Eddie Kingston was peaking into greatness as a double champion when holding the ROH World Championship and the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship. Kingston risked it all in the first Continental Classic, and that gamble paid off to become a triple champion with the inaugural AEW Continental Championship. All good runs come to an end as Kingston dropped all three titles in the coming months. Unfortunately, Kingston suffered a serious leg injury that put him on the shelf for 16 months. Kingston’s comeback has been low-key with a handful of matches in AEW and working off rust in ROH.
When Kingston was announced to participate in the AEW Continental Challenge Cup, my initial thought was the potential for a Cinderella story. Imagine the reaction if Kingston pulls off the remarkable redemption angle. On other other hand, Kingston could just have easily lost his opening round match, and not many would bat an eye. Good news for fans of the Mad King. He achieved the first step towards glory by winning his opening round match on AEW Collision (Aug. 8, 2026).
Kingston competed in a slugfest against Jake Doyle. Even though Doyle is viewed as a fall guy for the Callis Family, he still has impressive wins in his own right, such as over “Speedball” Mike Bailey. That’s why I was unsure how this result would play out.
Kingston took a thumping, and he kept coming. When it seemed like Doyle was heading toward victory, Kingston uncorked a pair of spinning back fists to stun the burly brawler. Kingston slapped on the dragon sleeper for the submission win. It felt like a come-from-behind triumph.
Backstage after the show, Kingston explained how he missed the energy from the fans. Their enthusiasm inspires him to keep fighting when he doesn’t want to. Kingston was the one who called Tony Khan with the request to be in this tournament. Just like with the Continental Classic, Kingston wants to be the first winner of the Continental Challenge Cup. Winning the trophy would be dedicated to all the fans that couldn’t wait for his return to AEW.
Collision also featured two more Continental Cup matchups. In the opener, Claudio Castagnoli advanced past Ace Austin. Claudio was in trouble when Ace countered the big swing into a triangle choke. The Death Rider kept his composure to escape, then he scored a pop-up uppercut on the finish.
Orange Cassidy bested Matt Sydal in a chess match of movement. Sydal surged toward the end for a shooting star press. Cassidy dodged the dive and pounced for the Beach Break to win.
Kingston, Claudio, and Cassidy advance to the second round. The Continental Cup is a blind draw, so that means there is no bracket. Once the opening round is complete, the quarterfinal matchups will be announced. The Continental Cup final takes place at All In.
The remaining first round matches include:
Share your thoughts on Eddie Kingston as the comeback kid. Do you think he can reach the final? Which opponents would you love to see Kingston fight in the upcoming rounds?
