Eddie Kingston makes plea to Tony Khan in chilling promo

Eddie Kingston is fire in the promo game. His latest is no exception. Kingston delivered a chilling monologue prior to the Anarchy in the Arena match against the Jericho Appreciation Society at the AEW Double or Nothing PPV on May 29.

Fans of Eddie will feel his emotion and trauma he’s trying to overcome. Detractors of Kingston will laugh at his pain and delivery in the one-man stage show. Either way, it is an interesting promo to watch.

Eddie Kingston: I don’t even know how long this has been going on with me and you, Chris. To the lost... (Takes a shot of booze.)

I’m trying to drown my demons again, but they know how to swim, folks. I don’t know how I’m going to act or what I’m going to do Sunday. I don’t even know the rules of this. But what I do know is that you, Chris, have brung me back to a place I don’t want to be. You brung me back to a place where I’m drinking. You bring me back to a place where I’m not calling anybody. You brought me back to a place when I sit in a dark room, and I just think bad thoughts. And then I start feeling like a kid again, and I feel like I don’t deserve this, and I feel like things are not going my way.

And then you burnt me, Chris. You scarred my face, Chris. I don’t know where I’m at mentally. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to do the match. I don’t want to wrestle no more, because I am scared. I am terrified of what I am going to do to you. I am terrified of what I am going to do the rest of you. You guys don’t understand. This is not funny to me. This is not a game to me. I hurt people. I’ve hurt people my whole life. And now, you’re bringing this back. You’re bringing this demon back. Everything, I’m losing everything, because you are bringing this back. (Throws liquor bottle.)

Chris, I can’t stand you, because now I’m going back to what’s comfortable. And what is comfortable is burying you in the ground. What is comfortable is hurting you. I dare you. I dare you to come Sunday and find out why for years I lived in fear of myself, why I would see my mother bail me out of jail, why no company ever wanted me. You’re going to find out.

And Tony Khan, this is also on you, because you can stop this. You can help me not become this.

I drink to drown my demons, but they know how to swim, Chris. I’ll see you on Sunday.

Performance-wise, that is a mighty entertaining promo. However, I’m not so sure it is effective in selling the match. Kingston’s pain jumps through the screen. With his plea to Tony Khan, how can TK not pull him from the match? Kingston doesn’t have it in himself to step aside, so he’s asking for help from the one man he has to listen to as part of the All Elite professional wrestling league. How can Khan in good conscience allow Kingston to proceed?

Honestly, Kingston’s promo feels so real that it has me questioning if I even want to see the match anymore. I don’t want to watch him forced to fight against his will. It’s a sad situation, especially if it leads Kingston down a path he can’t recover from.

How do you feel about Eddie Kingston’s promo?