Eddie Kingston is expected to miss the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view on August 24 for the second consecutive year because of injury. He has been sidelined since May 11, 2024, when he suffered a broken leg along with a torn meniscus and ACL during a match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence.
Kingston Shares His Disappointment and Dream Matches
In a recent episode of Cezar Bononi’s podcast, Kingston expressed his frustration over missing his favorite event. He revealed that competing at Forbidden Door has always been special to him, particularly because of the Japanese wrestlers involved. Kingston named several NJPW talents he wishes he could face in the ring, highlighting younger and seasoned stars alike.
I am disappointed that it looks like, I’m just saying it now, it looks like I’m not going to be able to do Forbidden Door again,
Kingston said on the show.
He went on to say,
“Everybody else has their favorites, you know what I mean? And my favorite was always Forbidden Door.”
The Japanese dudes are my dudes. I wanted to fight Shingo (Takagi) or Yuya (Uemura), which is one of the young lions they got there that’s coming up in the game.
I would love to fight Shota (Umino). There’s so many. Taichi. I would love to fight Taichi because he was trained by Kawada. Everyone knows my history with Toshiaki Kawada-san.
Hopefully, this comes out and I’m wrong and I’m actually at Forbidden Door fighting somebody.
Kingston’s Past Involvement in Forbidden Door Events
At the inaugural Forbidden Door event in 2022, Kingston teamed up with Wheeler Yuta and Shota Umino but suffered a loss against Minoru Suzuki, Chris Jericho, and Sammy Guevara. The following year, he was part of a winning team that included Tomohiro Ishii, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page in a match against the Blackpool Combat Club. Unfortunately, due to his injury at NJPW Resurgence last May, he was unable to participate in the 2023 edition of Forbidden Door.
The Impact of Kingston’s Absence and Future Prospects
Eddie Kingston’s repeated absence from Forbidden Door removes a beloved and dynamic performer from one of the most anticipated wrestling events blending AEW and NJPW talent. His desire to face top NJPW competitors reflects his respect and passion for the sport’s international aspect. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see if he can recover in time or if his Forbidden Door absence will extend beyond this year’s show.
