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At WrestleMania 35, an 11-year long fairy-tale journey came to a gratifying and fulfilling end as Kofi Kingston finally won the WWE Championship after defeating Daniel Bryan in an instant classic. It was the culmination of an unbelievable underdog story of a wrestler who fought through adversity at every turn. Kingston's WWE Championship victory was a surreal scene and a true WrestleMania moment.
However, like most underdog stories, WWE has been unable to make Kingston's WWE Championship reign a memorable one. The follow-up to Kingston's unforgettable WrestleMania triumph has been nothing short of underwhelming. Here's how and why Kofi Kingston's reign has been disappointing.
First of all, Kingston hasn't been at his best since winning the most prestigious prize at WrestleMania. His rivalry with Kevin Owens was cut short with no real pay-off. Owens' betrayal of the New Day wasn't exactly shocking as fans were aware of how treacherous Owens had been in the past.
Owens replaced Big E, who suffered an injury soon after WrestleMania and viciously attacked Kingston's companion, Xavier Woods. Instead of Kingston looking for revenge, he set out to prove to Owens that he was worthy of all the success he achieved. His rivalry with Dolph Ziggler was doomed from the get-go and failed to inspire any real fan interest. The same can be said about his short scuffle with Samoa Joe. Kingston hasn't delivered as WWE Champion. He was overshadowed by his challengers and New Day brethren. His matches weren't nearly as good as we have come to expect from him.
Secondly, Kingston has looked weak as WWE Champion. He was not able hold his own in the build-up to the matches against Ziggler. Samoa Joe pinned Kofi in a tag-team match. His opponents have managed to outshine him in the ring more often than not, and also on the microphone. The involvement of the New Day has been a focal point in all story-lines.
Xavier Woods helped Kofi retain against Ziggler at Super ShowDown. He just escaped from Ziggler and Joe at Stomping Grounds and Extreme Rules respectively. He hasn't been engaging as WWE Champion. The fact that he hasn't convincingly defeated his rivals is proof of how weak Kofi has been as WWE Champion.
Thirdly, his WrestleMania moment has over-shadowed his entire reign as WWE Champion. All of his rivalries were based on his triumphant victory at WrestleMania, rather than the WWE Championship. Kingston's championship reign has been about fighting stereotypes, defending his family and proving himself, rather than elevating and honoring the WWE Championship.
Lastly, Kingston hasn't drawn well as the WWE Champion. The ratings for SmackDown Live have been extremely low and he has failed to attract large crowds at pay-per-views and live events. An article on Forbes suggests that Kofi is one of the worst-drawing champions in WWE history.
Although Kofi cannot be entirely blamed for plummeting ratings and poor ticket sales, he is partly responsible. The WWE Champion is presented as the face of WWE, who is featured on advertisements and key story-lines. He is supposed to draw in fans and keep them interested in the product. With all due respect, Kofi hasn't been able to do that.
