Why Kofi Kingston Thinks He 'Broke The Mold' In WWE

It's hard to believe it's been more than six years since "KofiMania" reached its apex when Kofi Kingston knocked off Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 to win the WWE Championship. But Kingston's journey to that pinnacle moment in his career was a long time coming that took a non-traditional route for an atypicall wrestling superstar, according to the man himself.

Appearing on "Keepin' It 100," Kingston recalled returning to his native Ghana as WWE Champion in 2019 and the reminder that served as for him in terms of how he got where he did despite not coming from the traditional mold. "I'm not like your prototypical wrestler," he said. "I'm not 6'8", I'm not a heavyweight. I'm not, like, the most muscle-bound guy. I have a weird chest [and] skinny legs. My head is really mis-shaped." All of those unique features aside, Kingston recalls scoffing at the notion that a WWE superstar had to be well over six feet tall, jacked to the gills, and an off-the-charts athlete, and that serving as a motivator for him. "You get, like, a little bit of a chip on your shoulder and going out there and breaking the mold and I really enjoyed that."

Returning to Ghana as the center of attention for the locals was a full-circle moment for Kingston, who simply remembered being a young kid who loved wrestling. "I was here, in Ghana, at one point," he remembered thinking. "Somehow, some way, through a lot of luck and hard work, you know, right place, right time, I was able to attain the highest level [of] the industry. And again, to me, it's just a testament to believing in yourself." 

These days, seeing the effect he has on others keeps things in perspective for Kingston, a surefire WWE Hall of Famer, who still plays a prominent role alongside Xavier Woods in The New Day. "Being the first African-born champion [is] wild to say because I was just a kid who liked wrestling," he said. "I'm just really humble to be the guy who was able to motivate people in that way."