thing though, this was a very special edition of AEW Dark, an episode that famously featured very short matches and came in at JUST 66 minutes.
“Oh, this is the show now,” we said, not expecting the immediate return to 19-hour programmes. In even funnier news, Kingston is grinning wide upon arrival, with Excalibur referencing some kind of mishap. It seems that this may be a second take or something such, as Kingston possibly fell on his first attempt at entering the ring. Even I can concede that this isn’t some elaborate storytelling venture but as someone that also falls down rather easily, I can very much relate.
Now, to the action as Kingston seemingly questions Solow’s physical toughness early on, swarming him early in an apparent attempt to finish things quick. Solow can hang on the mat however, which Kingston claims is a case of Solow pulling his hair. If my words hadn’t captured this well enough, King is in rare form here. It’s a giving form too, as Solow next flurries with some punches, again proving that he belongs at this level.
Roughhouse tactics are usually Kingston’s next ploy and that’s no different here, though he does stop to complain about the cold weather. Kingston is a very selfless wrestler in general but as a villain? Forget about it, constantly wrestling within himself for the sake of offensive balance. It’s all especially basic stuff, particularly when against a more dynamic foe like Solow. It is also still very cold, which Kingston reiterates before feeding a neat little comeback for Solow. This is an extended burst too, with Solow even hitting a big footstomp off the top for 2
Kingston is really reeling at this juncture but quickly saves himself, going Kitchen Sink and Uraken once more for the win. In a vacuum, this was a generous performance from a performer that knows how to execute such a thing. Considering Solow’s development since though, this was also a nod to the promotion’s long-term planning. Good match, with perhaps Kingston’s best YouTube performance yet.
Eddie Kingston vs. JD Drake – AEW Dark #76 (2/23/21)
This project actually inspired me to produce a full piece on the JD Drake bout so yeah, read that here. The match rules, one of Kingston’s best since joining AEW. I suppose that I could just copy and paste it here really, but I’d rather you click on my WordPress thing. Sorry, I’ll be back though, still got the two most recent matches to cover. If Kingston doesn’t work another YouTube show before Double or Nothing, I’ll just upload that as a two match edition. Thanks folks, speak soon.
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