Does Kofi Kingston need to be repackaged?

[Dangermartin]

Now that the WWE has admitted that Kingston is NOT from Jamaica, and with the fact that he is getting a HUGE push at the moment, should WWE repackage his look?

We've been seeing a much more aggressive, angry and brutal Kofi in recent weeks, and I don't feel that his music and ring attire suit this new perosnality. I think a gradual change is what is needed, otherwise he may lose too much momentum. He reminds me of what Booker T was like when he first rose up through WCW.

Do you guys think changes are needed with his gimmick to catapult him to the highest level???

 

[The Doctor]

Absolutely not. He's already mad over, with a great theme, new attitude, and catchy name. He's doing just fine for himself, and I look forward to seeing him rise through the ranks and hopefully become a champion one day.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

After watching him last night, he's already super over. He's a lovable character that's funny, laid back, and could move some serious merchandise for the WWE. The only time they should repackage him, is if he turns heel, which is a long, LONG time away. I'm pretty sure we watched a star being born last night and to me, that says he's fine as is.

The fact that the WWE put him over Punk AND Orton CLEAN means they have high stock on him and believe he can become a breakthrough star. I just wonder what's next for him. Sooooo many possibilities.

 

[TellMeWhy]

Yes, he needs repackaging. There's no reason why he's not Jamaican but yet he comes out to Jamaican music. It's quite stupid. He's also very generic. He has no real personality or mic skills or anything that stands out for him except that he's a great wrestler which won't take him far in a brand that is supposed to be entertainment.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Yes, he needs repackaging. There's no reason why he's not Jamaican but yet he comes out to Jamaican music. It's quite stupid. He's also very generic. He has no real personality or mic skills or anything that stands out for him except that he's a great wrestler which won't take him far in a brand that is supposed to be entertainment.

I don't think his music has to do with anything concerning if he does need repackaging which he doesn't. He's already over with the crowd and it seems Vince has a lot of confidence in him after Survivor Series. People were complaining about his lack of mic skills because of his "accent" and now that he's dropped it, they're still complaining. Give it time instead of nitpicking every little thing. Chris Benoit seemed to do pretty good for himself in a brand that is for entertainment so Kofi is doing fine right now. He has charisma and it will take some time for him to develop on that more but he will do it.

 

[CHAOS]

At the moment the only thing I would consider changing with Kofi is his music, to me it feels like that entrance music belongs to his Jamaican gimmick. However, changing his music now could be a risk as he is so over right now that they don't really need to change anything right now. Maybe change his music after his feud with Randy is done with.

The superstars I believe WWE should focus on repackaging are Kozlov and Ezekiel as they are Regal's bitches and just stand in the background and keep quiet. Also, MVP as he is becoming stale and dull at the moment, either turn him heel again, as he was a top heel and really over with the crowd, or give him a fresh face gimmick

 

[drobs85]

kofi kingston has a new attitude, dropped the fake accent, and even changed the colors to his attire. So why not change his music or remix it kinda how they did they big shows back in 2006. His new attitude certainly does not fit the current friendly theme he has. He cant go around bashing peoples sports cars in then backdoor and come out to some friendly tropical island music like he does. It doesnt make sense. Whether people believe it or not, the theme music makes a huge difference. Look how ortons current theme got him over even more when it debuted last year.

 

[People's Champ]

Simple answer is no. He is waaay over right now and so there is no reason to change anything. I agree with TL as to what's next for Kofi. There are so many things they could do with Kofi. But the point is they have done a great job with building Kofi up and now it looks as tho we have a new star, new main eventer that WWE sorely needs. They've done a great job so far in the way they brought him up, now if only they could continue this with other midcarders. Things are looking up.

 

[XgringolocoX]

Repackage? No, there isn't a need for that. Tweeking it a bit, yeah. Drop Kingston, just go with Kofi. I like the remix theme idea. Keep it happy and upbeat, but maybe add some rock or hip hop to it. It wouldn't be a total change but would flow with his character, keeping the Jamacian flavor but progressing as well.
Kofi is going to have a huge year IMO changes or no.

 

[And I'm Awesome]

Well, let's look at some individual elements and consider them for repackaging, shall we?

Intro Music - A lot of people are saying that this needs to change because he's dropped the Jamaican accent and is announced from Ghana now. However, when he's not being egged on by everyone's favorite heel (Orton), Kofi is still a laid back kind of guy. It's not like he's super intense all the time, only when pushed to it. I think his entrance music reflects that he's still mostly laid back. His in-ring work and mic work can emphasize the harder aspects of his character when his buttons are being pushed.

Ring Attire - What would we change to? Yeah, sometimes the bright colors seem out of place on someone who's intent on whooping ass, BUT yellow and green are Kofi's marketing colors now. With the push, the Kofi merchandise is about to really start flying...and you want him to have something uniquely identifiable as Kofi. That's the green and yellow. As a side bar, this could be why it seems like WWE is changing Cena's colors once again this year, from his original black/blue to green/yellow/black to orange/blue. True, they'll sell a ton of new Cena merchandise to the devout Cena fans, and Vince always likes more money, but Vinnie Mac is first and foremost a businessman. He knows that in order to sell, something needs to stand out or be easily identifiable as belonging to one guy.

