10 Terrible Wrestling Debuts (That Led To Awesome Careers)
6. Kofi Kingston
The Debut:
In whitewashed Jamaica, fake Jamaican Kofi Kingston - or 'Keengstan', as he butchered it - smiled away in his paradise before some trouble reared its ugly head in the form of a beach bully. Kofi beat him up offscreen - "the people have to wait to see the hot moves of this inane smiling man!" - and said, twice, in one minute and 17 seconds, "There's some trouble in paradise". This Jamaid Vince McMahon crazy, it was that naff, and while he fared better in-ring, impressing with his unreal agility, as debuts go, there was some trouble...in paradise.
The Career:
Failed WWE Heavyweight Title run notwithstanding, Kofi's career was all about the journey, ultimately; to remain relevant, over and entertaining throughout the super-served content era is significantly more of an achievement. A dependable singles performer turned charismatic entertainer as part of the New Day - the lowkey triumph of the post-Cena era - Kofi belatedly discovered his charm and natural role as a tag team extraordinaire. His show-stealing Royal Rumble exploits added creativity to the match just when the magic waned, somewhat, throughout the controversial Roman Reigns years.
This distilled his essence as a character; even when WWE was awful, his presence was a comfort.