Eddie Kingston has been trying to speak a dream match with Jun Akiyama into existence for a long time now.
Last year, he told FanByte that facing the man some call the Unsung Pillar of Heaven (All Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue were known as the Four Pillars of Heaven during AJPW’s 1990s heyday) “would be the highlight of my career.”
After his match with Konosuke Takeshita (who Akiyama’s trained in Japan’s DDT Pro, and who will come up again in a second) he told the Under The Ring podcast:
“It was also one of my tests for me to see if I could beat this kid who is a young up and comer and is learning under one of my heros and one of my dream matches, Jun Akiyama. He’s studying under him so if I don’t get the match with Akiyama, this is the closest I’ll get to him.”
One of Eddie’s friends with pull even put the idea in the boss’ ear earlier this summer*.
Tony Khan just said he’ll run Eddie Kingston/Jun Akiyama we NOW HAVE IT ON FOOTAGE. Also Jon Moxley tells him to bring Kazushi Sakuraba along. Jun works in DDT & Saku is in NOAH, but at least he has the spirit pic.twitter.com/PWvmKGQH3e
— I Gif All The Wrestling (@Aregularindyfan) June 27, 2022
We don’t know which pitch worked (probably Mox’s), but IT’S HAPPENING!
BIG NEWS
— DDT Pro-Wrestling (English) (@ddtproENG) November 12, 2022
Next Friday on #AEWRampage at Newark New Jersey‼️
Our very own Konosuke Takeshita returns to AEW along with Jun Akiyama to challenge the team of Eddie Kingston and Ortiz!#ddtpro #AEW pic.twitter.com/uGk6mJt1YK
Pretty cool!
Kingston’s walk on The King’s Road is the only match announced for Nov. 18’s live Rampage at the Prudential Center in Newark on the eve of Full Gear. None of the men in this match are booked for the PPV, so it doesn’t figure to weigh into any stories for that show. But maybe it’ll lead to Eddie getting a singles match with Akiyama in Japan?
* At this same scrum, Jon Moxley “did some fantasy booking” for a Sting, Darby Allin & Great Muta trios match. He didn’t call ‘em exactly, but either Mox has more pull than we thought, or he’s a touch clairvoyant. Now about that Kazushi Sakuraba match he pitched for himself...
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