"That was her feeling"- AEW star Eddie Kingston discloses how his family member influenced his decision not to join WWE

AEW star Eddie Kingston has revealed that his mother influenced his decision not to join WWE.

Kingston was known as an indie legend prior to joining AEW. The 20-year veteran wrestled in almost every notable indie promotion and IMPACT Wrestling before being hired by AEW in 2020. The Mad King has taken the pro wrestling world by storm with his no-nonsense character, brawl-first approach and splendid mic skills.

In a recent interview with Weekend Joe, Kingston revealed that WWE had also shown interest in him by the time AEW gave him a contract:

“[WWE] never gave me any inkling that they wanted me, so I never really thought I was ever going to go there or even get a look at. I got the look at more seriously after my match with Cody, when I debuted. And yeah, there was a consideration..."

He went on to state that his mother's reasoning swayed him away from signing with WWE:

"My mom was a big factor. Me and her talked about it, I had a chance to pick and choose… My mom was just like, ‘Look, you ain’t going to be happy at WWE.’ That was her feeling, and she’s an outsider, so she doesn’t know any of the ins and outs, or the rumors, or any of the clickbait stuff.” (H/T: Wrestling Inc)

Ultimately, The Mad King chose to hitch his wagon to AEW. Since then, he's become an enduring fan-favorite in the promotion.

Eddie Kingston recently voiced his loyalty for AEW

Eddie Kingston was brought in as a surprise challenger for then-TNT Champion Cody Rhodes in 2020. In an exquisite No Disqualification match, the Mad King came up short against Cody.

Impressed by his work, Tony Khan offered him a contract and Kingston eventually became an integral part of the AEW roster.

Speaking recently on the Straight Shooters Podcast, the former CZW World Heavyweight Champion proclaimed his loyalty to AEW:

"I'm good. I worked for this. AEW gave me my shot first, right? You know what I mean? I'm a loyal guy ... I'm not knocking nobody, just chill ... but when people say 'Yeah, I'm here forever', that's cool. That's them. I'm telling you from me, and my word is my bond. I ain't got nowhere else to go. Don't wanna be nowhere else." (Read more here)

It's safe to say that Eddie Kingston has cemented a special place in All Elite Wrestling. He strove hard in the business and traveled a long, difficult route that's eventually paying him dividends on a global scale.

Please credit Wrestling Inc and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.