Kofi Kingston Weighs In On Mustafa Ali's WWE Contract Situation

Kofi Kingston's journey to becoming WWE Champion began on February 12, 2019, when the veteran replaced an injured Mustafa Ali in a Gauntlet Match ahead of the Elimination Chamber. Kingston would put in Iron Man-level performances in both the gauntlet and the chamber, and would ride that momentum to a championship victory at the Grandest Stage of them All.

While there's no telling how the WWE Title scene would've played out if Kingston didn't replace Ali, Kingston acknowledged that the beginning of what would become his biggest career accomplishment was bittersweet.

"When I replaced Ali in that gauntlet match it was kinda bittersweet because Ali was on the come up. You see him in the ring and you see how creative he is and all the different things he brings to the table. It's awesome," Kingston told CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri. "You see a mind like that and still not always getting the chances he deserves, and for an injury to be something that takes away a chance... That's not to say Ali would've had a KofiMania experience because the story's not the same, but it would've led to something. The fact that an injury took that away, I felt bad almost, but it also kind of motivated me to show out because I know Ali would've had an amazing gauntlet match and in the Elimination Chamber as well.

"I think I was in that match for like 60 minutes, but really like 20 minutes in, people were like, 'Oh man. Kofi's in the Elimination Chamber! He could be WWE Champion! How long's it been since he's been WWE Champion? Over ten years? He's never been the champion? He's never even wrestled for the title? Oh man, we want this guy to win!' It was amazing to see that kind of support because over the years, you don't always see that or feel that."

Despite coming up short in the chamber, Kingston would get a one-on-one title opportunity against then-WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at WWE WrestleMania 35. Even with two months of build-up, Kingston noted he didn't believe the match would happen until his music hit at MetLife Stadium.

"There've been so many times where I've been told that something was going to happen. Then I show up at the building and it doesn't happen for whatever reason. Things are always changing," Kingston said. "That two-month period was the perfect amount of time to just guide the fervor of the people. You knew that at WrestleMania, it was going to happen or the possibility became stronger. But it really wasn't until I heard my music or when the promotional package right before the match came on, I was like, 'Oh my God, this is going to happen.' I'm looking around making sure no one's going to come up to me and be like, 'Oh, well we just changed the plans. Sorry, we're not going to go with you right now... You know, Brock Lesnar is going to come in in the middle of the match.' You know what I mean? You just have no idea.

"The jaded old man in me, I wouldn't allow myself to really fully emotionally invest in the possibility of actually becoming WWE Champion because it was a childhood dream. I think I was scared to be hurt. To get my hopes up and be let down again. It really wasn't until like moments before walking out that I was like, 'Oh my God, this is really going to happen. If you watch the entrance, you see me. Woods and E are on my left and my right. I'm just jumping, using their shoulders to push myself up as high as I can because I finally was able to let that energy out."

Even beyond the accolade itself, Kingston stressed that his WrestleMania moment is much bigger than just him.

"The payoff that if you work hard enough at something and work long enough, and put your whole a– to it, it can happen for you," Kingston said. "Beyond race, it was a story of struggle. Somebody did everything that they could do, brought unique skills to the ring, and had potential to be WWE Champion but was shortchanged year after year after year. Anybody out there that has been through some kind of a struggle can look to my story and go, 'If I work hard enough like Kofi did, it might happen for me.'"

It's been nearly three years since Kingston replaced Ali in that gauntlet match, a butterfly effect that concluded with the Ghana native hoisting gold above his head in front of 82,265 people. Today, both men find themselves in very different places on the card. Kingston once again spends most of his squared circle time tagging with Xavier Woods, while Ali has not been seen on WWE programming in months. This lack of creative direction for the former leader of RETRIBUTION has led to Ali requesting his release, which WWE has reportedly denied.

Kingston commented on Ali's ongoing situation, emphasizing his belief that someone with Ali's skill-set should be given the platform to succeed.

"It's a really complicated industry. I feel for [Ali]. I feel for him because I understand the frustrations that he's going through. I feel like somebody who is so incredibly talented should always be afforded the opportunity to shine," Kingston said. "He hasn't really necessarily been given that, and that is one of the most unfortunate natures of our industry. I don't know how to change that. It's been like that for quite some time. I guess we'll just kind of see where it all goes. I'm a firm believer in everything kind of happening for a reason. I think that when it's all said and done, he will have grown from this whole experience, for sure. I don't know where it's going to end. I don't know where it's going to go. But he'll always have my support in terms of my desire to want to see him do well because he is so incredibly talented not just in the ring, outside the ring too. As a person, just somebody who really wants to have a major impact on the world. So I'm hoping that he's able to find some peace in the whole situation. I hope he's able to find some happiness at the end of it when it's all said and done with the light at the end of the tunnel, regardless of what happens, there are going to be big things for him in his future."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Shakiel Mahjouri with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.