Kofi Kingston was this week’s guest on the 100th episode of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia, and the WWE Champion talked about what it was like to go back home for the first time in over 20 years to Ghana, as well as the humbling experience that happened to him as a young teenager that helped shape who he is today.
Kofi also reflects on his pro wrestling career, what it means to be the first African-born WWE Champion after his historic win at Wrestlemania, what keeps him motivated and much more.
On looking back at his entire career and staying busy
“It’s like you said, you do forget. Especially the way the business goes, you don’t have time to settle in and think about… Even for WrestleMania, Becky and myself had media at four in the morning. We ended up getting three hours of sleep and then we got called to RAW that night, then SmackDown the next night. I couldn’t even grasp what had happened until a few weeks later, but that’s just the nature of the business.
So much happens, and if it wasn’t for social media… there are a couple of guys on there who are always like ‘On this day in history, you wrestled so and so and this happened.’ There have been so many times where I’d watch the footage and have no recollection of being in there with that person. When you do hear [a career summary] lumped together, you kind of have to take a deep breath and realize that you’re doing something.”
What’s the secret to staying positive in the face of adversity?
“I think there’s a lot of people who think that I’m happy all the time. I think I go through it like anyone. I’ve had a lot of stops and starts as far as the career is concerned. I think what I’m able to do is put things in perspective. Having this job is all I’ve ever wanted to do. Even out of college, I was working for Staples at the corporate headquarters talking about office supplies. Seven hundred page buying guides that I’d have to proofread, I didn’t have to go to college to do this, you know? I had to sit there and the chair section, you had to make sure all the chairs faced in, just little stupid things that I couldn’t believe. I’ve been on the other side so I know that a bad day in WWE beats the best day at Staples. It works for some people as fas as having the corporate lifestyle and being in a cubicle and having that predictability and knowing what you’re going to do. Awesome works for so many people didn’t work for me. I always have that in the back of my mind.
I learned a long time ago that I can’t control everything. I remember my second WrestleMania, I was in the Money in the Bank match and I was able to do some incredible things that have never been done before. I came through Gorilla, Standing ovation, cloud 9, WrestleMania, then Monday Night RAW the next night I wasn’t booked. Oh my god, I thought I did a good job, did I do something wrong?
The whole rivalry with Randy Orton, I thought that was going to propel me to the next level. We had an amazing ordeal at Madison Square Garden that people still talk about to this day. And then, over time, it just started to go away. All of a sudden I wasn’t on TV. I’ve gone through all these things but what I realize is that I don’t have control where I’m put on the card. The only thing I can control is to go out there and do the best you possibly can. I’ve always said that when this stops being fun, I’ll just walk away. I’ve seen it a lot of time, people coming to work very discouraged. And rightfully so, you put your life into this, it’s supposed to be the dream and then you’re asked to do something that you know you’re above. You’re not getting the opportunities that you think that you deserve. It helps to realize that you literally don’t have control. A lot of times, things don’t make sense. It’s not for you to make sense of them, you just have to go out there and do your best with what you’re given. That’s all you can do. You can’t do any more than that, and that was always my attitude, and that always still is my attitude.”
Read More: Kofi Kingston Talks His Journey In The WWE, What Makes Miami So Special
Listen to “Kofi Kingston – HUGE 100th Episode Celebration!!” on Spreaker.
