Kofi Kingston: Winchester's WWE Superstar

Kofi Kingston is one of the WWE's most popular Superstars. He's won six championship belts, appears regularly on the WWE's Monday Night Raw TV show, has his own action figure, is a playable character in video games, has legions of fans and began his journey to the top of the WWE in Winchester.

Kingston's real name is Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah. He was born in Ghana, West Africa, but grew up in Winchester. Patch wanted to find out how this 1999 Alum and Boston College graduate went from the mats of WHS to those in the WWE.

What was it like for you growing up in Winchester?

It was good. Winchester is known for being an affluent town. A lot of people had a lot more than I had, I lived in the part of town they called “The Pit.” Not that we weren't went well off […] We always had a lot of great friends and great support. Overall, it was a great experience.

What drew you to wrestling at WHS?

A friend of mine told me to come with him to an open mat. I actually thought it was going to be like WWE Wrestling. [Laughs] Sure enough, it was nothing like what I expected. But, at the same time, it was one of the better things I've ever done. Wrestling really teaches you discipline in terms of making weight and training hard, really great.

How did you learn what you learned at WHS and Boston College to transition into the WWE?

It comes back to discipline. It was really instilled in me through my old wrestling coach, . I thought he would only teach me discipline for the sake of wrestling, but it really applies to everything that you do.

You're known as a “high flyer” in the WWE, how did you go about landing on this technique?

I'm not sure how it actually happened. I've always been very active, and growing up in “The Pit,” we were always outside, always playing stick-ball or having Royal Rumbles in my backyard. It was only natural that this had an influence on what I do now. I thought it was cool back then, and I love it now.

Tell me about when you first won a title belt?

I remember my first intercontinental title match was against Chris Jericho, and this was a guy I watched growing up on TV, a huge reason why I was interested in becoming part of the WWE, years later, here I am, in the ring, having a match for the intercontinental championship with all the prestige and whatnot that goes with it. It was unreal.

You've won six championship in the WWE, who do you want to fight next?

We have so many great superstars, I'd go and throw down with anyone from Ref Chad Patton all the way up to John Cena, another Massachusetts home town boy. [Cena hails from Lynn, MA] I'm always interested in fighting whoever is at the top.

How did you come up with your signature move, the Boom Drop, the double-leg drop off the top ropes?

That was something I picked up while wrestling at the Chaotic Training Center in Andover. There was a guy their named Craig Stratton who used to do the double leg drop. Over the years, it has evolved where I add my own elements to it, something people can get behind and get involved in when I do it. I'm lucky it has caught on.

What about your signature Boom Boom Clap?

When I first came out [in the WWE] I was billed from Jamaica. It was basically a tribute to Jamaica because Jamaica had a big part in influencing my life in terms of their music and their culture and food. The thunder clap is a dance that is done in dance halls in Jamaica […] I kind of did it off the cuff one day and it happened to stick.

You pay tribute to Jamaica as Kofi Kingston, but you are the first WWE Superstar from Africa. How does it feel to be a countries first?

It's very cool. We have had people [in the WWE] who have been billed from Africa, but I'm the first to actually be born in Africa. Now there is another wrestler named Justin Gabriel who is from South Africa [...] It's cool to be the first. There will never be another first, you know? The fact that I can come out and represent and make my countrymen proud and show the world that Ghana has something to offer.