"Getting insulted by The Rock was really cool," says 42-year-old WWE veteran
Former WWE Champion The Rock is popularly known for his ability to verbally dismantle his opponents during promos. The New Day's Kofi Kingston had the unique opportunity to share the ring and exchange words with The Great One and experience this firsthand.
On the January 25, 2016, edition of Monday Night RAW, Dwayne Johnson and The New Day members Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kingston got back and forth on the microphone.
The People's Champion left no stone unturned to destroy the trio during the promo battle. Unwilling to engage in a war of words with the WWE legend, The New Day opted to retreat backstage. However, The Final Boss had a contingency plan, as he called upon his cousins, The Usos, for backup. The Samoan stars had the last laugh on the former WWE Tag Team Champions.
In a recent interview with DraftKings, Kofi Kingston recalled The New Day's verbal showdown with The Bloodline member. The former WWE Champion described the experience as a dream come true and a highlight of his career.
"For me, getting insulted by The Rock was really cool, because in college before I went to bed every night, I would look at my Rock poster. I would jump and do a jumping elbow into my dormitory bed and pull my sheets up. That's how I went to bed," he said. [9:16-9:30]
The 42-year-old WWE Superstar added:
"You get a Rock promo cut on you, as a kid who grew up watching The Rock cut these Rock promos on other people. I'm like, 'Wait, now it’s happening to me. Oh, I should be mad, but this is really cool.'" [9:48-10:00]
You can watch the full interview below:
WWE star Kofi Kingston on the advice he received from The Rock
During the same interview, The New Day member was asked about his conversations with The Rock backstage. Kingston recalled doing media rounds with The Great One and receiving valuable advice from the legendary wrestler.
The Rock advised the RAW star that the latter shouldn't take himself too seriously and worry about always appearing strong. At the time, Kofi Kingston didn't understand what the Samoan star meant.
Kingston later realized the wisdom in Dwayne Johnson's advice to ignore critics who condemned The New Day for their flamboyant attire and playful dance moves.
"I remember like being backstage; I just asked him. I said, 'Hey, you [The Rock] have any advice or whatever?' and he's like, 'Yeah, just don't take yourself too seriously!' He said, 'Don't worry about like, 'Oh, you gotta go out there and look strong!"' Kofi added. [10:06-10:18]
Meanwhile, Kofi Kingston is currently absent from WWE TV due to an injury. It will be interesting to see when The New Day member returns to RAW.