The WWE Series: 6) Kofi Kingston

[Adam Rush]

What kind of investment has Kofi Kingston been for the WWE so far? Positive, neutral, or negative?

Irondan and Ethelion, this one's for you guys!

This is a very hard one...Kofi Kingston debuted on ECW in 2008 and seemed like he would be a big player, but it seems he's stuck in the midcard. That being said...this is from Wikipedia:

Since debuting with WWE, he has won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship twice, the World Tag Team Championship once with CM Punk and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, once with Evan Bourne and once with R-Truth.

In the role he's been stuck with, Kofi has done very well. This is so hard to pick, as I could see good arguments for all three choices. I'm going to go with negative, because he has been an underachiever, rather like Kevin Kolb in Arizona.

 

[kvtiger_8]

I guess this all depends on what you classify as a success.

As a main eventer, has Kofi been a success? Hard to say yes to that. However, I believe he exceeded expectations in his one main-event feud (Orton).

He is a mid-card staple, and the fans love to watch him in the ring. So for that reason, I voted positive.

 

[Ethelion]

Irondan and Ethelion, this one's for you guys!

Haha! Thanks again.

Kofi Kingston debuted on ECW in 2008

Wow, all this time I actually thought that he first debut on Raw. Good find.

I was going to say that he's neutral at first, but I simply can't deny that he somewhat sells merchandise and is fairly over with the kids, which is the company's main demographic. With that being said, I believe Kofi Kingston has been a positive investment to the WWE.

When I saw him debut in 2008, I initially thought, "Looks like we have another mid-carder in the WWE." And for a while, he was. While gaining success in becoming Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion and United States Champion, he was still a mid-carder. Then came his one-and-only significant feud with Randy Orton. There, he finally caught my interest. He showed promising promos with the Legacy like destroying Otron's car and impressive victories against Orton himself on a 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination-Style Match (with Kofi as the sole survivor of his team) and 1-on-1 on Raw, which scored the biggest upset of his career. Despite Orton winnning the feud, Kofi proved that he could hang with the main-event players and be a future World Heavyweight Champion in the very least. Then for some odd reason, the WWE stopped his momentum and put him back in the mid-card scene. Still, he was able to recapture the IC Title twice and the US Title. He even added two WWE Tag Team Championships in his resume, one each with Evan Bourne and R-Truth.

Now if only they'd give him a chance to breakout in the World Title picture...

 

[Kelso1ftw]

I love Kofi, he is a fan favorite and is always cheered, he has been a great mid-card talent for the 4 years he has now been with WWE. He has been stuck at the top of the mid-card for quite some time through, not being able to break through to the next level much like Jeff Hardy and John Morrison were for a long time. Everyone will remember for the short feud he had with Randy Orton and everyone at the time thought he shined but nothing ever came of it. I'm sure he could be one that would be up for a MITB or even as a transitional champion in the future at some point in the future and I believe he just needs a bit of a character tweak to get that push to the next level, he has a great character but that's all he has been over the past 4 years pretty much, except for when he quit using the Jamaican accent.

 

[HBsam31]

I had to vote positive. He is a solid mid card guy, and the fans love him. He has held Tag and IC gold. Never really understand why he didn't remain in the main event scene after his feud with Orton. He did a solid job and people were really starting to notice him. Even with no main event success I still have to give him a positive for being a solid mid card guy who seems to have a lot of fan support.

 

[thugprince44]

What kind of investment has Kofi Kingston been for the WWE so far? Positive, neutral, or negative?

Irondan and Ethelion, this one's for you guys!

This is a very hard one...Kofi Kingston debuted on ECW in 2008 and seemed like he would be a big player, but it seems he's stuck in the midcard. That being said...this is from Wikipedia:

Since debuting with WWE, he has won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship twice, the World Tag Team Championship once with CM Punk and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, once with Evan Bourne and once with R-Truth.

In the role he's been stuck with, Kofi has done very well. This is so hard to pick, as I could see good arguments for all three choices. I'm going to go with negative, because he has been an underachiever, rather like Kevin Kolb in Arizona.

So you rate Kofi who has been decorated with gold and gets consistent solid pops negative, but say Drew McIntyre who gets no heat (and even none when he wasn't jobbing) can be a future top heal. What show are you watching??

 

[JBK2008]

From a midcard status, I'm going to say positive. He's a great talent and the fan love him and the kids cheer for him. He sells a little merchandise, so that's a plus in Vince's eyes.

Once he dropped the face accent, he learned a little bit on the stick and has gotten better when he gets the few chances to speak. His one main event feud with Randy Orton was great to see and if that's anything of what's to come from him, then count me in.

I don't know why he's stuck in the mid card still. Other than being a known name in that tag team ranks, there's no reason he can't at least challenge for the title a few times!

