Kofi Kingston Says He Was "Baffled" New Day Was Able To Work With The Young Bucks - Kenny Omega
Kofi Kingston spoke with Sport Illustrated's Extra Mustard section on having a singles run in WWE, winning titles while staying The New Day, and working with The Young Bucks / Kenny Omega at E3. Here are some of the highlights:
Having another singles run in WWE:
"All of us want to be top-tier singles champions. That's the goal all the time. Now a lot of people think you have to break up to do that. We're told, 'You know, you have to go your separate ways.' I think that's the dumbest thing in the world. Why would we ever break up? We are stronger as three than we are as one. There is no need for us to break up.
"We always talk about having the 'Freebird Rule,' or now the 'New Day Rule,' as singles champions or even with the Money in the Bank briefcase. That would be awesome, too. We bring a different element and aspect to the potential of what a singles championship run could possibly be. Our bread and butter is in our chemistry. We've all done singles careers on our own, and it's a crapshoot whether you'll go up or go down. You never know. But we feel like we have something very special between the three of us, so there is no need to go back to doing what we were doing."
Becoming champions while still remaining a group:
"Exactly. We're working on etching that thought in people's minds, that idea of 'Maybe they can do that all together.' WWE is all about doing things that have never been done. That's the way you get to the top and you stay at the top, so that's what we're always trying to do: be unique, be different, be fun, be inclusive, include the crowd, and have good times."
Working with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega at an E3 event:
"I'm still baffled that that actually happened. Think about WWE, when was the last time you saw them do any kind of inter-promotional stuff? Not in this era, right? On top of that, with a group like Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, The Elite, these guys are at the top of the independent scene right now. Since we became a trio, everyone's been talking about us doing stuff with The Elite. And we came close. We actually got in there, interacted, verbally jousting, and I still get goosebumps just thinking about it. Hopefully that opens the doors for some things in the future.
"If it does happen, and they end up here or likewise, we had the first step in doing that. You talk about breaking barriers and breaking rules, that's what it's all about. You try to push that envelope and keep the wrestling business thriving, keep people interested and do things out of the box. You've got to go out of the box, and be able to adjust and change with the times. That's what wrestling is all about. This is a very special time right now. You're seeing things in the industry you never thought you'd see. You never thought you'd see AJ Styles in the WWE or you never thought you'd see Kevin Owens or Shinsuke Nakamura or Asuka in a WWE ring, but yet here we are."
Kingston also discussed throwing out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.