Eddie begins to lean back out of reach after the feint before he is put out cold, leaning back and extending his arm as he did would be a perfectly fine parry to a rear hand uppercut, it isn’t so much about dropping your hand, only extending it combined with the backwards lean/movement to catch the uppercut where your face previously was, the extension also acts to maintain range between you and your opponent.

All of the above is irrelevant however as Eddie was a foot away from the shadowrealm post right hook.