Wrestler of the Wee (2/2): Kofi Kingston
Associate Editor Jay Shannon looks at our Wrestler of the Week, the Jamaican Sensation, Kofi Kingston.
Kofi Kingston has finally made it to the big leagues. He is the newest star to debut on the ECW brand. With a mix of charisma, good looks, and flashy moves, Kofi is poised to make waves like a Caribbean Hurricane in the WWE. Let’s take a quick look at his past, present and future.
The beginnings of the Jamaican Sensation
Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He began his wrestling career as Kofi Nahaje Kingston, in 2005, working the independents. He took Kingston as his surname for two reason:
1. In honor of his hometown.
2. Kingston was easier to pronounce than his given name.
Kofi was a stand-out in both the New England Championship Wrestling and Chaotic Wrestling during 2006. It was at a Chaotic Wrestling show that Kofi was noticed by a WWE road agent and approached about working in the developmental territories. Kofi accepted and was sent to Deep South Wrestling. Between September, 2006 and June, 2007, Kofi went back and forth between DSW and OVW.
In June of 2007, Kofi was tapped to help elevate Florida Championship Wrestling, a recent addition to the development territories. Kofi began to gather quite a following in Florida. His Jamaican background made him a favorite with many Floridians who, like Kofi, had emigrated to Florida from various island nations in the Caribbean. Kofi always wore the Emerald and Gold of Jamaican. In fact, the front of his ring jacket is emblazoned with his country’s flag.
Kofi began to work Dark Matches for both Raw and Smackdown during the spring and summer of 2007. Kofi continued to work full-time for FCW during the Fall of 2007. On December 4, 2007, the first of a series of vignettes began running that focused on Kofi’s Jamaican Heritage. These vignettes ran for six weeks before Kofi debuted against David Owen on January 22, 2008.
Current plans for Kofi
Kofi is getting a solid push on ECW. He has unveiled a series of flashy moves that has endeared him to the crowd. His finisher, once called Cool Runnings, has been replaced with the Beach Blaster. The name is meant as a tip of the cap to the late “Bad News” Brown who used the Ghetto Blaster. The moves are basically the same, a Buzzsaw Enziguri.
Kofi is starting his career by taking on various prelim wrestlers to establish himself as a top draw. Over the next few weeks, Kofi should begin to step up to face some of the more well-known talent, such as Mike Knox, Jamie Noble, Kenny Dykstra, etc…
Possible future plans for Kofi Kingston
Kofi will likely spend several months building his character and his fan base. He will likely feud with Shelton Benjamin in the future. Eventually, he will be promoted to one of the bigger two shows. The most likely avenue would be a Battle of the Caribbean between Kofi and Carlito. Kofi will likely wear either the Intercontinental or US title in the future. It’s hard to say whether Kofi will make it to the top tier in the WWE. If heart and attitude were the main factors in determining superstardom, then Kofi should have little trouble getting a top spot. The best thing that could happen to Kofi would be to get a spot in the Money in the Bank match at either Wrestlemania XXIV or Wrestlemania XXV. That would allow him to showcase his tremendous talent. That could be the boost that he needs to make it to the top of the ladder, pun full intended.
In Conclusion:
Kofi is the newest wrestler to take a chance at stardom in the WWE. Kofi excites the crowd with his bubbly personality and high-risk moves. the future looks as bright as the Jamaican sun for this youngster. For making such a sudden and dramatic impact on the ECW program, Kofi Kingston is this week’s Wrestler of the Week.
–Jay Shannon
Boxworld@SBCGlobal.net
(1/31/08)
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