Not much else to change now. They dropped the accent, and have actually given him some mic time the past few weeks. I think we'll see a continuation here into a three-on-three Tables Elimination match at TLC between Kofi/WSTT and Randy/Legacy...

 

[Junior]

kofi is one the hottest things going for the wwe right now...his look is fine and his attire is good...finally he talking for real and it seams like he is really good on the mic...i agree maybe a newer upbeat hot remix to his theme song would be cool but im always down for new theme songs for new wrestlers...AKA TRIPLE H!!!! needs one BAD!

 

[Doctor Awesome]

the music from africa is very similar to what you hear in his entrance music. so, as several others have stated, maybe just a slight tweaking/remix to accentuate his rise in intensity would be plenty there. i personally think they are repackaging him slowly as they go. consider all of the gradual changes since the weeks leading up to the bragging rights ppv. they have done a really good job @ letting him help himself, and kudos to orton for taking that really good ass whooping like a man @ msg. i imagine that if they continue his current feud w/orton in a singles match, he won't go over randy but doesn't really have to as long as it's done with him looking strong. ever since the nascar segment when a fire was lit under his ass, kofi has become my must watch guy on raw.

 

[waylonmercy]

I definitely wouldn't repackage him because although his music may need changing, I see no reason why they can't leave his music and say he was born in Jamaica or spent his childhood there and explain the music. The finish of his match made him look like gold. The crowd was so behind him and got so excited when he did his finisher on Orton. Awesome finish in my opinion. I couldn't think of a better way to do it.

I kinda think this is an example of what Shelton Benjamin could be if he got his act together.

 

[whoopwhoop12]

I'm still kind of shocked that Kofi is getting over in some sense. I don't mean that negatively, but it kind of came out of nowhere and it actually started when he dropped the accent. For right now, I would at least do something about the music since he's obviously not JAMAICAN. I think people are bum rushing Kofi right now. Meaning, it wasn't like there was a build to him dropping his accent, he just dropped it...OUT OF NOWHERE. Like...it took time for people to change from one thing to another and the minute he dropped it, he became more fierce, brutal and understandable. To me, he has talent, but he has no "umph". My personal opinion off of last night Survivor Series was to have both Kofi and Christian win, since they are both over with the crowd so both of the shine is on them equally.

Honestly, how great would it have been if Christian pinned Randy Orton. People were waiting for that to happen. A seasoned vet like Christian can't get a pinfall on Orton, but Kofi can take out CM Punk and Orton in less than 6 seconds from one another. I don't know about that. I'm not buying it. Repackage him in some sense and give me a reason to care for his motives.

Good wrestler and all, but I just think this is to sudden.

 

[InterestingDrug]

Slight modifications to Kofi are probably necessary. I agree with others that the music needs to change to suit his new agressive attitude. I also think they need to change his ring attire. That green and yellow is ugly. He dropped the Jamaican gimmick, now let's change the music and Jamaican colors on the ring attire.

I would have loved to see Christian work this fued with Orton, however it makes no sense for WWE to invest in Christian at this point. They need to build young star and think about the future. Moving Kofi up was the right move. To think about it, this is the only move up for a young star, that didnt come from Money in the Bank, in a long long time. It was perfect. Kudos to Orton for working this fued as well. It's rare to see the main eventers work fueds with these young guys. Good for Orton. Triple H wouldnt have done that, but its probably because of Trips that Orton is working this fued afterall.

 

[Rated PG Superstar]

I'm still kind of shocked that Kofi is getting over in some sense. I don't mean that negatively, but it kind of came out of nowhere and it actually started when he dropped the accent. For right now, I would at least do something about the music since he's obviously not JAMAICAN. I think people are bum rushing Kofi right now. Meaning, it wasn't like there was a build to him dropping his accent, he just dropped it...OUT OF NOWHERE. Like...it took time for people to change from one thing to another and the minute he dropped it, he became more fierce, brutal and understandable. To me, he has talent, but he has no "umph". My personal opinion off of last night Survivor Series was to have both Kofi and Christian win, since they are both over with the crowd so both of the shine is on them equally.

Honestly, how great would it have been if Christian pinned Randy Orton. People were waiting for that to happen. A seasoned vet like Christian can't get a pinfall on Orton, but Kofi can take out CM Punk and Orton in less than 6 seconds from one another. I don't know about that. I'm not buying it. Repackage him in some sense and give me a reason to care for his motives.

Good wrestler and all, but I just think this is to sudden.

If what you said about his motives are that he has no motive to be going after Orton, if i remember, and i might be wrong, but didnt KK get attacked by Legacy and hence he interfered in Otons Iron Man match? That kinda set the feud going.

Also the guy has bags of energy which always gets the crowd going, i don't think hes main event just yet, but after a couple of singles matches with orton, a strong showing in the Royal Rumble, and maybe/hopefully winning MITB, i truly believe he will main event by next summer.

 

[bucks8897]

I agree with him being tweaked slightly. I think Kofi should keep the same colors, up-temp attitude, but give him a remix to his entrance music. After Orton puts him over make that slight change and I think you've got a new face in the main eventers.

