AEW star Eddie Kingston has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled independent wrestling appearance in Canada.

Kingston had been advertised for C4 Wrestling’s Fighting Back 2026 event in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday, August 14. The annual charity show raises funds in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.

However, C4 Wrestling confirmed on Friday morning that Kingston would no longer be part of the event, citing circumstances outside of the promotion’s control.

“We are deeply sorry to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control, Eddie Kingston will no longer be appearing tonight at our event,” C4 Wrestling stated. “We assure you the show is going to be incredible, and we will do our best to make up for the change. Please support if you are able to.”

No additional details regarding Kingston’s withdrawal were provided.

Kingston had originally been booked for six-man tag team action, teaming with Ortiz and Gabriel Fuerza against Sheldon Jean, Jessie V and Mark Wheeler. C4 Wrestling has not yet confirmed how the planned match will be altered following Kingston’s absence.

Fighting Back 2026
This year marks the 15th edition of C4 Wrestling’s Fighting Back event, which has become an annual fixture on the promotion’s calendar while raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

The show takes place from the Preston Event Centre in Ottawa and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Fans will be able to watch the event through IndependentWrestling.TV and C4 Wrestling’s YouTube channel.

Eddie Kingston Recently Returned To AEW
Kingston’s withdrawal comes shortly after he made his return to AEW television.

After spending some time away from AEW programming, Kingston resurfaced last week and defeated Jake Doyle to advance into the second round of the Continental Challenge Cup tournament.

While he had been absent from AEW television, Kingston remained active by competing for Ring of Honor and making appearances on the independent wrestling scene.

AEW does not have a live event scheduled for this weekend, with the upcoming episode of Collision having already been taped. The company returns to live action with Dynamite next Wednesday from Baltimore, Maryland.

At this stage, there has been no announcement indicating whether Kingston’s withdrawal from Fighting Back will have any impact on his upcoming AEW commitments.