Kofi Kingston’s post-title treatment shows WWE missed the point

Kofi Kingston went from WWE Champion to directionless in less than ten seconds. But the bigger disservice comes with how The New Day has been handled since Oct.4.

Two weeks ago, Kofi Kingston lost the WWE Championship in less than 10 seconds. The run that started KofiMania, culminating with a title victory over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 36, a 180-day title reign – all of it over in 10 seconds.

While that is troubling in one sense, what’s even worse is the way that Kingston and The New Day have been treated since. WWE Creative has stuffed them back into the middle of the pack whilst almost ignoring the importance of Kingston’s rise in 2019. Kingston wasn’t going to remain champion forever, but the disservice of his character post-reign is even worse than many could have predicted.

Brock Lesnar’s emergence as the title contender for Kingston on the Oct. 4 premiere left many wondering what would happen. Would WWE put Kingston over? Would they allow him to put up a fight the way Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan did before him?

The answer to both of those questions was a resounding “NO” as Kingston jumped into Lesnar’s arms to be put away with one F-5. The belt was gone all to make way for a non-WWE star in Cain Velasquez to make an entrance as the next challenger for the title. A somber moment for everyone that had thrown their support behind Kingston.

But the situation has gotten worse in the weeks after. Kingston appeared with his New Day compatriots, throwing pancakes and smiling, without any mention of wanting his title back. The complacency of losing the championship in such a dramatic fashion was something never seen from others in the past.

He was slotted back into a six-man tag match versus The OC. Even though he picked up the win over Styles, there was only one passing mention of him being a former champion by Corey Graves on commentary. Only to have the subject quickly changed by Michael Cole.

The week that followed, The New Day were drafted to SmackDown as a trio and once again, Kingston’s title reign wasn’t mentioned by commentary. Instead, they were spoken about as a great tag team unit; even though one of their members just held one of the most important singles titles in the promotion. Its clear that WWE is avoiding any mention of Kingston’s time with the title and that is very problematic.

Kingston rode the wave of massive fan excitement to that win over Bryan back in April. What most thought would be a fleeting time with the belt; he held it for 180 days. Along the way he pushed back opponents like Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton and others. Kingston’s support from fans remained strong, as his continued to get chants and cheers.

Some will point towards SmackDown’s waning ratings while he had the belt, but that was consistent of those numbers declining regardless of who the WWE pushed to the top.

For a moment, it seemed like WWE Creative understood why so many people – fans and colleagues alike – stood behind Kingston’s run to the title. His presence meant much more than just a fan favorite holding the title, but he was a competitor that represents a marginalized group pushing through to the glass ceiling in a way that seemed near impossible.

The way he’s been handled since dropping the title makes Kingston come off as a complete joke. The lack of closure makes it seem like he didn’t take his title run seriously. Plus, when Kingston was on top, it elevated Big E and Xavier Woods at the same time. They are both hampered by how this situation is being handled. Kingston’s run as champion set the stage in which Big E and Woods can rise to the roster through proper story telling.

Instead, WWE Creative has let everyone watching know that they are viewed as insignificant as well; a discredit to how much they contributed to Kingston’s rise. This trio could be a major draw for either brand as there are stories to be told from multiple angles. Instead, WWE decided to hot shot an angle with a former UFC champion that is well beyond his prime in that area and unknown to a large base of professional wrestling fans.

Kofi Kingston is a special member of the WWE roster. With more than a decade in the organization, he’s achieved nearly every brass ring there is to grab. His rise represents something bigger than a simple angle. WWE Creative missed that point and his treatment post-title reign really shows how they missed the entire reason why KofiMania was special to begin with.