10 REAL Reactions From WWE Wrestlers Being Punished On Air

4. Kofi Kingston (SummerSlam 2019)

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Kofi Kingston couldn't react to getting chewed the f*ck out by Randy Orton on live television in 2010 - he had neither the tenure nor temerity of his well-protected rival. Things were thankfully different when the two met many years later.

Orton infamously raged at Kingston at the climax of their moribund Monday Night Raw match, failing to hide his anger even when the referee attempted to raise his arm in victory. Audibly screaming "STUPID!" at the fallen Kofi, it'd be years before the roles were believably reversed.

The incident was cutely woven into a WWE Championship feud between the two that should have been a lot, lot better. With an implication that Orton's thumbing all those years ago had played a part in Kofi's lengthy absence from the topline picture, The New Day man was able to replay 'The Viper's petulance during their otherwise-bang average matches.

The moments the pair made together at the turn of the last decade were ultimately vital in getting fresh hostilities over 10 years later - Kofi's quest for some overdue redemption was substantially more interesting than any Championship chase by Orton they were attempting to sell.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett