For his command in the ring and the diversity of his wrestling skills, the WWE universe has come to celebrate Kofi Kingston with different sobriquets which capture his identity as a WWE superstar. To some, he is the Wildcat Jamaican Sensation; to others, he’s the Dreadlocked Dynamo and the Boom Squad General.
Kingston’s signature moves, ranging from the suicide dive to his dreadful dropkick; the double backhand chop, monkey flip, flying forearm smash and his leaping mounted punches which often ends with a fatal European uppercut are always a delight to behold especially when he wraps things up with his S.O.S or Trouble in Paradise finishing moves.
Widely regarded as one of the high-flyers in World Wrestling Entertainment, Kofi Kingston probably cemented his legacy in the profession after he decided to partner with Ettore Ewen (Big E) and Xavier Woods to form The New Day stable.
The man is also a bit of an actor and author. While he frequently features on Xavier’s UpUpDownDown YouTube channel as Mr. 24/7, he appeared in an episode of 2012’s sitcom Kickin’ It. Kofi and his wrestling partners published The Book of Booty: Shake It. Love It. Never Be It in 2017. Here’s more about his personal life and career attainments.
Kofi Kingston’s Biography
Many initially believed that Kofi Kingston hails from Jamaica. This is said to be so because of the superstar’s decision to identify himself as a Jamaican during the early days of his career. He imagined it would be easier for him to be accepted in the wrestling community if he posed as a fighter with the same heritage as Bob Marley, the late International Reggae icon.
However, it is now common knowledge that the man is a Ghanaian-born American wrestler. Records have it that he was born as Kofi Krishnan Sarkodie-Mensah to his parents, Kwasi and Elizabeth Sarkodie-Mensah in Kumasi, Ghana on the 14th of August and in the year 1981.
Kofi and his two siblings, Kwame (brother) and Nana Akua (sister) were initially raised in the West African country before the family relocated to the United State of America. His passion for wrestling has been traced to when he was still a lad. He held on to it through his high school days in Massachusetts at Winchester High School and even after he earned a communication degree from Boston College. It is said that he got a corporate job which he abandoned to chase after his aspiration.
His WWE Career Stats
The beginning of Kofi Kingston’s professional wrestling career was in 2005. He started with Chaotic Wrestling and moved on to compete on other platforms like the New England Championship Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, Millennium Wrestling Federation, and what have you.
His big break came sometime in September 2006 when he inked a developmental deal with WWE; this saw him feature regularly in the activities of the Deep South Wrestling (DSW) in Georgia. Kofi was eventually drafted to the WWE main roster in 2008 under the Raw brand.
He triumphed over several notable wrestlers including Chris Jericho and Big Show before he allied with Big E and Xavier Woods.
So far, the Ghanaian could brag about having 14 championships to his name. This includes 4 WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (2 with The New Day and 1 each with R-Truth and Evan Bourne), 4 WWE Intercontinental Championship, 1 World Tag Team Championship with CM Punk, 3 WWE United States Championship, and another 2 WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship with his New Day team.
It’s on record that Kofi Kingston’s New Day team is the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in WWE history, they reigned for 483 days after they won their second WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Kofi Kingston’s Wife
The wrestler’s love life revolves around an actress he married in 2010. Although there are reports that suggest the marriage between Kofi and Kori Campfield has fallen apart, it is largely believed that the two are still married. They have two kids together.
Interesting Facts About The Wrestler
1. In 2013, Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed Kofi Kingston on the 20th spot of its list of 500 best wrestlers.
2. He weighs 96 kg (212 lb) and his height is billed at 6 ft (1.83 m).
3. Kofi lost his sister Nana Akua in 2015.
4. The wrestler received training in Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines acrobatics with music and dance.
5. American football, baseball, and basketball are his favorite sports.
