WWE: Andrew McCutchen’s Support Shows The Power Of #KofiMania
On the latest episode of SmackDown Live, Vince McMahon interrupted a WWE Championship contract signing between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston to remove Kofi from the title match at Fastlane. Wrestling fans have rallied behind Kingston since that moment, and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen can be included on that list.
Kofi Kingston has inspired the WWE Universe for more than a decade, but he’s never had a one-on-one world championship match in his career (his only title opportunities have been in Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches, including this year’s). That seemed ready to change at Fastlane, when Shane McMahon announced that Kofi would take on Daniel Bryan after pinning him in tag team competition.
Unfortunately, Vince McMahon had other kayfabe plans, removing Kofi from the Fastlane WWE Championship match in favor of the returning Kevin Owens. The WWE Universe is ready to push for #KofiMania, which would be a HUGE moment for a wrestler who has won just about every other title in the promotion.
Fans have been rallying around Kofi since his standout performance in a Gauntlet Match before the Elimination Chamber, and you can count Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Andrew McCutchen as one of the members of the WWE Universe hoping for a Kofi title match at WrestleMania 35.
McCutchen recently tweeted that Kofi Kingston is “the real deal and then some”, demanding that Kofi gets his title opportunity at WrestleMania. Basically, the former Pittsburgh Pirates franchise icon has great taste, and WWE should take notice of a household name in Major League Baseball pushing for Kofi to get his WrestleMania moment; it’s been a long time coming.
Of course, McCutchen’s tweet was inspired by a comment heel announcer and Pittsburgh native Corey Graves made on the latest episode of SmackDown Live. Graves stated that Kofi’s situation on The Blue Brand was akin to “Cutch’s” situation in Pittsburgh, claiming that McCutchen asked for more money than the Pirates thought he was worth before being dealt to the New York Yankees. McCutchen politely clarified that this wasn’t the case, and Graves acknowledged the mistake before agreeing that Kofi has earned the WrestleMania opportunity.
As colleague Raphael Garcia recently wrote, #KofiMania is a movement that will continue to rage onwards. Kofi has such an organic groundswelling of support from all corners of the WWE Universe because of what he represents for Black wrestlers and wrestlers who have been consistently overlooked as potential top stars or champions by the promotion.
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McCutchen’s support for Kingston is just the latest example of #KofiMania gaining traction, and WWE has to take notice. Of course, I bet they have and I bet the KO switch was designed to push Kingston into a WrestleMania match, but it doesn’t hurt to keep on shouting.