Eddie Kingston on How Homicide Helped Him When He Was Struggling, Remembering Larry Sweeney

– Ahead of this week’s AEW Rampage Grand Slam show, AEW wrestler Eddie Kingston spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso discussed his past issues dealing with depression and how fellow wrestler Homicide helped him when he was struggling with suicidal thoughts. You can read what Kingston had to say below:

Eddie Kingston on the late Larry Sweeney (aka Alexander Whybrow): “He’d be a multimillionaire if he were still here, and I also think he’d be with us in AEW. That hit extremely hard. I’ve never really gotten over his passing. A lot of us haven’t. He’s with me every time I’m in that ring. I really feel him when Bryce Remsburg is refereeing, because they also knew each other very well. Let’s put it this way, he would have been the best man at my wedding. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t think of him.”

Kingston on how a call from wrestler Homicide helped him when he was having suicidal thoughts: “Homicide [wrestler Nelson Erazo], who is like my big brother, happened to call me. At the time, I felt a lot of shame about how things were going. I didn’t feel like myself. That was a regular phone call. But he gets me. He understands me. And he believes in me. So I knew I could fight through it. He stopped me from making a decision that would have hurt so many. We need to get the word ‘normal’ out of our vocabulary. We make our own normal. No one is us; no one feels what we feel. We make the normal. And it’s not weak to struggle. People who think that are wrong. There are times when I’m still struggling. It’s hard, but I know for a fact everyone has that strength to fight through it.”

On his match with Sammy Guevara: “I’m really looking forward to it. It will be good for Sammy. He’s going to learn a few things.”

Kingston on the match happening in Queens: “There’s nothing like fighting at home. I wouldn’t say it’s going to be magic—but it is going to be me beating him up. I don’t doubt he’ll fight back. Sammy can go. There’s a lot you can say about him; there’s a lot I can say about the young man, but he’s a former champion—three different times. Sammy can bring it. He has a lot of pride, but pride is the first step to a man’s downfall.”

Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara goes down later tonight at the AEW Rampage Grand Slam TV tapings. The match will be broadcast on TNT on Friday, September 23 at 10:00 pm EST.

Also, if you are considering harming yourself, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Those in the UK can get help by calling the Samaritans helpline on 116 123.