10 Beautiful Moments Of Respect In Wrestling

8. Kofi Kingston Pays It Forward

Daniel Bryan Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

Daniel Bryan, speaking on Jimmy Jacobs' podcast last year, revealed that he was prouder of his work at WrestleMania 35 than his own triumph five years prior.

It speaks to the sensibility of the man; though awful personal circumstances marred his career triumph, Bryan is an unusual pro wrestler. He isn't motivated by money nor ego. He wrestles for the love of it, and personally asked to lose his WWE Championship to Ali - and, when that plot development went sadly awry, Kofi Kingston. He saw the value in the power of the story.

And he did, at WrestleMania 35, in a match so wonderful that it in itself created a sense of belief in WWE's creative process, even in these fading times. Bryan gave Kofi everything - perhaps even suffering a concussion, if the dots are connected - to get him over as the man to escape his submission prowess at its most formidable. It was an agonising, expertly-crafted tale built around adapting Kofi's decade-long struggle to a 23 minute match.

Speaking to ESPN immediately after it, Kofi very gently broke kayfabe to pay it forward. "I know that he delivers his message in a pompous way, and people don't like it...but he's a good dude."

The pause is everything. For a moment, a look of sheer, awed gratitude forms across his face before he puts him over. It's a lovely moment, one that represents exactly why fans fell for him.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!