Eddie Kingston has opposed the idea that there is division in the AEW locker room.
One week ago, CM Punk made his triumphant return to All Elite Wrestling. The occasion ended over nine months of speculation over when, or even if, the 44-year-old would re-emerge on AEW TV following his controversial comments and subsequent altercation with The Elite last September.
Many have wondered what the dynamic is like within AEW following the return of the polarising Chicagoan, with last week’s Wrestling Observer stating that a member of the roster was ‘in a bad mood’ and that Punk’s inclusion in the company was a ‘ticking time bomb’.
However, Eddie Kingston, a man who notably has had previous issues with CM Punk, has opposed ideas of dissection within AEW. When asked to comment on Punk’s return in an interview with the New York Post, Kingston said that the former two-time AEW Champion returned in the way he expected.
“He did it his way and that’s the way wanted to do it. I expected it. I knew it was happening, knowing Punk and what he thought was right for him. That’s it. I see the reports. I see the clickbait on YouTube. But the locker room is not divided, not the people I hang out with. Punk’s gonna do what Punk does and if whatever Punk does helps this company, no one can say anything.”
-Eddie Kingston
When followed up on about whether any of what was said by Punk has upset anyone backstage, Kingston reiterated that the majority of those in AEW are fine with the return.
“Not me, man. Not my crew of people I hang out with. Maybe there’s that one percent that are bothered but the people I chill with, they’re good. They don’t care.”
-Eddie Kingston
Punk is set to compete against Satoshi Kojima tonight at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, while Kingston teams with The Elite and Tomohiro Ishii to battle Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli of the Blackpool Combat Club alongside Shota Umino and Konosuke Takeshita.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the morale of the AEW locker room as we hear more.
