12 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Jul 22)
2. Microphone King
You don't book Eddie Kingston and not let him talk: that'd be like signing Ricochet and not letting him fly, and who in their right mind would do that?
Kingston is an elite talker. He's one of the best in the business and has been for years, so it was great to see AEW giving him a chance to flex on Dynamite. Here, he interrupted Cody's opening preamble, saying the "tough life" 'The American Nightmare' had faced was nothing like his own. The insults were threatening, with Kingston saying he'd knock Arn Anderson's jaw clean off his face, promising to put Cody in the ground and smile, saying Tony Khan had paid him good money to kick his ass.
Putting distance between Cody's wrestling "grit" and Kingston's real grit was the right narrative but Eddie's delivery is what really matters here. The guy is an all-timer in this department. Few wrestling spitters have ever been as believable, rugged, and real as 'King.' There's no line between the performer and the persona. You never get the impression that this is a man playing a role. Eddie Kingston is as real as it gets, partnah, and you'd best listen when he opens his mouth.
Give this man a job. Immediately.