Kofi Kingston Comments On Big E’s WWE Title Loss: “Yes, It Stings”
Kofi Kingston says he's "proud" of Big E's run as WWE Champion and believes that any hurt Big E is feeling over how it ended will make him stronger in the long run. Of course, Big E recently told Sports Illustrated he was disappointed in the way his first reign as WWE Champion ended. He lost the title to Brock Lesnar in a 5-way match at the Day 1 pay-per-view on New Year's Day.
"I thought he did great," Kingston told Bleav In Pro Wrestling. "We're always the biggest critics of ourselves and you go back to criticisms and everything online, people giving us feedback on matches. We've always taken pride in holding ourselves to the highest standard. Like, nobody is gonna hold us to a higher standard than we hold ourselves to. So, we expect nothing but the best of ourselves. Myself, [Xavier] Woods, and Big E, that's just the way that we roll."
Kofi Kingston feels that Big E will now be hungrier to win back the WWE Championship. Kingston says he felt that same hunger after his one and only reign as WWE Champion ended in 2019. He also said he was impressed by the way Big E carried himself as champion.
"He was able to switch things up but also not change, stay true to himself, which a lot of people can't say," Kingston said. "I feel like when he was in the ring – and this has always been the case. But he's always had the support of the people. You know what I'm saying? He's always able to go out there and entertain and do things that as a man that large he should not physically be able to do. He goes out there and showcases his athleticism. Every single time he touches the mic, he's able to move the people and make people feel."
Kofi Kingston said he didn't have any specific advice for Big E after he lost the WWE Championship. He feels it's not his place to tell anyone else how to feel, saying it's up to each individual in WWE to focus on what they can control and turn any setbacks into the fuel that powers them back to the top.
"If you're the type of person to let something bad tear you down and hold you down for a long time, then you're probably not gonna progress any further," Kingston explained. "This business is so – like, 'next man up', you know? So, you have to be constantly on your grind even after a huge loss. Yes, it stings. But again, those things that sting and those things that hurt make you better.
"You remember how that feels and then you go out there and you have a certain level of – just a different level of mentality going out there and it's reflected in your work," Kingston continued. "It's reflected in the physical things you do out there and the way that you speak and the way that you feel and your confidence level and your desire and passion. Like, that all comes out and that comes out because of the experience you had. So, I take everything as a growing experience, as an opportunity to get better. And that's what these situations do. They make us stronger."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Bleav In Pro Wrestling with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.