{"id":160942,"date":"2026-05-06T07:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T11:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=160942"},"modified":"2026-05-05T22:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T02:52:43","slug":"kofi-kingston-5-greatest-wwe-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/05\/06\/kofi-kingston-5-greatest-wwe-moments\/","title":{"rendered":"Kofi Kingston&#8217;s 5 Greatest WWE Moments as a Singles Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>To the surprise of everyone in the wrestling world, The New Day, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/05\/02\/the-new-day-headlines-additional-wave-of-wwe-departures\/\" target=\"_self\">decided to leave WWE<\/a>. The charismatic duo was well respected and beloved universally, which made their departure all the more heartbreaking and shocking. Fans expected both men to retire in the Stamford-based promotion.<\/p>\n<p>Although Kingston and Woods were considered veterans, Kingston was one of the longest tenured performers in WWE. The Ghanaian star signed with WWE in 2006, and his run lasted for two decades. He had a successful career as a singles star and Tag Team Specialist.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, Kingston gave us plenty of memories over the last 20 years. He found plenty of success in the Tag Team division, but he had an incredibly successful singles run. Considering the length of his career, it was difficult to narrow down a few. Hence, there are several honorable mentions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Kofi Kingston uses an announce table chair to hop his way back into the 2013 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble match<\/li>\n<li>Kofi Kingston defeats Dolph Ziggler to win the Men&#8217;s Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown in January 2011<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In this article, we focus on Kingston&#8217;s greatest moments as a singles star. Since the focus is on his individual accomplishments, his accolades as a member of The New Day will not be acknowledged here.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>#5. Kofi Kingston&#8217;s Handwalk Prevents a Certain Royal Rumble Elimination<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When one thinks of the greatest Royal Rumble performers, the list will include names like Kane, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, the title of the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=erflm90dg7U\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Royal Rumble Highlight Reel&#8221;<\/a> should go to Kofi Kingston. Over the course of his decorated career, Kingston participated in the Rumble an astounding 16 times.<\/p>\n<p>The Dreadlocked Dynamo was never considered a favorite to win, nor did he ever eliminate more than a couple of stars. Nonetheless, the Rumble became synonymous with Kingston over the years. The 44-year-old high-flyer found unique ways to avoid eliminations. He had carved a nice reputation for himself, and the &#8220;Kofi Kingston Royal Rumble Save&#8221; became an annual tradition.<\/p>\n<p>However, one tremendous feat of athleticism stood out above the rest. It happened during the 2012 Men&#8217;s Rumble match. Kingston handwalked his way back into the Rumble match. Since his feet never touched the ground, he was never eliminated. The moment went viral, setting the bar high for Kingston, who repeated similar stunts in the coming years.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kofi Kingston&#039;s miraculous Royal Rumble Match saves\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QELrxLxEnnc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#4. Kofi Kingston Boomdrops His Way to a Second US Title Reign at Extreme Rules 2011<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After a successful stint on SmackDown, Kofi Kingston was drafted back to RAW in the 2011 draft. By then, the Dreadlocked Dynamo had become a mainstay in the midcard and added a couple of Intercontinental Championship reigns to his list of accomplishments. However, Kingston wasn&#8217;t finished as he began his run on the red brand with a bang.<\/p>\n<p>During a backstage segment at Extreme Rules 2011, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long informed Sheamus, then United States Champion, that he would defend his belt against Kingston in a Tables match. The dynamic high flyer made the most of this golden opportunity as he left the show with the US Title.<\/p>\n<p>Although the victory itself was commendable, the match is fondly remembered for its closing moments. Both Kingston and Sheamus had executed their finishers. The Celtic Warrior rolled out of the ring to lean on a table. Unfortunately, Kingston was waiting for him on the top rope.<\/p>\n<p>The Dreadlocked Dynamo Boomdropped Sheamus through the table to win his second US Title. It was a creative finish, and the spot was executed to perfection. It was the beginning of another title run for Kingston, who held the championship with pride.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus in a Tables Match - Extreme Rules\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RqmrpJF9Bg4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>#3. Kingston Takes Out Randy Orton at Madison Square Garden<\/h2>\n<p>In late 2009, Kofi Kingston began a major feud with the Apex Predator, Randy Orton. This was Kingston&#8217;s ticket to Superstardom, but a <a  href=\"https:\/\/prowrestlingstories.com\/pro-wrestling-stories\/kofi-kingston-randy-orton\/?srsltid=AfmBOoqwRsndftacAvOhYLAKL2cA0SxQZj1Lv0ykX_f6FxdP-XcBQDKL\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">botched ending and irate Orton<\/a> derailed his momentum. Nonetheless, their program had plenty of great moments that put the spotlight on the Dreadlocked Dynamo.<\/p>\n<p>Kingston was on top of his game during this feud. He defaced Orton&#8217;s car and stunned CM Punk and Orton to win the Men&#8217;s Traditional 5 on 5 Survivor Series match. However, the highlight of the program came inside Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2009. In true &#8220;Legend Killer&#8221; style, the Viper was setting Hall of Famer Roddy Piper up for the Punt Kick.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately for the late legend, Kingston made the save. Tired of Orton&#8217;s bullying and antics, the Dreadlocked Dynamo unleashed his fury on the Apex Predator. A massive fight broke out, and the chaos spilled into the crowd. Kingston got the last laugh as he put Orton through the table with a massive Boomdrop.<\/p>\n<p>Madison Square Garden went ballistic for Kingston. In many ways, it felt like a star was born. Fans could feel Kingston&#8217;s emotion and character. They had already seen his athleticism, but the brawl with Orton showed everyone a different side. The Ghanaian wasn&#8217;t going to back down; he was going to bring the fight to Orton.