What if Kofi Kingston wins the Elimination Chamber?

Mustafa Ali was supposed to participate in this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. He had to step down due to injury and WWE made a shrewd choice in replacing him with Kofi Kingston. Kingston represents both an aerial artist capable of similar spots to Ali and a fan-friendly underdog. A week ago, no one would have seriously considered the prospect of Kingston in the WWE Championship picture. However, after a marathon run in the gauntlet match on SmackDown, which included pinning Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe—well, it’s still hard to look at Kingston as any kind of favorite, but it seems possible WWE could offer him at least a short term push of a lifetime.

How could Kingston win at Elimination Chamber and what would follow? This article takes a look at what this monster upset might mean in the match itself and for the months to follow on SmackDown.

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#5 A standoff with AJ Styles

WWE may revisit AJ Styles vs. Kofi Kingston en route to Kingston's big win.

Kofi Kingston’s gauntlet run on SmackDown told the story of a veteran giving it his all, and proving he belonged among the guys fans more readily accepted in the world title picture. His Cinderella Story came to an end when he hit AJ Styles, who not only made him tap out, but offered to let Kingston accept defeat and bow out without fighting, given he was clearly exhausted.

It was a unique situation for Styles coming across as likeable for not wanting to beat up a guy who was already hurt, and for Kingston winning over fans all the more for his heart in refusing to accept defeat.

If WWE were to go all the way in pushing Kingston to a world title reign, it would make sense to revisit this issue. Maybe Kingston would again be beaten down when Styles enters the chamber, or maybe the tables are turned and Styles would have already been in the match. Maybe the two would both start fresh as the first two men in the match. In any case, an organic story could follow based on what happened Tuesday night, and Kingston getting his fall back en route to a bigger victory.

#4 Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan at Fastlane

Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston would be a natural rematch.

If Daniel Bryan were to drop the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, he’d have immediate just cause to demand a rematch—particularly given the multi-man nature of the Chamber and if he lost Kingston who wasn’t even supposed to be in the match a week earlier.

Of course, there would be some added intrigue for Kingston having pinned Bryan cleanly on SmackDown, and when both men were fresh at the start of the gauntlet match.

The Fastlane match could cement Kingston’s world champion status with a concrete win over a bona fide main eventer and preceding champ. Alternatively, Bryan brutally squashing Kingston could send a statement as he reasserts his dominance going into WrestleMania to finally blow off his issue with AJ Styles, work an insurgent challenger from Raw, or face another underdog who wins his way into the number one contender spot.

#3 New Day storms the Chamber

It could be more than just Kofi Kingston in his Elimination Chamber pod.

One of the interesting quirks of the Elimination Chamber is that everyone involved in the match is locked into a pod from which it has been made clear they can’t escape and no one can get at them until that pod is opened in the sequence of the match. Kofi Kingston himself fell victim to a plot twist involving the pods back in 2009 when Edge attacked him on his way to the Chamber and stole his Pod to enter and ultimately win the match.

Even with the push of his marathon run in the SmackDown gauntlet behind him, it would be difficult to buy Kingston winning the Chamber straight up this Sunday. It would become a lot more kayfabe realistic if the entire New Day wedged itself into the pod to get them all in the match and run wild over the field when they were unleashed.

#2 A pancake title

Kofi Kingston could garner a unique personalized title.

Years back, it would be a real stretch to imagine WWE modifying one of its championship belts—particularly a world title—to fit a specific performer. Stone Cold had his skull belt, though, and John Cena had his spinner. Daniel Bryan now sports his hemp belt, and it makes one wonder if Kofi Kingston might make his own adjustments.

To be fair, in the unlikely chance WWE did go all the way with Kingston, it remains likely he’d be a short term champion and far from the kind of paradigm shifter that guys like Austin and Cena in particular were. Nonetheless, particularly if the title goes back to Bryan, and he resumes using the hemp design, it does beg the question if Kingston might do something different in the interim.

To take things to the extreme, and play into New Day’s comedic sensibilities and pancake loving gimmick, it’s conceivable we’d see our first world title made out of pancakes, complete with Big E and Xavier carrying replicas. Sure, a gimmick like that would be beneath the prestige of the championship, but for a just a few weeks, it could be a fun enough diversion.

#1 A singles push for Kingston

Regardless of how long he might reign if Kofi Kingston wins the WWE Championship, it means big things for his career.

Word is that Kofi Kingston impressed colleagues and management backstage with his gauntlet run on SmackDown, which his part of why the idea of him winning the title isn’t quite as fantastical as it might have seemed just a week ago.

It’s still unlikely Kingston will win on Sunday, and all the more unlikely that he would carry the title into WrestleMania. If, however, WWE decides to finally add the distinction of a world champion to this veteran’s resume, it may well be a sign that they’re ready to take him more seriously. He may not become a main event fixture, but he could transcend the tag ranks to become more of a visible leader of the New Day faction. Moreover, he may fill more of a solid upper mid-card role along the lines of where Rey Mysterio has been, as a generally well-protected guy and gatekeeper for up and coming legitimate main event level talent.