 

[Jack-Hammer]

To me, Kofi's been a positive investment for WWE. He's been a very solid mid-card presence and he's a solid tag team wrestler. He's highly entertaining to watch inside the ring, has tons of athletic ability and brings a lot of energy into his matches. Kofi is someone that can be counted on to go out there, get the crowd livened up and put on good wrestling matches. From top to bottom, I'd say Kofi has been one of the most consistent guys on the roster in quite some time.

While Kofi isn't terrible on the mic, he's certainly not great. I do believe, however, the potential for Kofi to be very solid on the stick is there. With some work and some opportunity to deliver some promo work, I think that Kofi could substantially improve. That's really the only thing holding him back in my eyes from moving up into the upper mid-card to main event picture. I'm not saying that Kofi will ever be the face of WWE, but he's certainly got the potential to be on a level of Rey Mysterio. He's already better on the mic than Mysterio is. I think another thing holding Kofi back, unfortunately, may have been Randy Orton. Kofi made a mistake during one of their matches during their feud a few years ago, one that was barely noticable, but Orton flew off the handle backstage and that was the end of Kofi's push at that time. I believe it was in October 2009 that the angle really kicked into high gear when Kofi was backstage and trashed a race car that had Orton's name & picture on it. Kofi trashed it with a sledgehammer and threw yellow paint all over it all while delivering a heated & passionate promo. I remember that moment vividly because that was when I really saw the potential in Kofi. I think if they give Kofi a real chance, he could take it and run with it.

 

[theBec2101]

You can’t blame the guy for the way he is being booked. I mean he is a great worker, entertaining in the ring and not bad on the mic. He doesn’t get in trouble behind the stage so why wouldn’t he be a good investment. I thought his feud with Orton was doing good, but again shit happens.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

i have always liked kofi. he is very tallented in the ring and good on the mic. i think he surprised a lot off people with how far he has come. ok he is not in the main event scene and there are guys who have not been around half as long as kofi that are way above him on the card. but when given the chance he has always steped up to the mark. his feud with orton was great

 

[Dagger Dias]

I voted neutral.

It comes down to the definition of a success, which is going to be different to different people. While he may not have ever held a world title (doubtful at this point), he has won a few midcard titles and the tag team titles as well. The feud with Orton in 2009 showed a side of Kofi that COULD main event and hold the World Heavyweight Championship believably. WWE for whatever reason did not follow through with that and he's been stuck in the midcard ever since. The potential has always been there, but it doesn't look like we will ever see it happen. Kofi would have been a positive investment in my opinion had the entire push happened, but if he remains a micarder for life then he will not be fully successful.

Now, with that having been said.... Kofi has accomplished everything he possibly can in WWE other than winning the World/WWE Championship. He's basically been the king of the midcard for most of his career. Air Boom and Air Truth have both been teams of Kofi's that had Tag Team Championship runs. US Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and even competed in a few main event level matches as well. He's had a more successful career than most wrestlers can hope for. It comes down to what your personal definition of a positive investment and a successful career is. I don't think he will have been a positive investment if they ignore opportunities to move him up like they keep doing, although he's in no way shape or form a negative investment, so.... my choice was neutral.

 

[ultramattman]

WWE has gotten a LOT of value out of Kofi Kingston. He's been popular with crowds, sold merchandise, been a worthy midcard attraction for a number of years. He's a PPV highlight in any kind of stunt match. You can't rate Kofi as anything but a positive for WWE. Guys like that are very important to a company.

It's interesting, though, that WWE seems to be handing his spots over to new talent. Kofi wasn't in this year's MITB match, for example, something he's always been a lock for.

 

[hollowpoint]

I voted positive because I think he plays his role exceptionally well. Given the opportunity, I think he could be a main event guy. He's very entertaining and over with the fans. He also is a great worker in the ring and can put on a great match with anyone. His mic skills have vastly improved and he has now become one of the more reliable Superstars on the roster.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Kofi has been nothing but positive. He is an established competent upper midcarder who can work main event status matches when need be. I can't remember his last boring match. The problem is that a lot of people have made being called a midcarder a bad thing

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I'm not really a fan of Kofi but I don't dislike him either.

But for ANYONE to say Kingston has had ANYTHING but a positive impact on WWE in insane!

While most might claim since Kofi hasn't and will most likely never win a world title, he could be "negative".

But I propose something else entirely, I think Kofi has achieved something else, almost more difficult, to be a SOLIDIFIED MID CARDER!

The obvious is that Kofi has become one of the only solid faces in WWE and is a top draw for merch & for the kids. Not only that, Kofi has solidified himself as a top midcarder. This guys could go to any company in the world, debut that afternoon, win the world title, and it would be okay because of his tenure in WWE. Not only that, but he has been more or less relevant the whole time. Kof is DEFINATELY the new Rey Mysterio. He will never be "that guy" but between loyal fans, selling merch, and being one of the only top faces WWE has, he will be around for awhile.

