To say the WWE has something of a questionable history with its representation of black performers is putting it incredibly mildly. But today, at WrestleMania, the company crowned its first black men’s WWE Champion in six years, and just its second in the incredibly lengthy history of the company.
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Kofi Kingston, beloved veteran and member of rambunctious trio The New Day, claimed the WWE Championship in a hard-fought victory over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 in the New York City area a short time ago.
In absolutely wild scenes, the hugely popular Kingston – who has enjoyed a meteoric rise into the title picture over the past two months via good fortune, happenstance, and a wave of positive emotion from fans – defeated Bryan cleanly to capture the WWE Championship, the eleven-year veteran’s first ever world championship.
In doing so, Kingston becomes just the second ever black WWE Champion in the company’s history, with The Rock being the first black man/person of colour to hold the belt, last holding it in 2013.
https://twitter.com/briantheguppie/status/1115068516732940288
Social media was instantly awash with people overjoyed at not only seeing Kofi finally recognised for his decade of incredible, hard work, but also at seeing the increasingly rare sight of a black man hoisting the WWE’s top prize.
KOFI GOT ME CRYIN IN THE CLUB #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/4AUlYzmZSo
— mydogisatimelord (@auster_uriel) April 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/deflategator/status/1115072370128117761
https://twitter.com/StokelyHathaway/status/1115067971406372865
The WWE listened to the fans? Someone wake me up because I must be dreaming.
Kofi is the champion!#WresteMania #KofiMania pic.twitter.com/JQZRwmOnAx
— Éamonn (@Eamonn_K23) April 8, 2019
Me when Kofi became the first black man to win the WWE title #Wrestlemania https://t.co/Zwgb0tmN8x
— The Reason (@7he_Reason) April 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/NinetiesGuyKev/status/1115069817764106241
This victory is for every African american who never thought they could get the fair shake. This is such a positive statement. Kofi deserves it. Exceptional #wrestlemania
— Kenny McIntosh 🏳️🌈 (@KennyMcITR) April 8, 2019
Kofi celebrating with the title and his kids was the greatest thing ever #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/5AJRlYt72c
— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) April 8, 2019
TONIGHT, FOR THE CULTURE, 11 FUCKING YEARS! OUR BLACK KING KOFI KINGSTON MAKES HISTORY AT WRESTLEMANIA pic.twitter.com/Ag8mD7U4dO
— 🖤 (@BANKONREIGNS) April 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/FreezeEm_/status/1115068111882002434
It’s worth noting that the WWE has, in the past, crowned two black wrestlers in Booker T and Mark Henry with the secondary World Heavyweight Championship, with Henry last holding that title in 2011. However the company is always at pains to state that the WWE Championship, which traces its lineage back to 1963, is the premiere men’s title.
After eleven long, thankless years, Kofi got his flowers.
Incredible moment.