Report: Change Coming For Kofi

[Jack-Hammer]

According to a report on the main WZ page, a character change is expected for Kofi Kingston. The report states that, according to sources, a change in entrance music and booking is expected in the coming weeks for Kofi. Allegedly, Kofi is becoming more of a priority at WWE's creative meetings. As of right now, there's no confirmation on whether Kofi will be a babyface or a heel. The report finishes out stating that Kofi's surprise win over Randy Orton on Raw last night is the first sign for a change when it comes to Kofi.

Kofi has been a consistently strong mid-card presence in WWE since the summer of 2008 and while I'm not saying he'll be a main eventer or even should be, I'd like to see him get a real opportunity to at show if he has what it takes or not. Kofi's been a 4 time Intercontinental Champion, a 3 time United States Champion and a 3 time Tag Team Champion, so there's really not much else for him to do in the mid-card unless they give FINALLY give him that long needed breakout, mid-card title run to elevate him. Personally, I've always felt that there's a good deal of untapped potential in Kofi, potential that we've seen glimpses of a handful of times over the past several years. I've always wanted to see what he could do in a repackaged heel role, so maybe that's on the horizon. Kofi's definitely paid his dues and consistently puts out high quality matches.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's about time. Kofi's time in the midcard has been highly enjoyable, but there is only so much he can do under this persona. I hope the change will make him into a more aggressive character. I hope it will work out well for Kofi, he definitely deserves to move up the card after the work he has put in over the years. Worst case scenario, it flops and he reverts back to his midcard face persona. If this change ends up working out maybe we will finally see Kofi reach his full potential and get a world title shot. He's held both of the midcard titles multiple times and had a couple of tag team title runs too. Whether he remains a face or turns heel, this could end up being very good for Kofi. There's literally nothing else he can accomplish without changing things up a bit.... He has been more or less the same for almost 6 years, so I'm quite interested in seeing how this will play out.

 

[The Butcher]

I hope this is true, but it's hard to believe that there will ever be substantial change with Kofi. His win against Orton last night was entertaining, and perhaps an early sign that Kofi is more of a priority. We shouldn't forget though, that the last time rumors of big things for Kofi started swirling in the wake of a match against Randy Orton, the actual results were a pretty big letdown.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

It's hard to dislike Kofi. And that's a problem. I don't see him as anything other than a happy-go-lucky babyface. Though that mini-series with Orton years ago showed me a different side to him. But that was in 2009 (or something) and I've largely forgotten Kofi exists since then. It's also the wrong time of year to decide you're getting behind somebody. Is Kofi going to feature prominently at Mania? No he is not.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I hope this is true, but it's hard to believe that there will ever be substantial change with Kofi.

Agreed. It's hard to say whether his past forays into the realm of mid-card championships were intended to be real pushes that didn't pan out.....or just occasional rewards for being a solid performer.

As it is, he's never been a part of a storyline; he simply wrestles fill-in matches. It was certainly interesting seeing him against Randy Orton last night, as we all remember the last time they opposed each other in the ring. ("Stupid! Stupid!") But while it was encouraging to see Randy "agree" to work with Kofi again, it was certainly a surprise to see the ending. I figured this match was just a showcase for Randy, especially given what he's up against at the Rumble.

It would be good to see something useful and different come out of this for Kofi. He's been a good soldier for a long time.

 

[Thriller Ant]

I wouldn't mind seeing them do something different with Kofi, but really, what would he gain? With their being only one world title, it would take an unbelievably massive push for him to reach that level for longer than a cup of coffee. He's already a staple in the upper midcard, so even though a gimmick change might freshen him up a bit, I can't see it making a major, lasting, and positive change in his career.

 

[DeadWalkerr]

Kofi is a cool dude. Nice to see him get a push

 

[$Mr. 100%]

I would love 2 c kofi have more of an attitude heel or face as his character has always been stale 2 me. However he will always b a upper mid card ala dibiase perfect etc

 

[CM-Punkha]

It's hard to dislike Kofi. And that's a problem. I don't see him as anything other than a happy-go-lucky babyface. Though that mini-series with Orton years ago showed me a different side to him. But that was in 2009 (or something) and I've largely forgotten Kofi exists since then. It's also the wrong time of year to decide you're getting behind somebody. Is Kofi going to feature prominently at Mania? No he is not.

I would like to see Kofi win the title, even for a short period. Your right n the baby face thing, I think the fans would be red hot and then once he won it...they wouldn't care.

Hence why I would still use the fans. Make him red hot. And then in championship match, cheat adn turn heel and get so much heat (him vs another face...maybe Bryan?). Then at least he would start a heel turn on strong footing and let's see if he can carry it. If he fails, make him lose title and back to go lucky face after a couple weeks off.