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kofi Kingston goes ballistic on Randy Orton: Raw, Nov. 16, 2009\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NG9OW5V006I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>#2. The Dreadlocked Dynamo Puts on the Performance of a Lifetime During a Gauntlet Match<\/h2>\n<p>After he feuded with Randy Orton, Kingston slid back down into the midcard. He still found championship success, as he would add IC and US Title reigns to his resume. In late 2014, The New Day was born, and the rest is history. Alongside Big E and Xavier Woods, Kingston became a part of one of the most entertaining and successful factions of all time.<\/p>\n<p>Having spent the majority of his career in the midcard as an entertaining act, few would have pictured him with the WWE Championship. However, Kingston did the unthinkable in 2019. We all remember how <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2019\/04\/06\/kofimania-is-it-really-worth-it\/\" target=\"_self\">KofiMania<\/a> ended, but the dawn of the movement was equally special.<\/p>\n<p>Mustafa Ali was initially slated to compete in the 2019 Men&#8217;s Elimination Chamber match, but he suffered an untimely injury. Kofi Kingston was chosen to replace Ali, and he capitalized on this golden opportunity. During a 6-man gauntlet match to determine who gets the final spot, Kingston put on the performance of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>Kingston started the match with then-WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. In a surprising twist, the New Day member nailed Bryan with the Trouble in Paradise. This should have been enough for another night, but Kingston was just getting started. Next, he eliminated an energetic Jeff Hardy with the SOS. Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse as Samoa Joe walked out next.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_160996\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-160996\" style=\"width: 1415px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/05\/Kofi_and_Woods.webp\" alt=\"The New Day, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woords, as WWE Tag Team Champions.\" width=\"1415\" height=\"1049\" class=\"wp-image-160996 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/05\/Kofi_and_Woods.webp 1415w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/05\/Kofi_and_Woods-768x569.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1415px) 100vw, 1415px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-160996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A photo of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, The New Day, as WWE Tag Team Champions. (Photo Credit: By Vjmlhds &#8211; https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/miguel_discart\/22824899638, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=159018889)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Samoan Submission Machine relentlessly punished Kingston, but the New Day veteran kept coming for more. Out of nowhere, Kingston countered the Coquine Clutch into a rollup to pin Joe. A livid Samoa Joe lashed out at the high flyer. AJ Styles saved Kingston and sent Joe into retreat.<\/p>\n<p>Styles didn&#8217;t want to fight Kingston, but a fired-up and motivated Kingston demanded a fight. The Phenomenal One forced his opponent to tap with the Calf Crusher. Although the Dreadlocked Dynamo lost the gauntlet, he won over the fans and kick-started KofiMania.<\/p>\n<p>Kingston&#8217;s push was never meant to happen, as the spot was initially meant for Ali. The New Day veteran cashed in on the opportunity and proved that he was more than a Tag Team Specialist. This was a more serious and committed version of Kingston, and fans loved this new burst of energy.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Six-Man Gauntlet Match: SmackDown, Feb. 12, 2019\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S5zrZpDNML4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. Kofi Kingston Wins the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>WWE has built its reputation on emotion and storytelling. The greatest stories had the ideal combination of both elements. This was exactly what happened with KofiMania, which began with Kofi Kingston&#8217;s legendary performance in the Gauntlet match in February 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBj3QTDFmJ\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3744px; aspect-ratio: 3744\/5616;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p>KofiMania had the perfect fairytale ending. After passing through countless loops and hurdles, Kingston finally found himself opposite Bryan at WrestleMania 35. The stakes couldn&#8217;t have been higher as the WWE Championship was on the line, and the whole world was on Kofi Kingston&#8217;s side.<\/p>\n<p>In a 25-minute thriller, Kingston and Bryan fought each other tooth and nail. But, in the end, the Dreadlocked Dynamo nailed the champion with the Trouble in Paradise to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2019\/04\/08\/andnew-new-champions-crowned-as-wrestlemania-35-resets-wwe-landscape\/\" target=\"_self\">win the WWE Title<\/a>. It was a feel-good moment that showcased everything that made WWE&#8217;s emotional storytelling memorable.<\/p>\n<p>After 11 long years of unwavering commitment and dedication, Kingston had finally reached the top of the mountain. He made history that night, and his New Day brethren were alongside him for the emotional celebration.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kofi Kingston wins WWE Championship: WrestleMania 35\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D19hvqdecC4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To the surprise of everyone in the wrestling world, The New Day, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, decided to leave WWE. The charismatic duo was well respected and beloved universally, which made their departure all the more heartbreaking and shocking. Fans expected both men to retire in the Stamford-based promotion. Although Kingston and Woods were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":160995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7205,2192,3],"tags":[553,223],"class_list":["post-160942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe-universe","tag-kofi-kingston","tag-the-new-day"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160942"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160997,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160942\/revisions\/160997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}