Kofi/Punk feud?

[thebarber]

jesus Kofi Kingston as WWE Champion?Is Vince Russo booking this???

Kofi needs a heel turn, a new wardrobe, music , attitude. He should take out Brodus Clay, hook up with the two dancing girls and change to a darker edge character, complete with his harme of botches. Kofi is boring, his athletic yes, but hes doing the same thing for 5-6 years, needs a massive tune up or he wioll be forever mid card talent. He is massively suffering Shelton Benjamin syndrome

[Jack-Hammer]

Personally, I do think that Kofi is someone that has a good deal of untapped potential. We saw glimpses of potential greatness a few years back during his feud with Randy Orton and I do think that Kofi could possibly, just possibly, be someone that's in the upper mid-card scene and makes ocassional trips into the main event picture. You know, someone like Kane, Chris Jericho or Christian. I think Kofi's character would have to be overhauled and his look changed. He's too identifiable as the happy, energetic, smiling babyface with his current look, music and mannerisms.

At the same time, I doubt it'll happen. As someone else pointed out, feuding with Kofi would be a huge step down for CM Punk. If WWE pushed Kofi and spent some time really building him before beginning a feud with Punk, then it might be a different story. However, a feud with Punk probably isn't at all feesible for the forseeable future at any rate. I think Punk will retain the WWE Championship at least up until the Royal Rumble. After that, he'll probably still be in the WWE Championship picture up until at least WrestleMania. It's hard to really guess as there are so many possible scenarios right now. After Cena emerges from WM as WWE Champion, which I think is all but written in the stars at this point, he might just resume his feud with Punk through much of the summer. Or, at the very least, I see Punk being in an upper mid-card feud by the time it's all said and done.

I have a feeling that Kofi has gone as high as he's ultimately going to. Kofi is a strong mid-card wrestler, there's no doubting that. He can put on good quality matches, he's energetic & entertaining inside the ring and he's someone that would be a near perfect feud for someone like Antonio Cesaro or The Miz. As I said, I do think that Kofi has untapped potential, but I think he's ultimately risen as far as he's going to.

[akathelaw]

This feud can be done, and it can help BOTH talents build stock in their characters. Assuming CM Punk beats Cena at HIAC, CM Punk spends the next night on Raw harassing anyone backstage who he feels isn't treating him with the respect he deserves. He comes across Kofi and R-Truth and asks them why they didn't properly address the champion as he approached. Kofi apologizes on the team's behalf and Punk gets right in his face and says that his apology isn't good enough. Kofi doesn't back down, instead decides to tell CM Punk that he may be the WWE Champion but his insecurity is starting to take over. Truth chuckles, so Punk glares right at him and Truth says "...and that's the truth, the whole truth, and-" when Punk swings his WWE Title and nails Truth right in the head, knocking him out. Kofi looks shocked, and Punk slowly walks off.

Later that night CM Punk faces John Cena in a rematch that Paul Heyman made into the last WWE Title match John Cena will ever have against CM Punk. Punk disqualifies himself by hitting Cena with a chair in the ring, and then hits him with it over and over. Cena is grounded and Punk starts choking Cena with the top edge of the steel chair. Out of nowhere Kofi runs to the ring and leaps onto the top rope while the crowd pops, prompting Punk to turn around and get a splash from Kofi. The two trade blows on the mat, rolling to the outside and brawling around the ring area. Kofi shows a lot of aggression and really looks like he wants to destroy Punk as the show goes off the air. The following week and injured Cena calls Kofi out to the ring to thank him and tells him he'd like to see more of Kofi and Punk, and that it should be for the WWE Title.

[omorris]

How can we accomplish this? I think Kofi is one of the most talented guys on the roster but, when is the last time Kofi even one a singles match on Raw or Smackdown.To make this interesting, it would make sense to get Kofi on a bit of a roll or winning streak against two or three credible opponents first(I seriously doubt that). But when you have him tapping out to Alberto every other week how do you expect for the fans to realistically get into a Punk/Kingston feud when you have painted a picture of Kofi as 2012 athletic version of Special Delivery Jones. No Thanks, I have no interest in the writers having Kofi tap out to CM Punk and make him say"You win Punk, your the best in the world please let me go" his character is week enough.

[HBKistheHOF]

I never thought Kofi had what it took to be more than a transistional champion, and now I'm not even sure of that.

But if there is one man/feud that I think could truely propel Kofi to the main event level, it would be CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston.

They have history, they know each other well, & they have chemistry. If they booked this simular to Kofi/Orton in 2009, just MAYBE this could save Kofi from being a mix of Santino & Rey for children.

[j2dlyc]

I really bloody hope not. Kofi isnt main event material! He isnt even on the same level a the Miz. Mid card is where he is and midcard is where he should stay. Not a fan!

[DJS92491]

Look, the only person holding Kofi Kingston back is Kofi Kingston.

