Kofi Kingston is one of the most loyal superstars in WWE history, as he remained with the company across various trials and tribulations and patiently waited for his opportunity until it came to him at the proper time. WWE rewarded his patience with a historic WWE Championship run, and Kingston solidified his career as the first African-American WWE Champion in history.
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He's earned the respect of everyone throughout his long run with the company and has gathered quite the fan base for himself over the years. While the fans might be well acquainted with Kofi Kingston's entire career inside the squared circle, here are nine facts, which they must know about Kingston's life outside the business.
8 He Is Of Ghanaian Origin
When Kofi Kingston made his WWE main roster debut back in 2007, the company billed him as a superstar of Jamaican origin and made him talk in a Jamaican accent as well.
However, that is very far from the truth as Kingston is of Ghanaian origin and was born in Kumasi, Ashanti, in Ghana. He moved to the United States along with his parents and siblings and settled in the greater Boston area. But Kingston had the Jamaican accent even before he signed with WWE, as he was using the same gimmick during his early days in the independent circuit.
7 His Family
Kofi Kingston married Kori Campfield on September 11, 2010, and the couple has three children together. Their elder son Kai was born in 2013, their second son Orion Kingsley in 2016, and welcomed their daughter Lotus Selene in 2021.
Kingston is a pretty outspoken guy and regularly posts pictures of himself and his family on social media, But his wife is reportedly a very private woman and isn't active very much on social media, but the fans have seen them together in various WWE events, like the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
6 Alma Mater
Kofi Kingston attended the Winchester High School in Winchester, Massachusetts, and then enrolled himself in Boston College and earned a communications degree. He started training to become a pro wrestler at a very early age but managed his priorities well by allocating the required amount of time to his studies and training.
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Such a level of dedication at a young age would've prepared him for his long wait in WWE before he would receive a career-defining opportunity in 2019.
5 Didn't Visit Home Country For 26 Years
After he migrated to the United States along with his entire family, Kofi Kingston didn't go back to visit his home country of Ghana for a very long 26 years. However, things changed after he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35. Celebrations started in Ghana as Kingston's countrymen rejoiced over the fact that one of their own made history by winning the coveted championship.
It led to Kingston finally returning to Ghana after a very long time and visiting his parents' hometown, and even getting to meet his grandmother, who unfortunately passed away after Kingston returned to the States.
4 Acting Career
Along with his career inside the squared circle, Kofi Kingston also got the opportunity to wake up the actor inside him when he landed roles in several WWE studios' movies between 2016 and 2021.
He appeared as himself in all four movies he's been part of so far, with the 2016 movie Countdown starring Dolph Ziggler as his first outing. He then gave a voice-over in the animated movie Scooby-Doo! And WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon in 2016, the 2021 comedy film The Main Event, and Netflix interactive special Escape The Undertaker in 2021.
3 Charitable Activities
Kofi Kingston involved himself in various charitable activities over the years and received everyone's appreciation when he recently announced the launch of his new charity initiative, The CLICK for Quality Education Foundation.
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He stated that he was working on this project with his mother for a long time before making the official announcement. The foundation's prime motive would be to build top-quality computer labs, libraries, and media centers for junior high schools across Ghana, particularly in underprivileged areas. Kingston also claimed that more exciting announcements regarding the foundation are coming in the future.
2 His Mother Saved Him From The Jamaican Gimmick
The fans will remember the segment in which Triple H would call Kofi Kingston out for suddenly ditching his Jamaican accent. Kingston stopped using the gimmick after that, but the interesting story behind the change is that it was his mother who saved him from having to continue talking in a Jamaican accent.
It appears a miscommunication between his mother and a BBC News reporter caused an uproar in Ghana. After Kingston gave an interview to BBC News regarding his character, the reporter called the former's mother to ask if he was really Jamaican. His mother revealed that he was from Ghana and that he was doing the accent just for work. Apparently, the reporter didn't know about kayfabe, and a misleading article stated Kingston being ashamed of his Ghanaian origin as the reason for him adopting the Jamaican accent. It was only then that WWE chose to end the character once and for all.
1 Why Does He Have A Sunken Chest?
It is hard to not notice the way Kofi Kingston's chest looks like it has caved in. The fans speculated Kingston's condition to have emerged from an in-ring accident or due to pectus excavatum, a condition that causes a person's breastbone to sink inside the chest.
But the real reason behind Kingston's chest looking that way is because of only genetics and that his chest muscles are just connected differently to make it look like his chest had caved in.
