Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens: Why It Works and Why WWE Needs It.

Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship reign faces its first major obstacle. This comes in the form of an inevitable title defense against Kevin Owens, and we should be happy.

At Money in the Bank, it is pretty much certain that Kofi Kingston and Kevin Owens will face off for the WWE Championship. Rumors and the Superstar Shake-Up led fans to contemplate who would first challenge Kofi for his title, and, with the reported injury to Daniel Bryan, it has shaped up to be Owens.

I believe that this is the perfect feud for Kofi’s first defense, and it could shape the way SmackDown handles its main event picture in 2019.

WrestleMania 35 was a journey, and the brightest spot of that weekend was Kofi Kingston’s win over Daniel Bryan for SmackDown’s biggest title. Kofi’s hard work, spanning over an 11 year career in WWE, won over the fans from a last minute replacement to a series of gauntlet matches and seemingly unconquerable odds.

The storyline was that WWE brass didn’t want Kofi to win, and Vince McMahon did everything in his power to stop him. This is why Kofi’s WrestleMania win was so special to everyone. It was the underdog story anyone could get behind.

Except one person. That man is Kevin Owens.

With his imminent return from injury, we were shown clips of KO giving us injury updates and telling us how he was upset with seeing wrestlers not as good as him performing. His comeback could have been a bigger story, but KofiMania was in full swing by the time his music hit again.

Remember when Vince McMahon replaced Kofi with KO at Fastlane? Fans did not want him in that main event, and the fact that Owens returned as a face did not help his case. Owens even cut a promo against the “New” Daniel Bryan saying he never meant to take Kofi’s opportunity. They even tagged together against Bryan and Rowan.

At Fastlane, the main event turned into a triple threat, which Kofi thought he would be involved in, and that ended up not being the case. Kevin Owens’ return was, in one way or another, defined by Kofi Kingston.

This could be why Kevin Owens joined the New Day. This could be why he became Big O for two weeks. And this could be why he turned on Kofi and the New Day. He wasn’t going to be defined by Kofi; he was going to be intertwined with him.

The two competitors have had different storyline paths in the WWE. Kofi had to work hard for his opportunities in WWE. KO was elevated by pushes of Triple H (with his Universal Title win) and Vince (the Fastlane replacement). ‘The Prizefighter’ wants his prize, and Kofi is one holding on to it.

But the two also share some similarities. Kofi made a point to celebrate his Championship win with his family, with his kids and wife cheering him on. We watched them love, laugh, and cry together appreciating that moment.

Owens’ recovery videos made note about him spending time with his son and wife, watching WWE with his son. His family is a huge motivator, and you should expect to hear that in the promos leading up to MITB. It will be his time to take that opportunity.

This MITB main event will also present an antithesis of what a WWE Championship match should look like.

Kofi is a small wrestler, relying on quickness and agility, that has found success in the mid-card and tag division. Most wrestlers like him wouldn’t even sniff the main event picture, but his personality and determination (plus smart booking) led him to overcome those preconceived notions.

KO is a phenomenal wrestler, but, appearance wise, is a far cry from the Hulk Hogans and John Cenas. This is not what we think of as Vince McMahon’s typical champion. His big frame and lack of sculpted body is not going to help WWE sell TapOut shirts.

Yet, Owens is the complete package when it comes to being a professional wrestler. His move-set is diverse and exciting; his promo skills are top notch; and I would argue he has some of the best ring psychology on the main roster.

This main event should set the tone of what SmackDown’s product should look like down the line: good, hardworking wrestlers of all types battling to tell great stories and put on great shows.

It should not be about how toned they are or whether they are a B+ player or not (I hate that so much). The likes of Ali and Andrade should be able to compete for this title, along with Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Aleister Black, and others.

Now, to address the Owens versus Kingston match, there have been some rumors about the New Day splitting up, and one of them turning heel. Honestly, I don’t like it. I feel it would be counterproductive, and breaking up that stable will cause more harm than good in the long run.

WWE should go with Kofi retaining his title against KO at MITB, which could allow them to explore a desperate heel storyline. KO is so upset he lost that he will stop at nothing to get Kofi’s title.