Black Widow
08-22-2008, 04:50 PM
In just two years, Kofi Kingston, the aerial specialist, was in the right place at the ring time and influenced the right people to stand where few have landed.
''I definitely feel it's a great thing to be in WWE,'' said Kingston, a young star on the rise. ``There are a lot of eyes watching. Sometimes you're given the ball, and it's up to you to take the ball and run with it. I've been fortunate enough to be doing well.''
With the success, more and more fans know Kofi Kingston.
''It's definitely a change,'' he said. 'People are starting to recognize me. I went to a restaurant, and someone came out the back and said, `Oh my God. You're Kofi Kingston.' It's a weird adjustment, but I think I'm prepared to carry the ball and adjust.
``I don't mind. I always try to socialize with the fans because without the fans, we don't have a job. So it's really a big deal when they come to see you or they see you on the streets. I always try to make an effort to say hello or what's up.
``It's getting harder and harder now because the more popular you get, the more people want to be your friend. I try to respond and let them know how much I appreciate each and every one of them.''
Hailing from a family of intellects, Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, 25, was born in Ghana.
A standout wrestler at Massachusetts' Winchester High School, Kofi enrolled at Boston College where his father is a lecturer. After completing a degree in Communications, he went into the corporate world.
Still, he wanted to pursue a wrestling career and decided now or never. Leaving the competitive corporate world behind, he opted for the equally challenging wrestling world. Wherever that journey takes him, he has a college degree as a back-up plan.
Using the character name Kofi Nahaje Kingston, a Jamaican, he debuted in 2005 in the New England area. He wrestled for the Millennium Wrestling Federation, New England Championship Wrestling, the Eastern Wrestling Alliance and Chaotic Wrestling.
Kingston signed a developmental contract with WWE in September 2006. He competed for Deep South Wrestling, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling. He went from Kofi Jamaica to Kofi Kingston.
Kingston joined WWE's ECW roster in December 2007. Drafted supplemental to Raw on June 24, he won the Intercontinental title five days later during the Night of Champions pay-per-view. He became the first person from Ghana to capture the IC belt, something one of his idols wore.
''I was always into the martial arts type wrestlers,'' Kingston said ``Ricky the Dragon Steamboat was a very big influence. You always wanted to root for him. You felt sympathy for him.
``The Orient Express I liked. Koko B. Ware, definitely one of my favorites. He came out with Frankie the bird on his shoulder. He had lots of energy, lots of fire and personality. I try to emulate a lot of that, when I come out. Koko would always come out with energy the whole match. That's what I try to do.''
Steamboat, another former star with energy, works behind the scenes for WWE.
''I absolutely talk to Ricky Steamboat in the back,'' Kingston said. ``There are lots of people in the back who were wrestlers back in the day, and you'd be a fool not to pick their brains. They've forgotten more stuff than I'll ever know. I always try to go and pick everybody's brain.
``Ricky Steamboat is kind of the person who I strive to be because he is one of the greatest of all time. He's up there weekly, consistently, helping wrestlers out, giving people advice. So I always talked to him before and after my matches to see what he thought and what I could do to improve. He is always very helpful.''
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''I definitely feel it's a great thing to be in WWE,'' said Kingston, a young star on the rise. ``There are a lot of eyes watching. Sometimes you're given the ball, and it's up to you to take the ball and run with it. I've been fortunate enough to be doing well.''
With the success, more and more fans know Kofi Kingston.
''It's definitely a change,'' he said. 'People are starting to recognize me. I went to a restaurant, and someone came out the back and said, `Oh my God. You're Kofi Kingston.' It's a weird adjustment, but I think I'm prepared to carry the ball and adjust.
``I don't mind. I always try to socialize with the fans because without the fans, we don't have a job. So it's really a big deal when they come to see you or they see you on the streets. I always try to make an effort to say hello or what's up.
``It's getting harder and harder now because the more popular you get, the more people want to be your friend. I try to respond and let them know how much I appreciate each and every one of them.''
Hailing from a family of intellects, Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, 25, was born in Ghana.
A standout wrestler at Massachusetts' Winchester High School, Kofi enrolled at Boston College where his father is a lecturer. After completing a degree in Communications, he went into the corporate world.
Still, he wanted to pursue a wrestling career and decided now or never. Leaving the competitive corporate world behind, he opted for the equally challenging wrestling world. Wherever that journey takes him, he has a college degree as a back-up plan.
Using the character name Kofi Nahaje Kingston, a Jamaican, he debuted in 2005 in the New England area. He wrestled for the Millennium Wrestling Federation, New England Championship Wrestling, the Eastern Wrestling Alliance and Chaotic Wrestling.
Kingston signed a developmental contract with WWE in September 2006. He competed for Deep South Wrestling, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling. He went from Kofi Jamaica to Kofi Kingston.
Kingston joined WWE's ECW roster in December 2007. Drafted supplemental to Raw on June 24, he won the Intercontinental title five days later during the Night of Champions pay-per-view. He became the first person from Ghana to capture the IC belt, something one of his idols wore.
''I was always into the martial arts type wrestlers,'' Kingston said ``Ricky the Dragon Steamboat was a very big influence. You always wanted to root for him. You felt sympathy for him.
``The Orient Express I liked. Koko B. Ware, definitely one of my favorites. He came out with Frankie the bird on his shoulder. He had lots of energy, lots of fire and personality. I try to emulate a lot of that, when I come out. Koko would always come out with energy the whole match. That's what I try to do.''
Steamboat, another former star with energy, works behind the scenes for WWE.
''I absolutely talk to Ricky Steamboat in the back,'' Kingston said. ``There are lots of people in the back who were wrestlers back in the day, and you'd be a fool not to pick their brains. They've forgotten more stuff than I'll ever know. I always try to go and pick everybody's brain.
``Ricky Steamboat is kind of the person who I strive to be because he is one of the greatest of all time. He's up there weekly, consistently, helping wrestlers out, giving people advice. So I always talked to him before and after my matches to see what he thought and what I could do to improve. He is always very helpful.''
miamiherald.com