WWE News: Tommy Dreamer still upset about Kofi Kingston's lack of a push back in 2009
What's the story?
Tommy Dreamer admitted in E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness that he is still upset that the WWE management didn't capitalize on Kofi Kingston's momentum back in 2009. The former ECW Originals' man, speaking on the podcast said, "I am still angry about a few things in professional wrestling, great things which were either dropped or messed up".
"One of them being when Kofi Kingston send Randy Orton through the table at Madison Square Garden and they never went full board with it, am still upset about that".
In case you didn't know...
Kofi Kingston's athletic ability and his in-ring work shone through during his singles run back in 2009 when he picked up wins against high profile names like the Big Show, Chris Jericho, and Randy Orton.
But the highlight of the run was undoubtedly the feud between the now New Day man and Randy Orton.
Kingston seemed to have turned the corner when he picked up a win during the traditional Survivor Series match against Orton's team (in 2009), where he was the lone survivor left for his team, eliminating Orton last. But his subsequent losses on Raw and ultimately at TLC 2009 against The Viper (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs), signalled the end of a promising babyface run.
The heart of the matter
WWE are notorious for building up an up and coming Superstar and then ultimately giving an established Superstar the nod when push comes to shove. Kofi's run is the ultimate example of that, and Tommy Dreamer rightly points it out as an opportunity missed.
During the run in 2009, Kofi had perhaps one of the more 'over' finishes of any of the superstars in the WWE but nothing was done about the momentum. The 36-year-old hovered alarmingly just above the mid-card for around five years before forming the New Day.
What's next?
Kofi Kingston is now part of The New Day and after their recent feud with The Usos, we are unsure what's lined up for the trio.
Author's Take
The fact that WWE still depends on wrestlers who are past their prime, like Kurt Angle, Bill Goldberg, and Triple H to pull in crowds (and viewers) for big events exposes a flaw in the process to create new 'big names'. Kofi Kingston is just one of many missed opportunities.