Kofi Kingston is without a doubt one of the greatest of all time

There are many individuals in the IWC that offer enjoyable conversation points about the industry millions around the world consume on a daily basis. Then there are others that say things that shouldn’t be addressed or acknowledged. One such situation occurred recently around the idea of whether Kofi Kingston should be recognized as one of the greatest performers of all time. The answer to that question is a resounding yes, and it shouldn’t even be up for debate.

That opening paragraph should really be the entire piece. However, let’s dive further into the conversation to discuss what it is about Kingston’s time in the industry that has earned him such a place in the discussion.

First up are the stats (via Cagematch.Net) that Kingston brings to the table. He has 19 years of experience, 18 of which involve his run in the WWE. During that time, he’s enjoyed a combined 22 championship tenures. Or 23 depending on how they are counted. His multiple-title reigns are well-documented, but let’s further unpack what he’s achieved.

In July 2022, Wrestling Junkie put together a list of the most decorated WWE superstars of all time. Those 22 title runs put him at Number Five on the list. That’s ahead of The Rock, Jeff Hardy, Christian, The Miz, and Randy Orton. If the NXT Tag Team run from 2022-2023 were included, he’d be at 23 title runs, only one behind Triple H for the fourth spot. Some may attempt to discredit Kingston’s run because of his position in the tag team division for much of the last decade, but he had ten title runs before he was grouped with Big E and Xavier Woods to create perhaps the most important faction in professional wrestling.

Now, let’s talk about what Kingston’s contributed to a space that even in 2024 isn’t welcome to the idea of people of color being considered among the best in the industry. This is a man whose popularity pushed him to a championship victory in 2019 that left many of the top Black stars in tears watching. “You deserve it” chants are a popular response from fans, but Kingston truly deserved every bit of what Kofi Mania was. In fact, he deserved better in how it was managed at the end as well. It was clear that WWE never intended to book Black superstars at the same level as their white peers, and the mistreatment of Kingston’s championship run was just another example.

The New Day was never meant to get over with fans. But the trio overcame those odds to still be an important part of the WWE roster today. Yes, some may complain about their utilization as the rest of the roster is built around them. Kingston and Woods can be inserted into any position and the fans will immediately support them. As hope of a Big E return continues, that would be the moment they hit full power once again.

But this is about Kingston and his contributions to the game. To be 100 percent cliched, “the proof is in the pudding.” He’s done everything that’s been asked of him for nearly 20 years. If this debate were about a white performer with the exact same resume, there wouldn’t be as much pushback at the idea of him being one of the best of all time. And that’s the exact reason Kofi Kingston deserves to be in this conversation. He’s overcome challenge after challenge and means so much to so many throughout professional wrestling.