I think BY FAR, Kofi is in his lowest point currently. But WWE isn't letting him go anytime soon, so that means he can only go UP!!!

 

[Unsold Bacon]

I would say positive. He is a solid mid card wrestler who can be taken seriously with main eventers if the WWE would decide to utilize him that way. (Orton in late 2009) He has won multiple IC and US titles. I like Kofi; he is a fun character and can be fun to watch in the ring as well. Unfortunately I am really not enjoying his reign with the tag titles with R-Truth. I like both guys individually but together they just don't look like a tag team at all and just don't mesh well together. Overall, though I would say Kofi is a positive investment.

 

[HBK/RKO]

Definitely positive investment. I'm going to keep this short and simple. Not everyone is going to win the WWE/World Title there has to be mid carders

 

[Kitten Cutter]

Since The Undertaker is all but retired, Kofi Kingston is my current and active favorite wrestler, so I'm biased. However, let me attempt to state my case as why he's positive as well...

The sentiment is all the same really: everyone loved his feud with Randy Orton, every saw massive potential, and then he went ice cold. I swear Randy Orton should have been the Career Killer the way he has practically crushed other mid-carders trying to make their way up, and not just Kofi.

My argument is this: Kofi debuted in 2008, and since the point he won his first title (the Intercontinental title from Chris Jericho) he has been a consistent face, and a consistent champion. He has rarely gone longer than 6 months without either being champion or competing for one of the World titles. When the IC or United States title needs a top face to hold it, Kofi is the best man for the job. He's not a comedy act like Santino and he's not a jobber like Alex Riley. He's never gone through a period of jobbing out to random superstars like Yoshi Tatsu, and he gets very consistent cheers. I'd argue he's always in the WWE's top 5 faces at any given moment.

If you want to add backstage presence, he's not a HHH work-out buddy nor has he married the wrong woman, or been in the complete doghouse for ribbing people. Only Orton has said bad things about him, and I'd venture to say that since Orton is on his last strike, anything he says or thinks should be disregarded, especially since I'd directly blame him for the burying of Mr. Kennedy and M.V.P. as well. Kofi is no drug, alcohol or criminal risk, yet he's not considered a corporate kiss-ass like Cena. He's reliable in the ring, doesn't blow many spots, is innovative enough so that every match looks and feels different, and has the athleticism to work with pretty much anyone and get a good match out of them. Even his bevy of finishers could work on bigger guys, like Trouble in Paradise or even the Jackknife Crossbody or S.O.S.

Do keep in mind that Jeff Hardy started as a lowly jobber in 1994, moved up in the tag team ranks\big leagues in 1998, tried his hand in singles, and got his first WWF title shot in 2002. Far as I'm concerned, Kofi is still doing very well, and I would vote positive because I feel there is definitely some World title reigns in his future!

 

[Christian Faith]

I feel he has been a success. 3 IC titles is no mean fete even in today's WWE.

1 thing I dislike about WWE these days is the way superstars are rushed to world titles or jobbed out. In my opinion it feels like your either a main eventer or a jobber with no mid card in between. Kofi is an exception to the rule he's had 4 years or so as a genuine mid/upper card superstar with no rushed world title push leading to a short forgettable reign. See Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler or even CM Punk reign #1 for example.

I like Kofi but I think he is fine as he is I don't see him as a world champion and he doesn't need a meaningless run with the title. He is a good solid mid/upper carder who can main event occasionally and be relevant.

Just my opinion.

 

[midgensa]

Kofi is DEFINITELY a positive investment for the WWE.

He is a midcard guy that can be placed believably in main event pictures here and there and the fans absolutely LOVE him.

He is solid and entertaining in the ring ... OK when he has to be on the stick ... and definitely does fine in the merch selling department.

I don't know if "I'm Jamacian" as a gimmick is going to be enough to really push him to the top, but he DOESN'T NEED to be at the top to be worth every penny for the WWE. He is perfect for them.

A guy who can be placed literally ANYWHERE on the card, can carry matches, perform solid on the stick and sells merch. Pretty solid for whatever his price is I am sure.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I voted positive. He's popular, solid in the ring, though he hasn't had a match that really wows me. He moves merchandise. But the problem is how he's used and that blame is not on him. He's not in control of his placement on the roster. He's done everything he's been asked. HE has a feud with Orton, he makes a mistake in the ring against Orton and then he gets railroaded into midcard and now the tag team division which is an utter waste of his abilities. His demotion is bullshit backstage politics as usual in WWE.

He should have gotten a run at some heavyweight title and WWE decided not to. I'd love to see him elsewhere in (another promotion maybe TNA), but chances are he'll stick around in the WWE for the money, no matter where they put him. WWE talks a good game but they are the same predictable main event roster games we always see.