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Eddie Kingston, renowned for his passion in the squared circle, recently opened up about his first-time participation in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) prestigious G1 Climax. The historic tournament, which dates back to 1974 and was initially dubbed the World League, had the wrestling community buzzing about Kingston's involvement this year.
During an engaging discussion on AdFreeShows' "On-Demand" show, Kingston reminisced, "I initially underestimated the magnitude of the G1. But when my partner, who's in the social media field, highlighted its popularity, I was taken aback." He added with gratitude, "The fans felt like they journeyed with me, which is astonishing."
G1: Beyond Daydreams
Eddie fondly recalled his days in school, daydreaming about the G1.
"The entire Japanese experience was surreal. It lived up to, and even exceeded, my high school fantasies. Whether or not I return to the G1, the memories are etched forever." Kingston's journey saw him defeating formidable opponent Shingo Takagi in his opening match.
Competing in Block C, he faced off against big names such as EVIL, HENARE, Tomohiro Ishii, Mikey Nicholls, Tama Tonga, and David Finlay. Although he garnered an impressive 8 points, it wasn't sufficient to proceed further in the tournament.
Tetsuya Naito eventually clinched this year's G1 Climax title. Prior to his G1 venture, Eddie triumphed over KENTA at NJPW STRONG Independence Day in Tokyo's iconic Korakuen Hall, capturing the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Kingston remarked, "Wrestling in Korakuen Hall and clinching a title in New Japan was beyond my wildest dreams. It was a heartwarming moment when Homicide, my mentor, celebrated with me." Switching gears to his AEW exploits, Kingston, at the recent "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam," conquered Claudio Castagnoli, securing the ROH World Championship.
The buzz is palpable as Kingston is poised to defend both his ROH World Championship and NJPW STRONG Openweight title against Katsuyori Shibata in the anticipated AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view this Sunday.