When it comes to memorable WrestleMania moments of the modern era, nothing seems more prepared to stand the test of time than 2019’s unforgettable Kofimania — Kofi Kingston winning his first-ever WWE Championship and doing so by overcoming one of this generation's greatest grapplers in Bryan Danielson in front of a crowd of 80,000 plus fans at MetLife Stadium. His New Day family all around him for the victory, and after months of Vince McMahon throwing obstacle after obstacle at the veteran only served to make the scene even sweeter. This was not the WrestleMania moment that had been initially intended to take place at WrestleMania 35, but unfortunately, timed injuries moved the hands of fate in a way that resulted in one of the most feel-good WrestleMania moments of all time.

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How Kofi Made It To The Main Event

It’s easy to forget how Kofi even found himself back in the world championship picture. Longtime fans will remember, and were reminded shortly after Kofimania, Kofi’s unsuccessful last foray into the world title picture. Queue Kofi dropping his accent mid-feud, and Orton repeatedly yelling the words stupid at a more inexperienced Kofi during said title match in 2009. Since then many had thought Kofi’s chances at the big one were in the rear-view, but it would be a strange twist of fate that would change that some decade later.

Kofi Kingston Randy Orton WWE 2009

Before the new day was forced to defend Kofi’s shot at the title in a tag gauntlet that saw the Uso’s pay New Day the ultimate respect before Vince decided to let Kofi know he was a B Plus player, and even before Kofi reminded us all exactly how good he was via hour-long gauntlets on Smackdown, before all of that was Elimination Chamber 2019. In the main event, the WWE Championship would be defended by Daniel Bryan inside the chamber against five other men. Among those men scheduled to challenge was the man who at the time seemed to have a rocket strapped to his back from 205 live to world title contention, Mustafa Ali.

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The Mustafa Ali Injury That Changed Everything

Back in 2020 on an episode of WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Mustafa Ali discussed the injury that changed the course of history. He details how a seemingly more minor head injury suffered in a match against Randy Orton the week before the infamous gauntlet leading into the Elimination Chamber 2019, was made worse at a house show in the week that followed when a turnbuckle bump during a tag match left him out on his feet.

“I remember sitting in my hotel room that night trying not to cry, because I know there is no way they're gonna let me preform on Smackdown. I say to them can I come back in five days and they said you’re out for a while. The announcement is made that Kofi is replacing me, and then we all know what happens. It’s like silver lining right, great guy gets this awesome opportunity...That what’s gonna drive me crazy the rest of my life though, what if I didn’t get hurt?” -Mustafa Ali

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Kofi Kingston WWE Champion

Kofi would go on to impress all who saw him in the gauntlet match leading up to the Elimination Chamber despite not being victorious and would do so again during the actual chamber match despite once again not coming out victorious. Plans were shifted based around the crowd reaction, and new-found support of Kofi that somehow eclipsed the reaction New Day would normally garner from live crowds. Kofi would get his shot at a world title at WrestleMania, and he would be victorious over the Planet's Champion Daniel Bryan. In doing so Kofi would put an exclamation point on the end of his journey to the companies main prize and would cement his place in WrestleMania history for years to come.