I personally like to see Kofi getting such a big push. It's coming all of the sudden but Orton is doing a good job putting him over. I'm very excited of having a fresh face and act in the main event slots. Even after the fued with Orton is done whatever comes next will be nice also.

 

[wwe83]

Imagine that more horrible booking by WWE to put orton in the match after they said a million time he doesnt deserve it. I love WWE oh wait WWF I have so much faith in WWE that I always give them a second chance.... If Orton wins the battle royal and is #1 contender than I dont know if I can forgive them. WWE needs a fresh change for awhile since they have like 40 ppvs a year instead of the big 4 to build rivalries.

 

[conrad405]

No, I don't think he needs to. He has good ring gear and he has great theme music. I would maybe change his entrance video. Besides, I like the way he is and to tell the truth, I didn't like his old gimmick. But now he's dropped it and it's much better. Putting Orton through a table was awesome, so I'm fine with the way he is.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think so. I've always enjoyed Kofi Kingston in the ring, though I never saw him as a potential main eventer. He has a real youthful energy about him that a lot of the fans just simply like and draws them in. He had a good run as U.S. champ and he made fans believe that he was very proud to be the champ.

All that's happened with Orton is a slight change in personality. The WWE has portrayed Randy Orton as something of a bully and Kingston rising to meet the challenge of that bully has drawn people into it. They've portrayed Kofi as a strong competitor able to hold his own against and even beat Randy Orton. He looks as though he could be Orton's equal and I think that's very important. If they'd have drawn out the beginning of this feud over several weeks by having Orton just constantly attack him from behind, interfere in his matches while Kingston just tried to kind of ignore him and go on about his business, I don't think it would've worked as well.

I think Kofi needs to retain the kind of upbeat, happy sort of persona he's got. After all, you can be a happy sort of person while still being a badass at the same time. I like the fact that they dropped the Jamaican aspect of Kofi's character because it just makes him seem more authentic.

 

[Freddy4190]

Nah. The dude is insanely over right now. They have everything right where it needs to be and they're doing shit the right way. It's that character development that people have been wanting. They said, "Yo! Give Kofi mic time, he's good and all, but he doesn't speak alot, how can we take him seriously?" Alright, there you go. He dropped that accent, nobody could take him seriously with that obviously fake thing anyways. That's down. "Yo! Put him in a feud with somebody that's actually credible, not a mid-carder." He's facing the former WWE Champion Randy Orton, fresh off a championship match. That's done! "Yo! Make him more serious, maybe he should stop smiling and start whooping ass!" I give you Raw from Madison Square Garden, he beat Randy Orton's ass all over the famed arena, then capped it all off with a epic leg drop through the table. That segment was beautiful, the only thing that screwed it up was them not cueing Kofi's music in time, but that's nothing major forreal. Kofi's on a roll, they have no reason to change absolutely anything about this man. He's king right now.

 

[J-Dogg]

No Kofi doesn't need to be repackaged, WWE admitted he wasn't Jamacian and he dropped the accent, over the past few weeks he's be been more aggressive and brutal than ever. He is massively over with the fans in his feud with Randy Orton, he proved himself a big time future main eventer at Survivor Series, the only change that i would she is his ring attire or entrance music. WWE has done a good job on building Kofi up and Orton works well with him.

But in no way does he need to be repackaged thats only needed if he turns heel and that will not be for a LONG time, which in my opinion would happen when he's been in the Main Event for a long time.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

He needs a new theme and new attire. The bottom line is that if he isn't Jamaican, then he shouldn't come out to Jamaican theme music ... and probably needs new attire (get rid of the bright colors) to signify his change in direction.

It makes not a single shred of sense keeping the music, the style of his attire (bright neon colors), the Titan Tron video, or the background on the HD set if the guy is no longer the person he was once playing/claiming to be.

This isn't Rocket Science, people. Doing those things will fix just about everything wrong with Kingston. His persona and attitude are fine and can be left alone.

 

[Remix]

I think that they're going to get around to changing them soon enough. If you think about it, He stopped being announced from Jamaca before he dropped the accent. I'm guessing that WWE doesnt want to change everything about him that's identifiable all at once. It means that any idiots watching wont get confused by the sudden changes that are going on in fromt of them.

 

[Raw is War2]

Kofi Kingston kills. I mean he's amazing. And to whomever pointed out we could see the next champion, the feud with orton is good, Orton is putting him over, which all main-event talent should be doing, I mean take a look at Jeff Hardy last year, he and triple h had a good feud, with trying to win the big one, then suddenly Jeff Hardy got the title and he was a new face of Smackdown no Hunter, no Edge, being champion just Jeff Hardy and his living in the moment. I could tell that what Kofi Kingston is going to do, If Orton gets the title back I could predict that the first one in line would be Kofi kingston, and so what if he doesn't have good mic work. Look at former champions, Brock lesnar wasn't good on the mic, Big Show isn't that good on the Mic. All that the WWE has to do is give these superstars a chance, and we will see future champions within the next couple of months to years.