10 Wrestlers That Became Stars In ONE SECOND
5. Eddie Kingston (AEW Dynamite, July 22nd 2020)
Eddie Kingston had always been considered one of the best talkers in wrestling even when many had (errantly, as it transpired) noted that his best in-ring days might have been behind him.
Landing in AEW via Cody Rhodes’ transcendent 2020 TNT Title open challenge run, Kingston biliously opposed the notion that Rhodes - or indeed anybody in a position even close to approaching his privilege - knew what it was to be tough.
Calling himself "one of the dirtiest fighters in independent wrestling", he went further, noting; "...you grew up around used-to-be-legends like Arn Anderson. You know what I grew up around? Alcoholics. Junkies...I had to survive. I had to grind. You couldn't last a day in my shoes, so you don't tell me nothing about grinding."
With Cody welcoming the challenge and Kingston finalising the fine print on the deal he was destined to be offered, 'The Mad King' continued; "I am a grown-ass man and I will put you in the ground and smile. Here's the best part about this whole thing...Tony Khan paid me to show up and now he's gonna pay me to kick your ass and take that championship."
He didn't manage the latter, but the former remains true to this very day.