10 Times WWE Accidentally Created A Star
3. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston was a beloved tag team veteran — reliable, entertaining, but never seen as a singles main eventer. Then Mustafa Ali got injured in 2019, and Kofi was slotted into the Elimination Chamber. What followed was magic.
Kofi didn’t win, but the crowd felt something. When he was placed in a Gauntlet match weeks later, he delivered a star-making performance, lasting over an hour. The fans erupted. “Kofi” chants echoed across arenas. WWE tried to pivot away — inserting others into the story — but the crowd refused to let go.
#KofiMania was born.
By WrestleMania 35, WWE had no choice. Kofi defeated Daniel Bryan in one of the most emotional title wins in company history. It was a payoff to a story WWE never meant to tell — but the fans demanded it.
Kofi wasn’t handpicked. He wasn’t pushed. He was chosen. And for once, WWE listened.
…Until they didn’t. Six months later, Brock Lesnar squashed him in seconds. But that doesn’t erase the moment. KofiMania was real — because fans made it real.