Top SmackDown Superstar says he was "kicked" off a plane for not fighting Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon is an eccentric genius, who has built up an empire thanks to his incredible work ethic and drive to offer the best entertainment possible to fans. McMahon, who has had his share of matches inside the WWE ring, has challenged some Superstars to real fights, some of them happening on aeroplanes, like the infamous one with Kurt Angle.

Current SmackDown Superstar and former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston has said that McMahon challenged him to a match inside a plane when they were on their way to a press conference to promote WrestleMania 26 in 2010. While speaking to Fightful, Kingston said that this was a way of earning respect in the business.

"We were on the way to a press conference. As we were getting off, Vince started trying me a little bit. He's like, 'You wanna fight an old man?' I'm like, 'Whoa, what is going on? What's happening?' I got kicked off the plane because I wouldn't fight him. 'Uhhhh, okay.' Jericho did come down and he said I had to go back up there, because in this weird world of wrestling, this is how you had to get respect. I'm like, 'Uhhh, okay, I guess I'll go up there and try to fight my boss.' We get up there and we start going back and forth. All of a sudden, I got double legged on the plane. I'm like, 'Oh my God, we're really fighting.' This is crazy.

Kingston, who was 28 years of age then, was wrestling McMahon who was 64. Kofi then went on to describe the match in the plane where he said that he "had the whizzer in", referring to the overhook that is used on the opponent's arm.

He said that he's thankful that Jericho told him to get back in the plane and wrestle McMahon as there may have been doubts of Kingston not having "what it takes" if he hadn't. This wasn't the first time that McMahon wrestled a Superstar in a plane, with the WWE Chairman wrestling Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle.

The former WWE Champion also said that he's had a good relationship with the WWE Chairman over the last decade and that he's grateful for the opportunities that McMahon has given him over the years.

Kingston's perseverance and his dedication towards the company were finally rewarded last year when he had an incredible run, leading to his first world title at WrestleMania 35.