Kofi Kingston reflects on that photo of WWE champions from 2011, and how it changed the game.
Kofi Kingston was featured in the iconic photo of WWE Champions following TLC 2011. In fact, Kofi is the only one in that photo to currently be working full-time as a WWE Superstar.
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, Kofi explained how that picture, the idea of CM Punk, was sentimental to those involved, and how it signified a changing of the guard in WWE.
"So I think that one was just really unique in a lot of ways right because so this was actually Punk's idea, I don't know if we've ever talked about the history of this picture. Punk was the one who orchestrated the whole thing and wanted everyone to get together and take a picture and he was just like, 'We're gonna take a picture at this time...' But we all go up there, and we all take the picture, and that was the first time that everybody who was champion was, I think, 210 pounds and under," Kofi recalled. "That just didn't happen, right? Like even when I tell people I'm a WWE superstar -- when I told them I was going to become one everyone was like, 'Well no, you're not big enough. You're not 6'3, you're not 220 pounds.' It's just not prototypical for you to be in the WWE and not weigh 225 pounds, you know? At least that's kind of what it used to be. The trend has kind of changed a little bit now. But especially at that point, you know, to be in the WWE and to be like a prominent superstar, to be like under 215 [pounds] was rare, let alone champions. 'Now you're the champions, the faces of the company. Now, you guys are the ones who are at the top of the mountain.' So it was really just a unique time for a lot of different reasons."
Kofi continued and spoke about how champions in WWE today are more diverse than ever, with a wide variety of competitors holding gold in WWE.
"I guess in comparison to now, you do have more of your prototypical champions but even still, you have very unique characters. I feel like the evolution of the character work has changed so much. I mean, you look at Roman Reigns, right? Where he came from and where he is, leaps and bounds, right? Like Skip Bayless says a lot of times, he's feeling himself, you know, he's feeling himself, right? You can tell that Roman believes in this character, with every grain and fiber of his body to the point where it's like man, 'Is that a character?' It's just an extension of himself and that's what really works best when you have characters who identify with the crowd.
"Brock Lesnar right as WWE Champion right now. He's is kind of like your prototypical like, a strapping, 275 pounds freak of nature type athlete and wrestler that you would see. At the same time, the stuff that he's doing right now is a lot different than Brock Lesnar of old. Like, he's out, you know, he's wearing like suspenders, he's got his hair in a ponytail, like, what? But it works. Even like Shinsuke [Nakamura] right now. You never thought you would see Shinsuke getting a WWE ring. Now, here he is a champion, right?"
Kofi continued, "So it's just different and the evolution of the business, it's cool in that way because you see a lot of things that you wouldn't expect to see. Roman doing his thing, Brock doing his thing the way he's doing it, you know, Shinsuke doing his thing, right? Even Damian Priest, right? He's a guy who's like so new but like, so good. Yeah. He shouldn't be as good as he is for the experience that he has in this business. I could go on about like the differences, but I think we're in a good spot right now. We're in a spot where we can look at our champions, and everybody is completely different, which I think is great."
Cody Rhodes recently reflected on the photo as well. Get his take on the iconic photo at this link.
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