ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston did not take his move to Ring of Honor from AEW last year as a downgrade in the slightest.
On a recent edition of the “Inside the Ropes” podcast, Kingston recalled arriving in ROH after he ‘quit’ AEW in March of 2023. He said,
“To me, [Ring of Honor] is not a downgrade. I’m still in the ring, I’m still the world champion, and I’m not gonna treat it as a downgrade. If you treat it as a downgrade, then it is. … I look at every show that I’m on as the best show in the world, ’cause I’m on it.
“Once you start labeling things, like shows or promotions, as downgrades or whatever, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot before you even get started. Since I’m the world champion, I want it to be bigger than ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Rampage,’ or ‘Collision.’ But until then I’m gonna keep trying until I lose that championship.”
Kingston was asked about how fans may perceive the move from AEW to ROH as a downgrade but made clear it didn’t bother him as he largely avoids social media.
Eddie Kingston is in his first reign as ROH World Champion. He dethroned Claudio Castagnoli at AEW Grand Slam in September 2023.
