Eddie Kingston has faced nearly everyone there is to face in AEW, but on the shortlist of performers he has yet to cross paths with, one name stands out from the rest. That being the current AEW Men’s World Champion and fellow New York native MJF. The two men have miraculously never faced in AEW, or even on the independent scene before their separate AEW journeys began, and it’s a match a number of people have wanted to see for some time. There’s just one problem, Kingston has a condition, and during a recent interview on Sports Illustrated’s “The Takedown,” he revealed that the condition was that he would only face MJF if Friedman’s beloved “Triple B” was on the line.

“He’s not worth it unless the AEW Title’s on the line,” Kingston said. “He’s not worth it unless it’s a number one contenders match, or the world title. Other than that, no, I have no desire. I won’t give him–I won’t give MJF the privilege to fight me. He hasn’t earned that. He may think he has, fans may think he has, that’s fine, everybody has an opinion, opinions are like a*******, everyone’s got one, they all stink, that’s fine. My opinion is no. So when he earns it and if he doesn’t have the title and he’s not up for a number one contenders thing and he earns it, he earns the privilege to fight me, then maybe. But other than that, no. There’s a lot of other people I’d rather [fight].”

If Kingston was to go after MJF and the AEW Men’s World Championship, he would join the long line of AEW stars who are looking to take the “Triple B” away from Maxwell Jacob Friedman. At the time of writing, he has been pursued by the likes of Brody King, Andrade El Idolo, and Darby Allin, and at the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view on April 12, he’ll have to defend the title against Kenny Omega.

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TNA prodigy Leon Slater has already captured the TNA X Division Championship at 21 years old, making him the youngest person to hold the title – especially since he was only 20 when he first won the belt. Slater’s quick success has impressed many veterans, like Matt Hardy, but especially John Cena who handpicked him twice during his final run as one of the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge participants and to compete against AJ Styles and Dragon Lee at Cena’s retirement show.

During an appearance on the “Battleground Podcast,” Slater recalled the emotions he felt to represent TNA in WWE. 

“It was a mad one, you know? It was really, really wild because it was… It almost feels like a dream when I look back on it, you know what I mean?” he said, adding that he still has to pinch himself to confirm that he was on the same match card as Cena.

“WrestleMania happens every year, SummerSlam happens every year, and that doesn’t take away from how huge that is, but there’s only one John Cena, and there’s only one John Cena retirement show,” Slater expressed. “The fact that I don’t even work there and I was on John Cena’s last show, as the X-Division Champion – coming out with it around my neck – representing my brand and my people? It was something that I hold very, very close to my heart.” 

Slater maintained that he still can’t believe it was real, and noted how he saw so many of his childhood wrestling heroes backstage, like Kurt Angle and The Undertaker. “It was the best day of my life, man,” he said.

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One of the most talked about matches ahead of WrestleMania 42 is former NXT Champion Oba Femi taking on “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar. Femi answered Lesnar’s open challenge after the pair faced off at the Royal Rumble, which ended in Femi’s elimination by Lesnar. It’s a bout that also intrigues Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who said on “Busted Open Radio” that he believes Femi can handle his own after working with Shawn Michaels in “WWE NXT,” and after he faced him at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but the question as to whether or not it’s too soon for Femi is exciting.

“If it is too much too soon, we’re going to find out,” Rhodes said. “It’s suplex city, it’s F5 and it’s a dominant, never-been-this-good Brock Lesnar all over again, which is an incredibly difficult mountain for anybody to climb. And say, all the stars align and it’s Oba’s night. Then you have a new star on the stage at a time when it’s been talked a lot about who is on top… Who’s meant to supplant them and when will that happen? These [spots] just aren’t given up. It’s not just, ‘Hey, here you go.’ This is the best season of it all, because I’m not budging.”

Rhodes said he didn’t think World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is “budging” from his spot at the top, either. “The American Nightmare” also said that he knows for a fact he and Femi are going to “dance again” after their first match, which ended in a no contest due to interference, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December.

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