Eddie Kingston has won his first title with a major promotion by defeating KENTA for the NJPW STONG Openweight Championship, at night two, this week at NJPW’s Strong Independence Day event. This event was a two night event taking place on July 4th and July 5th from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Both nights of the event aired on NJPW World.
Kingston has had a long career in professional wrestling, wrestling for many independent promotions. And while he’s won championships at different promotions, this is his first championship with a major promotion, in a career that has spanned over 20 years!
Longtime friend and rival Jon Moxley, who was at the event, spoke about Kingston’s win in a conversation with Sports Illustrated‘s Justin Barrasso.
Moxley states: “I generally don’t pay much, if any, attention to what’s happening on the show prior to me going out. Traditionally, I catch up on the show the next day when I’m not focused on my match. But this was different. It was very evident what being here and competing at Korakuen Hall and winning a title meant to Eddie. Just to see him here taking in this experience, it felt like you were watching Eddie at church. It was a deeply moving experience. I hope that comes across to the people watching.”
Kingston was clearly emotional after winning this title, with the fans in attendance extremely happy to be a part of and celebrate this achievement with him. Kingston is currently scheduled to compete in this month’s G1 Climax in Japan from July 15 to August 13.
