AEW brought fans another Blood & Guts event on July 24th, and Nashville was electrified by the brutal, bloody match. Although many significant moments took place during the contest, the company had to omit a planned segment involving Eddie Kingston.
After Eddie Kingston’s leg struck a metal guardrail during a suplex spot in his NJPW Strong title loss to Gabe Kidd at New Japan’s May 11 Resurgence show, there were immediate concerns about serious injury. Consequently, Kingston was pulled from the AEW Double or Nothing PPV on May 26, where he was scheduled to team with Bryan Danielson & FTR against The Elite in an Anarchy in the Arena match. Initially, it was reported that he had fractured his tibia, but further examination revealed more extensive damage.
Kingston tore his ACL and meniscus, injuries that will require surgery and approximately nine months of recovery and rehabilitation. This unfortunate turn of events removed him from Blood & Guts plans. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that Eddie Kingston was initially supposed to play a significant role in the AEW vs. Elite storyline prior to his injury, although the specifics of his involvement were not detailed.
In the Blood & Guts match, Team AEW defeated Team Elite via forfeit when Matt Jackson intervened to prevent Darby Allin from setting Jack Perry on fire. Jackson also granted Allin a TNT Title match at All In. This match will set the stage for future developments in AEW, but Eddie Kingston will have to wait until he is fully recovered to return to the ring, especially for a match as intense as Blood & Guts.
What’s your take on AEW’s Blood & Guts event this year? How would you have used Eddie Kingston in the match? Let us know what you think in the comments section?