SmackDown: Honoring severely injured superstar, correcting a frustrating title loss - 5 reasons why Kofi Kingston should win the WWE Royal Rumble

The most recent WWE SmackDown was filled with exciting moments. Tegan Nox made her return to World Wrestling Entertainment, Damage CTRL appeared, and the winner of the SmackDown World Cup was decided. Still, one of the more interesting parts of the show came in an interview.

Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston revealed that he has already entered himself in the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble Match. This caught many by surprise since the epic event isn't taking place until January 28th.

The big event at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas will surely be a memorable show. It will be the 36th edition of the Royal Rumble, an event where Kofi Kingston has often been a standout performer in the past.

While many fans may not believe Kofi can win the epic 30-man bout, victory is far from impossible. Kingston has been in a world championship bout at WrestleMania before and he could do it again. Not only can Kofi win the Royal Rumble match, but there's an argument to be made that the former champion should win the big bout.

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Below are five reasons why Kofi Kingston should win the WWE Royal Rumble.

#5. He is well known for his memorable Royal Rumble appearances

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Shawn Michaels is often called Mr. WrestleMania, but he also helped shape the Royal Rumble Match thanks to his incredible performances. Other stars have achieved greatness in Royal Rumble Matches too, such as Diesel, John Morrison, and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Perhaps the person most synonymous with the Royal Rumble Match of the modern era is Kofi Kingston. The former WWE Champion has never won the match, but he has repeatedly pulled off some of the most unique athletic feats that left fans in awe both during and following the event.

Whether it was being saved by The New Day, leaping from the barricade to the ring, or doing a handstand to keep himself in the match, Kofi has always been a memorable performer in the Royal Rumble Match. Given the role he's played in the bout for so long, a win would officially cement him as Mr. Royal Rumble.

#4. KofiMania was an incredible time for pro wrestling

KofiMania was a magical time in pro wrestling, but one that many fans never expected to happen. Mustafa Ali was injured and couldn't make a scheduled appearance at Elimination Chamber 2019, so Kofi was his replacement. While the Ghana-born star didn't win, his performance set the wrestling fandom ablaze.

Kingston was always popular with fans, but the love the audience had for him began to soar to unexpected heights. WWE capitalized on this momentum by having Kofi fight through a Gauntlet Match and Mr. McMahon's bias against him to earn a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.

Kofi defeated Daniel Bryan for the title on the grandest stage. This win inspired millions of people all over the world. Kofi Kingston offered a different kind of representation and fans loved it. If he wins the 2023 Royal Rumble, there could be a similar groundswell of support.

#3. The New Day member would freshen up the main event scene

The main event scene of World Wrestling Entertainment highlights the very top stars in the industry. Being a world champion means you're the top star of the promotion, so to do so in the biggest company in the world is the highest honor one can receive.

Roman Reigns has been world champion for over two years. His reign on top has been incredible and he's battled a plethora of opponents from Braun Strowman to Kevin Owens to Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, he's battled and defeated so many opponents over two-plus years that he's beginning to run out of fresh opposition.

Kofi Kingston will be a fresh opponent for The Tribal Chief. The two stars have surprisingly only wrestled one-on-one twice and both times were on RAW in 2015. Reigns and Kingston clashing over the title would feel fresh and exciting, which is exactly how the world title picture should feel.

#2. The end of Kofi Kingston's WWE Championship reign was highly criticized by fans

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If KofiMania made fans believe that anything could happen if somebody worked hard enough, the end of his title reign told them that thought and hope was a lie. Kofi Kingston's title win was incredible, but the way he lost the belt left fans disillusioned.

After holding the WWE Championship for several months, Kofi defended the belt against Brock Lesnar on the premiere episode of SmackDown on FOX. Many fans figured the title change was near when the match was announced, but Kofi losing to The Beast in seconds was extremely disheartening.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the loss, fans weren't pleased. In fact, many regularly complain about the decision to this day. If Kofi Kingston can win the 2023 Royal Rumble, he may be given a chance to redeem himself and capture the world title again. This time, he hopefully won't lose it in seconds.

#1. He could dedicate the match to and honor Big E

Kofi Kingston had success early in WWE. He was popular on WWE ECW and then won both mid-card and tag team gold on RAW and SmackDown. Still, his greatest success came once The New Day was formed.

The faction consists of himself, Xavier Woods, and Big E. The trio have reshaped what it means to be a stable in pro wrestling and they're best friends both on and off camera. Unfortunately, Big E has been away for nearly a year due to an unfortunate botch that led to a severely injured neck.

Big E was WWE Champion not long before his injury and it's unknown if he'll ever return to action. Regardless of whether he does or doesn't, Kofi could win the 2023 Royal Rumble and dedicate his victory to his good friend who is unable to compete in the ring.

If Kingston can go on and win the WWE Championship for his stablemate, that will be the icing on the cake of a fitting tribute.

Edited by Jacob Terrell