In the eventful year of 2019, Kofi Kingston struck a chord with wrestling fans worldwide, leading him to compete with Daniel Bryan at the famous WrestleMania 35, where he ultimately claimed the WWE Title.
In a recent interaction with the Battleground Podcast, Kingston shared details about his journey. Here are some key points from the conversation.
On maintaining humility: “I made a deliberate choice to leave Kofi Mania out, in order to stay humble, if you know what I mean. It was a genuine journey, something that took 11 years before I got the chance for a World Championship title match, you understand? It was an authentic journey and everyone was part of it. Even today, more than five years later, there are plenty of people who still talk about how that moment impacted their lives and what it meant to them.”
On attaining the title of first African-born WWE Champion: “I think it’s truly awe-inspiring, man. Representation has always been significant to me. It’s one thing to assert that anything can happen, but it’s entirely another to witness it firsthand and know it’s achievable because it has happened. So, becoming the first African born WWE Champion….there were many who doubted that they’d ever see an African champion on TV. Listening to people’s stories, watching videos of their children watching the Kofi Mania moment, and seeing their joyful reactions— it’s incredibly humbling.”