5 things you should know about Kofi Kingston
WWE superstar Kofi Kingston made history at WrestleMania 35 with an emotional hard-fought victory over Daniel Bryan. The moment marked the culmination of a long and arduous journey that saw the talented Kingston win just about every single other WWE championship but inexplicably left out of WWE's world championship picture for more than a decade.
As climactic as his WWE Championship victory was, the Ghana native proved that he was just getting started when he confronted Universal Champion Seth Rollins the very next night on RAW. The change was not only legitimate, but it would be long-lasting as well.
In a made-for-Hollywood WWE career, Kingston has drastically changed his wrestling character, teamed with multiple partners, held multiple titles, and finally returned home to Ghana with wrestling's ultimate prize in tow.
As a recent guest on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia, the WWE Champion was reflective, endearing, and honest. After 13 years, wrestling fans might think they know Kofi Kingston. You really haven't heard anything yet, so join us for 5 Things You Should Know About Kofi Kingston.
#5. Kofi Kingston has found the key to happiness
Sadly, happiness is often the forgotten element to a successful life. Without it, life loses meaning even among an abundance of riches. Kingston, who fought tooth and nail for every opportunity he has received in professional wrestling, had not been given a world championship opportunity. Despite being one of WWE's most talented wrestlers for more than a decade, Kingston was always overlooked in the company's World Championship scene.
In what is a testament to his strong character, Kofi Kingston didn't let any of that get to him. In what would have frustrated and derailed others, Kingston instead practiced the oft-forgotten art of gratitude. Gratitude is the reason why Kingston has been able to maintain a positive attitude and keep a smile on his face despite significant challenges. He has no wrinkles and not a single grey hair on his head to prove that gratitude works.
He learned the gift of gratitude while visiting Ghana 26 years ago. The WWE Champion opened up to Lilian Garcia,
"I don't need to have things to be OK because there's so many people in Ghana and even all over the world that are happy with way less. I remember when I went back in 7th grade. There were several kids who would get the spokes of a bike, not the tires, just the wheels and push it along with a stick. That was the toy. [They were] pushing it along in the streets and having so much fun with that and I'll be over in the States complaining about my wrestling figure's arm being torn off and then I'll throw it away. It really put things into perspective for me at a very young age just to be grateful for what I had."
Kingston held onto a life-altering lesson in gratitude and it's paid off for him both professionally and personally. To this day, the amiable WWE superstar can't point to one professional wrestler he dislikes.
Much like his real-life persona, Kofi's in-ring gimmick is also a much likable one. After remaining in the mid-card segment for almost a decade, he was added to the New Day stable and the trio remain one of WWE's most popular superstars to this day.