 

[Pedigree1]

WWE has done this too much to poor Kofi. Just as it seems,the WWE is going to put Kofi into more of a serious role,they have yanked the rug from underneath him so many times. But i feel this time is different,i like Kofi he has a lot of untapped potential and his surprise win over Orton last night is a huge indicator of what the WWE wants to do with Kofi.

A overhaul of his character,entrance music is long overdue.. I still think he can be a face,but more of a serious just in the zone Kofi is what needs to happen. He is a great mid-carder has done it all at that level,its about time he gets a serious push.. Kofi is a great employee,about time he gets rewarded for his hard work

 

[MCMG]

I suppose I am interested by this. A character change might just work for Kofi. He is enjoyable in the ring and is a likeable character. The problem is, in my opinion, is that everything about him screams face and I don't think there is another level for him.

Kofi is popular, yes, but not to the extent the WWE have to push him. Kofi is a good guy to work in the mid-card. Entertaining matches are pretty much guaranteed. If there is a heel or face US or IC champ then Kofi is a good guy to feud with for a few months. He could even go back into a tag-team. Evan Bourne is somewhere; find him and put him alongside Kofi.

If this means a heel turn then I'm excited by this. I wonder if the WWE can make Kofi a legitimate, believable heel. I doubt it, but it could work.

 

[Cody Trail]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Every year or so it's the same thing with Kofi. He's about to change up his character. He's going to get another mid-card title reign and this time he's going to break out. Give me a break. The only thing the guy has changed about himself since his debut 6 years ago was dropping the Jamacian accent. In my opinion, Kofi's career peaked the moment he debuted. He's a solid babyface mid-carder. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[three count bout]

I suppose I am interested by this. A character change might just work for Kofi. He is enjoyable in the ring and is a likeable character. The problem is, in my opinion, is that everything about him screams face and I don't think there is another level for him.

Kofi is popular, yes, but not to the extent the WWE have to push him. Kofi is a good guy to work in the mid-card. Entertaining matches are pretty much guaranteed. If there is a heel or face US or IC champ then Kofi is a good guy to feud with for a few months. He could even go back into a tag-team. Evan Bourne is somewhere; find him and put him alongside Kofi.

If this means a heel turn then I'm excited by this. I wonder if the WWE can make Kofi a legitimate, believable heel. I doubt it, but it could work.

I'm wondering if the slap off with The Miz will be viewed as the start point in all this where Kofi is sick of being the happy go lucky guy. For some reason I can picture a very determined Kofi saying he's sick of being a dependable workhorse, baby kissing, audience pandering guy who never gets a legit shot. I think Kofi would have to switch from the colorful apparel to make this work though, somehow I keep viewing him in a suit with glasses (Hollywood Kofi esque) finally being allowed to speak. This would either inject the spark Kofi needs to at least make a run at something greater or it could fail and you would have essentially stripped him of everything that's been working for the last six or seven years.

It's not like Kofi doesn't look believable with the top workers either, as evident by last night or when he fought ADR when he was World Heavyweight Champion. An aggressive Kofi could be interesting.

 

[thebigbadfox]

I can never see Kofi winning a major title, however here is a small idea how you could vastly push him hard right now!
Have him come out on Raw next week and demand he be put into the title match at RR since he cleanly pinned the Champ. He doesn't and won't win the title but it would be a different change of pace and since it will not be the end of the show, he can go out in the rumble and make some key eliminations.
Even if Kane or Maddox tell him no then he can go nuts and beat the crap out of someone forcing them to put him in an earn it match which he wins and then gets into a triple threat at RR
Again I do not think it is going to happen or anything... HE will probably get squashed by Orton next week.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Most of the success Kofi will or won't see from any major push, especially coming with a character change, is going to stem off his ability to work the mic. Heel or face, he needs to show people that he can be something other than the generic face he's been for years.

As Jake said, it's hard not to like the guy. He just has that look of a nice guy. I would assume this means he would still stay a face, maybe taking on the more aggressive character he briefly developed in that feud with Orton. I don't recall anyone saying they didn't enjoy seeing that Kofi.

The problem is the small sample size we already have with his mic work. It's not enough to fully judge whether he can pull off a character change. What little I do remember from him sounds very forced and scripted. Only time will tell really.

I definitely hope for the best. He's been one hell of a worker the past 5 or so years.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Either he becomes a Heyman guy... or now Flair is seemingly out of the doghouse... A HORSEMAN...

