September is Suicide Prevention Month, with people who are surviving their battles with mental health issues reminding everyone that you’re not alone in this fight. One name who is making use of his platform is AEW’s Eddie Kingston. Kingston is someone who has never hid his issues, wearing them like a medal of honor – and he is someone who was nearly taken from the world by his own hand.
Eddie Kingston Remembers Larry Sweeny
While speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Eddie Kingston would have a chance to reflect on one friend who didn’t win the fight. Known to fans as Larry Sweeny, Kingston thinks of his lost friend every single day – and would say the following about Sweeny.
“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 Was Saved By A Single Phone Call
As for Kingston himself, he would reflect on the phone call that saved his life when the thoughts nearly won out.
“Homicide, 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,”
In addition to his interview with Sports Illustrated, Kingston did a nine minute video for AEW’s social media account, speaking out mental health issues, and how he just wants the losses to stop. You can watch that video here.
Are you a fan of Eddie Kingston being open about his mental health struggles? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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As the mother of a son with a mental illness, I am very proud of Eddie for being open and honest about his struggle. Thank you Eddie!