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Kofi Kingston’s defeat of Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 is one of the most cherished examples of WWE fans. “KofiMania” was on a wild run in the months leading up to Kingston’s coronation, 11 years after his main-line debut.
On the eve of the 2022 Royal Rumble, WWE’s first stop on the road to WrestleMania, Kingston looks back on career highlights. Admittedly, Kingston was fed up with his experience at the top of the roster, and it wasn’t until moments before his WrestleMania match that he believed his title coronation was certain.
“There are many times I’ve been told something is going to happen. Then I show up in the building and for whatever reason it doesn’t happen. Things are always changing,” Kingston told CBS Sports. “Those two months are the best time to channel people’s enthusiasm. You know at WrestleMania, it can happen or become more likely. But until I hear my music or when the pre-game promo pack starts, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is going to happen. I looked around to make sure no one was going to come to me and say, ‘Oh, we just changed our plans. Sorry, we’re not going to go with you right now… You know, Brock Lesnar will come in in the middle of the game. You know what I mean? You just don’t know.
“I’m a tired old man, I’m not going to let myself be fully emotionally invested in the possibility of actually being a WWE Champion because it’s a childhood dream. I guess I’m afraid of being hurt. Let my hope rise and be Disappointed again. It wasn’t until the moment before walking out that I thought, “Oh my God, this is really going to happen. If you look at the entrance, you will see me. Woods and E are on my left and my right. I was just jumping and using their shoulders to push myself as high as I could because I was finally able to unleash that energy.
Check out the full interview with Kofi Kingston below.
“KofiMania” culminates in a moment Kingston sorely misses.
“As the first WWE Champion born in Africa. I have a lot of people of color who never thought they would see that moment,” Kingston said. “So it was like, on the cusp of what was actually happening, ‘Man, this is really powerful.’ For the entertainment business, we call it entertainment, it has such a real impact on people. To me, it’s like The best part about “KofiMania” is being able to give people something back, if you work hard enough on something and you work long enough you just put your whole ass in it and it can happen to you .
“Beyond the match, it’s a story of struggle. A guy who did his best to bring unique skills to the ring and have the potential to become a WWE Champion, only to be cut short year after year, year after year, and finally It will happen.”
Kingston isn’t the only member of The New Day to win the WWE Championship. Big E cashed in on his Money in the Bank contract in September and beat Bobby Lashley for his first championship run. Kingston admitted that he, the Big E and their teammate Xavier Woods were not given the opportunity to fully express themselves before introducing The New Day.
“Big E’s reign has been magical and beautiful in so many different ways. Few people in the industry have moved a crowd like he did on the mic. He did it in such a different way, just inspiring People. Get people to stand up and get them to believe in themselves,” Kingston said. “It’s really unique.”
“When he debuted, he was Dolph Ziegler’s bodyguard. All of a sudden, they told him, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get out there, you’ve got to be tough. You’ve got to be big. So you see him there , with a serious face, arms crossed, looking big, intimidating, brooding. Then they had the guts to tell him, “Hey, you know what, you don’t have enough personality. “Like, ‘What? You told him, you said to take all the personality out of your character and go out and look big and dangerous. That’s what you told him to do. So now you say, ‘ Well, he doesn’t have any personality. And right now, you’re on the verge of pulling him off the main roster because of what you told him to do. So in fact he was able to take that and make it his Things to do.”
Kingston celebrates his new day brother showing his success.
“It’s just that someone took the leftovers they got and they kept building and building and building and building into the entity he is now. He really deserves that champ. I think he covered all the bases. He checked all of them. A box about what he brought to the table,” Kingston said. “The way he can impress people, his looks, his athleticism, his demeanor and his attitude towards WWE.
“He’s a guy who really started from scratch. From being nothing in this business to overcoming odds and being who he wants to be, not who he’s been told. Now he’s a champion. So the story itself is where I was like, ‘Wow, It’s been a journey…” I’m sure he’ll win again at some point.
This Battle Royale 2022 Saturday, January 29 in St. Louis.
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