WWE: Kofi Kingston Has To Get His WrestleMania Shot Now
SmackDown opened with a contract signing between Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan for their WWE Championship match at Fastlane, but things didn’t go according to plan. Vince McMahon interrupted and removed Kofi from the match to replace him with Kevin Owens. It was a shocking move, but lays the foundation for the #KofiMania moment fans are clamoring for.
WWE found themselves in a bind several weeks ago when Mustafa Ali’s injuries kept him from being medically cleared to compete at Elimination Chamber. Unsurprisingly, the company turned to one of their most reliable veterans in the form of Kofi Kingston.
What few could have predicted was the massive outpouring of support from fans that Kofi Kingston received once he found himself within reach of the WWE Championship. On the night he was announced to replace Ali, Kofi Kingston competed for a full hour in a gauntlet match with one of SmackDown’s most amazing performances of all time.
As Shane McMahon put it on SmackDown tonight, Kofi Kingston became an “overnight success” after years of hard work. Like many people who are often called an “overnight success,” the moniker fits only if you ignore everything that came before. Inside the Elimination Chamber, Kofi Kingston came extremely close to leaving as the WWE Champion.
While he didn’t manage to leave with the title, the fan reaction inside the Toyota Center continued to reiterate the support there is for such a moment happening. Fans were thrilled when Kofi Kingston was revealed as Daniel Bryan’s opponent for Fastlane, but have been equally angered by his sudden removal from the match.
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There’s no arguing that former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens is deserving of a WWE Championship match, but the circumstances are less than ideal. Fortunately, the removal of Kofi Kingston all but confirms he will finally get his opportunity at WrestleMania 35.
WWE has a bad history of ignoring fans, but it seems truly impossible for them not to see the raucous support Kofi receives on a weekly basis. With that in mind, the only reason for them to remove Kofi from his match at Fastlane would be to preserve that clash for WrestleMania.
When Vince McMahon announced the change for Fastlane, Kofi Kingston looked solemn but clearly frustrated. He didn’t say much as he left the ring with The New Day, but Xavier Woods and Big E said it all for him.
Even over an hour after the moment happened, Kofi Kingston has remained silent on Twitter. He’s exhibited the grace you’d expect from such a veteran, but The New Day has not hesitated to go to bat for him once again.
I don’t even know why we’re surprised anymore.
— Ettore “Big E” Ewen (@WWEBigE) February 27, 2019
So what else does @TrueKofi have to do? He’s a multi-time champion. He’s given 11 amazing years to this company. He’s pinned the @wwe champion. Kofi is more than good enough. Kofi is more than worthy. What else do you want from him? WHAT ELSE?
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) February 27, 2019
For once, the company appears to be laying the foundations for a match they know fans are clamoring to see. Much the way that fan support forced WWE’s hand when Daniel Bryan entered the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 30, fans appear to have forced WWE’s hand in giving Kofi Kingston the moment he’s earned.
Next. Kevin Owens Returns, Replaces Kofi at Fastlane. dark
If they were to choose not to make that match happen at WrestleMania, it would serve as a condemnation of their fans, of Kofi Kingston’s contributions to WWE, and be yet another example of them refusing to acknowledge the skills of an African-American superstar. That doesn’t look like it’s what WWE will do this time, and it will make Kofi Kingston’s WrestleMania moment that much more special if he gets the shot he deserves.