It was the ultimate feel good moment of the late 2010s…
…that magical night that Kofi Kingston won the WWE championship. In an era when the company seemed to do everything in their power to NOT give the fans what they wanted, this was a breakthrough moment. This was the sign of true change. This was the sign that WWE was going to be what it had been to so many people for so many years – namely, FUN. Bring smiles to people’s faces and all that jazz.
And yes, we got some of that. Several months in fact. But what was going to happen when fan favorite Kofi met up with the man who demolished everyone in his path, namely one Brock Lesnar?
Ah that fateful Smackdown on October 4, 2019. The championship was going to be on the line and those fans who knew Kofi was likely losing the belt were at least hoping against hope he could give a good showing and make all those months of supporting him worthwhile. So the bell rings and…
…well, what do you THINK happened? This is SQUASH of the Week after all! Was there ever really a doubt that this was going to be a classic see saw match up, back and forth? Of course not. It was very clear this Kofimania wasn’t something Vince was going to be behind, much as was the case when Rey Mysterio Jr. caught fire years earlier. Sure he won the belt, but it was always made clear by how he was booked that he wasn’t a true star.
Especially not when the likes of this guy was around. This smiling, happy, brutal man. And not only did he lose in seconds, Kofi never got a rematch for the belt. And if that’s not a squash, I’m not sure what is!