WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg has discussed the original plans for Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35 when KofiMania was running wild!
In the run-up to WrestleMania 35, an unexpected groundswell of support got behind Kofi Kingston to challenge for the WWE Championship on The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
Much like the story 5 years previously with Daniel Bryan, management – namely in this case Vince McMahon – was throwing every obstacle in Kingston’s way to prevent that from happening. That included putting Kofi Kingston in a gauntlet match that he had to win to get his title shot. Kingston overcame five opponents before being ironically defeated by the then-WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan.
Speaking on The Wrestling Outlaws podcast, WWE producer Road Dogg explained how he saw things playing out slightly differently in the lead-up to that gauntlet match and says he saw another New Day star in that role:
“I would argue that’s what made the people get with [Kingston] so much was that ‘The Man’ was trying to keep him down. He set up that, holy mackerel, what a heel ‘yes sir you can have the championship match if you beat these five guys.'”
“One of the arguments we got into was literally about the go home to that match or the match leading up to that gauntlet match. I just had a different vision.”
“Truth be told I pitched Big E being the guy just because I love Big E’s character, he’s a big guy so he’s a believable character, he also cuts those almost southern baptist promos and I thought if he could find a happy medium between preaching a sermon and cutting a promo I thought that would be cool.”
Ultimately KofiMania did run wild at WrestleMania 35 as Kofi Kingston won the first WWE Championship of his career against Daniel Bryan.
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