KofiMania, a key focal point of WWE’s 2019 storyline, would have had a different outcome if Mustafa Ali had not been removed from the WWE Championship scene. The circumstances changed due to Ali sustaining an injury, which saw Kofi step into the ring on his behalf.
In the process, Kofi, an iconic figure hailing from Ghana, managed to galvanize an immense amount of fan support. As a direct result of this overwhelming backing, the WWE decided to pitch Kofi against the defending champion in the hotly-anticipated WrestleMania 35. This opportunity was originally designated for Mustafa Ali.
During a recent episode of the “Insight” podcast, Ali was asked about the possibility of procuring the same level of fan support as Kofi. Firmly, he responded by saying,
<"I don’t think so because Kofimania is different because I think that was a guy with a decade long career where the fans willed it into existence. … it wasn’t produced, it wasn’t written, you can’t. For me to sit here and even have the gall (to think that could have been me)… At the end of the day, Kofimania, there’s no topping that.">
Kofi’s reign as champ eventually culminated in October 2019 when he was quickly overpowered by Brock Lesnar. As for Ali, he was let go by WWE in 2023 without ever grasping the golden reign. Click here to get more details on the surprising yet somewhat predictable release of Ali.
Watch more on the departure of Mustafa Ali from WWE, his thoughts on losing his Money in the Bank opportunity to Brock Lesnar, and his stint as TNA X Division Champion, in the embedded video.