Kofi Kingston Talks What Keeps Him in The Ring & WWE’s Massive Netflix Deal
Q&A
Kofi Kingston is still having the time of his life in WWE after almost 20 years. The beloved veteran doesn’t take being part of another WrestleMania season for granted. A time of year that is extra special for the superstar, thinking of when he won the WWE championship at the big show in 2019 to top off “KofiMania.” These days he is teaming with Xavier Woods, which collectively alongside Big E is known as the top group The New Day.
The popular performer has come a long way since signing his first contract in 2006. Along with work in the ring, Kingston has used the vast platform to help those in his home Ghana, done a ton of community events, and appeared in everything from Wheel of Fortune, Weakest Link, and The Drew Barrymore Show.
We caught up with Kingston about what keeps him in the ring and why WWE moving Raw to Netflix will be such a big deal, to the tune of $5 billion.
The New Day with Drew Barrymore and Ross Matthews (Drew Barrymore Show)
How does it feel to be in WWE for as long as you have?
Kofi Kingston: It’s disgusting. It’s gross. Wow, I’ve been here for this long. No, it’s amazing. It’s my childhood dream, and I’m really lucky I’m still here. I’ve always said the moment I don’t enjoy what I’m doing, that means it’s time to go. But it keeps getting more and more fun. On one Monday we had a hellacious match with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. It was great to do something with our personalities. But also Ludwig and Giovanni because they haven’t had the chance to get that step out of the shadow of the tyrannical grip of Gunther. Now they get to show a little more of their personalities. I think the benefit goes to the WWE Universe because they get to see two groups they enjoy watching in two different lights. I’ll say it’s still fun, and we’re having fun every single week.
How is it having your bud CM Punk back?
It’s amazing. It’s awesome. I think there were a lot of people who thought they would never see him in a WWE ring again or a part of the WWE roster in any way shape or phone. To know that he and the company had an animosity between them for years, and they’ve been able to put that aside and here we are. I think we are in a very special time in WWE where we are giving people what they want. They wanted CM Punk, and WWE brought them CM Punk. They wanted LA Knight on top, and they got him in the main events. It makes this all that much more exciting, but we know that what will come is what the people want to see. I’m excited and looking forward to what’s coming. A lot of people think we are in on what’s going on, and we are not. A lot of times we are in the iring and see maybe a Booker T come out. We have no idea. It’s great. It’s a great time of year.
WWE recently locked in the flagship Raw to Netflix starting in 2025 in a deal worth $5 billion. You’ve been around a while. What does this mean to you as a talent?
It’s amazing. It’s a big money deal. I think it’s revolutionary because Netflix hasn’t really gone into sports on their streaming platform. I think we’re all excited to see how that’s all going to work. But it’s a big deal. To have Raw exclusively on streaming. Who would have thought Raw wouldn’t be on a network anymore? We had the WWE Network and premium live events and now on Peacock. We’ve done that with our bigger shows, but not every week to solely stream on Netflix. It’s a shift in the way we are presenting what we do. I’m excited to be a part of that and I’m excited to see what happens in 2025.
WWE Raw, Monday, 8/7c, USA Network
WWE SmackDown, 8/7c, Fox
