Eddie Kingston On Beating CM Punk: "Fighting Him Was never A Goal"

 In a new interview with DAZN News, AEW star Eddie Kingston shared his candid thoughts on what the AEW Full Gear match against CM Punk means to him. Although he doesn’t consider this the “biggest” match of his career, he does acknowledge that it is a match on a different emotional level.

“It’s 15 years in the making,” says Kingston. “I wouldn’t say it’s the biggest match of my career but it’s definitely the most personal match. Professionally, it was me and [Jon] Moxley last year because I truly believe in my heart that the AEW World title is the biggest prize in all of America. That was the biggest match for me, but this weekend, personally, it’s me and Punk.”

When Kingston showed up as a surprise opponent for Cody Rhodes on AEW Dynamite in 2020, fans may not have been familiar with the loud mouth indie darling. But from that point on, Kingston has made it his mission for the AEW viewers to never forget him.

Eddie Kingston believes that this newfound fame, which includes being booked on pay-per-views against top stars, is something that could change at any moment.

“When people tell you they always believed something was going to happen, I think they’re lying,” he said. “I’ve had doubts my whole career. I’ve had doubts my whole life. I did not expect this, and I have to pinch myself every once in a while. I still don’t think it’s real. I’m just trying to live in the moment. This can all be taken away at any moment just like 2020 has shown us.”

AEW fans and veterans of the business, including Eric Bischoff, hope that the rivalry between CM Punk and Eddie Kingston is just beginning to brew. However, Kingston says his sights are looking past Punk and toward his ultimate goal of becoming a champion.

“Fighting CM Punk was never the goal for me. He wasn’t there when I first got to AEW. The goal for me has always to be a champion. Whether it’s me and Mox as a tag team, the TNT championship, or the big one, the grand daddy of them all — the goal has always been to be the top man. If beating Punk gets me that one step closer to it, then that’ll be the icing on the cake."