Eddie Kingston
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Eddie Kingston Comments On Teaming Up With HOOK

By Craig Ballantyne on 22 September 2025

Eddie Kingston has revealed how his alliance with HOOK came about, crediting the former FTW Champion with helping him through mental health struggles.

At AEW All Out, Eddie Kingston made his return to the ring after 15 months. The Mad King had been on the shelf since May 2024 after suffering a tibial fracture, torn ACL, and torn meniscus during a match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence in May 2024.

At All Out, Kingston was able to overcome Big Bill to win his first match back. After the bout, Bill and Bryan Keith went to assault Kingston, but the former Continental Champion was rescued from a beatdown by HOOK.

Following the event, in an AEW digital exclusive, Kingston admitted he was in a bad place mentally a month ahead of his return, but calls from Ortiz and HOOK helped him get through it.

“So about, what, a month ago I’d say, I think a month ago, things weren’t really going too great on a mental level. I’m not gonna get too deep into it, you know what I mean? Not now. I got one phone- well, two phone calls. I can’t forget Ortiz, you know what I mean? My man monkey, I can’t lie about that, you know what I’m saying?

“But the second phone call I got was from you, from HOOK, and now, you know what I mean, my man don’t talk a lot. You know, you didn’t talk a lot on the phone that day. You just said ‘what you doing?’ And for some reason, I just spilt my guts out to you, and all you said back to me is, ‘so what you gonna do about it?’

“I remember hanging up the phone. I remember, man, let me get up and go. I went out, ran. It’s about 3 o’clock in the morning. I went out and ran. Came back home. Went to the gym in the garage. Started working out again. Started watching All Japan again. Started seeing Kawada and everybody all over again.

“Then more and more and more and more of the feeling, of the love, for this sport came back. I don’t hate Bill. It’s not that I don’t like Bill. Bill called me out. I had to do my job. I won. Then your boy (Bryan) Keith comes out. Hey, thank you for doing that. Thank you.

“Look who came to help me, man. Let’s be real. I know why you’re mad. I get it. I’m the first guy that’s better looking than you. You got it, right? Bro, come on. The eyebrows and everything. You can’t play with me, dog.”

“15 Months Was A Long, Hard Journey” – Eddie Kingston On His Recovery From Injury

Eddie Kingston doesn’t think he would be where he is today without people like HOOK, Ortiz, and Homicide, and promised that “everyone’s in trouble” now that he’s allied himself with HOOK.

“Look, this is real. Just like what I speak and say to you guys is real. 15 months was a long, hard journey and without people like HOOK, without people like Ortiz, without people like my mentor Homicide, and others, I’m not going to mention all of y’all because, you know.

“But without them, I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be here still fighting, still living the dream of a nine-year-old kid from Yonkers, New York. But now, here’s the other problem for everyone else. I got this man with me now. My dude Youngblood’s ready to go. Youngblood is ready to go. Queens, Yonkers, 730 type shit right here, baby! Everyone is in trouble.”

Do you think Eddie Kingston and HOOK will make a good team? Who else would you like to see join them? Let us know your thoughts below!

H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.