The AEW releases and CM Punk are addressed by Kingston.
On Monday, there were 10 talents/personalities cut from All Elite Wrestling and those talents are listed as follows: Anthony Henry, The Boys (Brandon Tate & Brent Tate), Stu Grayson, Dasha Kuret, Gravity, Parker Boudreaux, Slim J, Jose the Assistant and Jora Johl.
Some of the names have publicly commented on their exits from AEW. The releases were brought up to ROH World and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston as he was being interviewed by Adrian Hernandez.
Kingston was initially asked about CM Punk’s comments about AEW, but stated that he’s more concerned about those who lost their jobs than what Punk had to say. He added that his heart goes out to the released talent. He does not think it’s right or wrong, but feels it’s just the business but that does not mean he’s not hurt about it.
You know what I’m more concerned about? I’m not gonna front, are the people who lost their jobs (at AEW). Honestly. That’s what I’m more worried about. I’m more worried about Dasha (Kuret) and I’m more worried about Anthony Henry and Stu Grayson and others who got — sorry if I didn’t mention y’all names, no disrespect but I’m worried about them. My heart goes out to them, so I know how it feels to lose a job. Not just that, I mean a job. Either way you look at this, wrestling or not, it’s still a job and that’s how you feed yourself and your family. My heart goes out to them. That’s what I’m more concerned about, than what Phil said. Because the people that got let go, did work for us and now they have to find another way to make ends meet and that’s what concerns me more. Whether I knew them, because some I knew very well, some I didn’t. Still, my heart goes out to them. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m not saying it’s wrong. What I am saying, it’s the business. People get hired and fired daily. It’s just part of it but still, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t leave me heartbroken that some of the people like Dasha, that I won’t see every week, that I loved seeing every week, who put a smile on my face every week I saw her. That’s what I’m more concerned about… I care. I care about that more. That’s it.
Kingston would go on to react to Punk’s comments about the company and he said the following:
And? (Kingston responded when asked for his thoughts about CM Punk’s remarks about AEW) He don’t work for us. I don’t give a f*ck. Honestly, honestly, he don’t work for AEW, so I don’t care. That’s it, I’m not even mad. If it sounds like I’m mad, it’s just the way I talk (he laughed). But no, I don’t care. I know other people do but I really don’t give a f*ck because he doesn’t work for AEW. That’s the way I look at it. If he worked for AEW and did that, then I might feel a certain way, for a little bit and then I would just let it go and go, welp, that’s Phil being Phil. Can’t control him, that’s his thing. He ain’t me and I ain’t him, so, but he doesn’t. So I don’t care what he does.
Punk did a two-hour interview with Ariel Helwani and it covered his time in AEW and the lead-up to his termination from the company. To read a written recap of it, head over to this link.
On 4/5, Kingston will be defending the ROH World Championship against Mark Briscoe at Supercard of Honor. Coming out of that, on April 21st, Briscoe and Kingston are going to be teaming with TNT Champion Adam Copeland at Dynasty to take on House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews).
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Adrian Hernandez with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.