10 Greatest Angles In Modern Wrestling History

6. Eddie Kingston And CM Punk Build Their Fight

Roman Reigns Sami Zayn
AEW

An acrimonious divorce, a secret workplace rivalry, a moment of madness when two strangers in bad places are on the drink: conflict in real-life either lasts a lifetime or is over in one pissy flash.

Nothing lasts or is concluded after three neat months, but that doesn't suit wrestling and its storytelling cycles, so the medium rarely reflects the reality of conflict.

AEW did with the CM Punk Vs. Eddie Kingston programme.

Eminently relatable - again, who hasn't thought a co-worker was a sanctimonious pr*ck from afar? - Kingston never forgot how much of an ar*ehole Punk was to him early in his career. They were drawn together when an irate Kingston (inadvertently) ate up Punk's interview time on Rampage. When they convened a week later, Punk remarked that this was typical, unprofessional Eddie.

Kingston's performance was a masterclass. The rising anger was as organic as it was incredible. He sold a big fight in a way everybody could understand using only his face - and he also happened to cut an incredible promo, too.

A genius pro wrestling storyteller, Kingston knows from his lived experience of mental health issues that sarcasm is the precursor to an outburst. His eyes bulged as Punk patronised him. He was seething. Then, the sarcasm.

The fake, mugging smile.

He was angry, but was attempting to obscure it - before, after Punk took his piss-taking too far, he wondered why he was bothering. He told Punk he was a tw*t, got in his face, ate a headbutt, and then tried to bite the flesh off his face.

Look at the expression on Kingston's face. It was unbridled fury, it all started with a simmer, and everybody has felt that internally in everyday life.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!