Major update on Eddie Kingston's AEW future amid absence - Reports

Eddie Kingston hasn't competed in an AEW ring since the Dynasty pay-per-view in April 2024. A new update has just provided some clarity on his current situation.

Eddie Kingston is a fan favorite in All Elite Wrestling, and his "King of the Bums" storyline during the inaugural Continental Classic tournament in 2023 led to a major push for the 43-year-old. Unfortunately, The Mad King tore his ACL and meniscus at NJPW STRONG Resurgence in May of last year, the same night he lost the STRONG Openweight Championship, the last of his three titles.

The former Triple Crown Champion has been healing up since then, and aside from a pre-recorded promo on AEW Collision last August, fans haven't heard much from the veteran. Fightful Select has now dropped an update on his condition.

In a recent Q&A, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp noted that Eddie Kingston looks to be in better shape recently as he recovers from his injury. The Mad King was spotted working out with Cezar Bonini a couple of weeks ago and was sporting a bushy beard.

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Eddie Kingston reveals major goals before retirement

AEW fans initially got behind Eddie Kingston due to his visceral promo style and Cinderella story during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mad King had seriously considered retiring from in-ring competition shortly before getting a call from Tony Khan's promotion, but now, he's determined to come back stronger than ever.

Kingston made an appearance on Cezar Bonini's YouTube channel while the two were training together. He addressed his future retirement, but he claimed that, at 43, he's still got plenty of things he wants to do first, including wrestling at the historic Nippon Budokan in Tokyo:

"I never doubted that I'd come back. No, I got more sh*t to do, like being the top guy in the business. It's still a goal. Everybody wants to do the Tokyo Dome which I get, I want to do that too. But somehow, I want to do [Nippon] Budokan. If I do Budokan, I'm retiring, and like you guys would know, my favorite match ever was in the Budokan. I got more sh*t I got to do before I call it. Because you know me, once I'm done [I'm done for good]."

Eddie Kingston won the inaugural Continental Classic in 2023, making him a Triple Crown Champion. However, despite trying numerous times, he's never managed to get his hands on the TNT Championship or the AEW World title. Only time will tell whether 2025 is the year The Mad King finally claims the gold.