Sure it's not a WWE concept, but the Horsemen in some form at WM30 makes some sense, it gets Flair on the show for one and can probably push some mid card talent a bit more than they have. Kofi is a perfect guy for Flair to "pick" as the unsung Horseman... a few more and you have at minimum an interesting slant to MITB or whatever 6 or 8 man tag goes on the show...

Kofi isn't gonna be World Champion, but he could be a serious contender with a strong manager in his corner and perhaps discover a new character that COULD be a champion... no one ever saw JBL doing it either...

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Good LORD its about goddamn time. It is so mind boggling every time you see these reports about WWE wanting to find a "strong cross-over African American" character, while all this while they have a guy who 1. is as over as mexican food, while being one of the most forgettably booked guys on the roster 2. Is decent on the mic when given the chance 3. has provided some of the most jaw dropping moments of the last five years.

Kofi truly has everything it takes to be a true star in the WWE, and CLEARLY does not have a shitty attitude, because anyone who did would have gotten complacent and frustrated a long time ago. Any success is well deserved.

 

[closet_fan]

This could work out, or it could be another heel R-Truth. Personally, I loved the program he had with Orton a few years ago. It showed an edginess that Kingston simply never has the chance to show.

If he goes the heel route, I can see him making a small push like when Truth was able to get a title match against Cena at Capital Punishment. But like people here have said: he's been such a happy-go-lucky guy for so long, it's hard for me to see him become a heel that can get over organically with the crowd (IE Ryback).

You can't force a heel turn and expect the crowd to buy into it.

This could be a perfect opportunity for Vince to go with his (rumored) "NO HEELS, NO FACES" concept. Let the fans decide.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I wouldn't have any problem whatsoever with seeing Kofi Kingston receive some form of a push, for many of the reasons already stated in this thread. He's accomplished pretty much all he can as a mid carder. He's been a loyal solid worker for years. And when given some sort of a chance he has shown the potential to be able to run with it, until the powers that be change their collective minds and whip the rug out from under him.

Having said this, I'll believe it when I see it. He is going to be pushed toward the main event? So who is going to step aside? Cena, Orton, Punk, Lesnar, Bryan, possibly even Batista, it's pretty crowded up there at the top, and that's not even counting potentially returning part timers such as Hogan, Taker, or even the Rock, or the onslaught of TNA guys who are going to come on board as they abandon ship, such as Angle, Sting, or Hardy (OK, kidding on the last part). I'm all for re-energizing his character and trying to do more with him, but I don't think we are anywhere near seeing him contending for or winning the major title, especially now that there's just one.

I think they will announce he's from Detroit rather than Ghana. He'll change the color of his shorts, and give him a new entrance theme. Other than that, it's likely going to be a continuation of the same old same old for Mr. Kofi Kingston. Just like that Jamacian dude who used to wrestle with WWE a few years ago.

 

[Henhouse]

I can't help but wonder if Vince brought in a new creative team for Raw last week. Daniel Bryan and The Usos got pushed and FINALLY...FINALLY...they appear to be doing something with Kofi Kingston. Kofi Kingston is being pushed. I never, ever thought I'd type that outside of fantasy booking.

I'm not a huge Kofi fan, but I think he's a good wrestler and has long deserved an opportunity to do something meaningful. His career thus far has consisted of collecting mid-card belts and losing them fairly quickly, with the exception of his feud with Orton. It should be interesting to see what they do with him, as long as they don't turn him into a Funkasaurus, Ballroom Dancer or a Bullfighter.

 

[Leveller]

I've been wanting this for months. I honestly believe that Kofi could take the place that Jeff Hardy left. He could be a high flyer in the main event given time and the right feuds. He needs to have a meaning for his feuds just like when he fought with Orton.

I look forward to seeing what they do with him. My only hope is that they dont try and make him an underdog overcoming everyone. I think he needs that aggressive edge to show he can hang with the big guys. Everyone called Kofi a spot monkey for a while so he could play on that. Give the fans bigger moments and bigger spots to cheer for.

Get him over with the crowd and then have him chase the titles. Any title so long as the feud leading to it is the beginning of a memorable character change for Kofi.

 

[thebarber]

long overdue for Kofi Kingston, thoughy unless he has a wicked character depth and can become a convincing heel, and change his entire in-ring attitude and moveset, then I think this may be a disaster for Kingston.
Kingston needs a gimmick overhaul, just how WWE go about this could be very interesting. Why not have him brainwashed and join the Wyatts???????

 

[JBK2008]

Kofi has been a fan favorite since he debuted. He's too likable to ever turn heel, but a slightly more serious kofi wouldn't hurt and an real shot at the wwe title would be great. Doesnr necessarily have to win the belt but it would be a great and welcome change of pace