The reality is that a whole lot of people would have to get injured before Kofi even had a chance at that spotlight. Kofi has been in WWE for a few years now and yet he still has the same gimmick - albeit minus the phony Jamaican accent.

If there was something there, Kofi would have to prove it to WWE. If it was something worthy of being awarded WWE title shots over, then he would have done it a while ago. Kofi Kingston is at a very comfortable spot in WWE due to being the top African American face. Any chance at going in any new direction with his current gimmick is a HUGE risk as he will always have a place in this company as long as he's willing to remain a face. Kofi Kingston is a very talented wrestler, but race most definitely has the most to do with his place in this company. The kids love him, and he is a go to guy as being not only the role model, but one of the biggest reasons why WWE's detractors (mainstream media) aren't pulling out the race card when they for some odd reason feel the need to criticize WWE's product.

I would love a Kofi Kingston and CM Punk rivalry. They're each others road wife, so they'd definitely sync very well together in the ring. As a matter of fact, I could see a feud with CM Punk as the biggest opportunity Kofi Kingston currently has at being more than just WWE having a defense against the race card, and having a character that isn't as formulaically robotic as his current one. Kofi needs to show WWE that he can express himself more through his words, and be passionate about his work. That isn't something that WWE is keeping him from doing. He just isn't there yet. If anybody can get Kofi to the next level, CM Punk can. It's just completely up to Kofi how he reacts.

This isn't ignorance on my part, folks. Kofi Kingston is being kept on the midcard, the souvenir cups, and so on for the worst reason possible. WWE is looking for the alpha male of every race to help their political correctness. Sheamus is the current Top European Face, Rey Mysterio (and eventually Sin Cara like they hope) as the Top Spanish Face, and I'm sure that they're hoping that some 6'6" Asian juggernaut appears from out of nowhere to fill the current void they have in that regard as well. It's hilarious really how a company that tries it's damndest to be so politically correct are actually corrupt, but they just cannot be called out on it as long as every race has some type of success in WWE. Even funnier that that's how a lot of wrestlers are keeping their jobs as well.

I'm only saying this because of one thing: Look at NXT's roster. Big E. Langston and Lincoln Broderick are two very hungry guys who would love to be in Kofi's place. They're both charismatic (to an extent), but more importantly are HUGE guys that fit the WWE mold. With the emergence of Ryback, this fact should be scary to Kofi Kingston if he does want to someday be a main eventer in WWE. They both have a long way to go before they get called up, so that will give Kofi plenty of time to make or break himself.

I like Kofi Kingston, and I hope for the best.
As everybody here should know, no matter how high your place on the card may be, your spot is never safe.

[The Aerial Assassin]

People who say Kofi's not main event material obviously never paid attention before 2011. Kingston's been able to close shows in the past with countless of heels, one of them being a very high profiled heel Randy Orton in 2009. He has the ability to work feuds, and be believable. The ironic part is that people to this day still say Homo Morrison was main event material... that will baffle me to no end.

Kingston being put into a rivalry with CM Punk would be a great idea. No, it wouldn't diminish Punk at all. People beg for more unpredictability in the Main Event, and more names to mix things up... but WWE's never going to be able to go with that if they don't build new talent. Kofi has the crowd with him, his mic skills are obviously underrated, and he's believable. How does that NOT equal to at least a feud with Punk.

Then you have the fact that Kofi and Punk are not only friends outside the ring, but have had each others backs for years. It was Kofi that teamed with Punk to become tag champions, and they've almost always been seen on camera as good friends.

[Boourns]

Personally, I think this feud would be great providing: Kofi does not win the title and his talk time is kept to a minimum.

The reason for this is that Kofi is not a natural talker and even in his peak on the mic in his work with Randy Orton he wasn't a guy that was that far above average on the mic. However, this is not a problem, Punk is great on the mic and currently has Paul Heyman as his manager with three of them dividing their time properly what Kofi does say will be delivered better and will be carried by what Punk and potentially Heyman say.

Furthermore, Kofi's athleticism and the fact that he and Punk are good friends and former tag team partners in real life means that they will have good chemistry together and will probably not pull any punches when writing their stories together (as will Punk's standing in the company.)

But, the reasons I think Kofi should not win the title at any point in a potential feud is that A.) His current mic skills mean that he couldn't really carry the main event to the level it needs to be at. B.) Punk deserves to be the top guy if it is anyone but Cena. He needs to be headlining Mania soon and losing to someone like Kofi Kingston wouldn't display the level of standing that a WrestleMania Main Eventer would carry. I think this feud should happen one day, maybe not soon because of all the other better options and because Kofi needs to build as a singles competitor again maybe turn heel and then eventually go face again in time for a feud with a heel Punk and hopefully after all that happens he will be great on the mic and have the crowd solidly behind him to the point where he is undoubtedly a main event guy. Finally, Punk shouldn't be a stepping stone for anyone at this point, the guys in their late 30s and 40s are the guys that should be being used as stepping stones now.