Magic filled the air at Ali's unfortunate expense in early 2019 as a WWE lifer finally got the sort of run most long-standing stars dream about, particularly when they presumably think that moment has long passed. Such was the case for Kofi Kingston after entering the Elimination Chamber as a last-minute substitution with a heart-stealing gauntlet match/Chamber close call one-two punch that stamped his card for the 'Show Of Shows'.
A coming together of so much so fast, Kofi’s promotion was worthy for his work and, as evidenced in the WrestleMania payoff, one of the most culturally significant WWE storylines of all time.
His brilliant battle with Daniel Bryan was as gritty as it was luxurious, much like the celebrations with his children on the industry's 'Grandest Stage'. It mattered not that the moment represented the peak of his run, just that he reached it to begin with.
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
