AEW star Eddie Kingston has revealed that the tragic passing of close friends Andy “The Butcher” Williams and Ben “PAC” Satterley pushed him to the brink of walking away from professional wrestling entirely.
Kingston addressed the heavy emotional toll during an impassioned post-match speech at PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 199: Bonestorm event on Sunday, October 25, following his victory over Luke Jacobs.
The Emotional Toll And Isolation
Admitting that the deaths left him questioning his future in the industry, Kingston detailed the dark days he experienced following the losses of Williams on September 6 and Satterley on September 27.
“When you lose people, and you gain fake people, and you lose real people, life is a f***ed up place,” Kingston told the crowd. “I wake up every morning and do this because of the fans… After Andy and Ben passed away, I didn’t leave my house for five days. I wanted to leave this business.”
Gratitude For The Fans
Despite his desire to walk away, Kingston expressed deep appreciation for the wrestling faithful who have supported him through his toughest months. He also made sure to credit his opponent, Luke Jacobs, for his fierce performance during their hard-fought PROGRESS encounter.
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