KofiMania was a highlight of 2019 for WWE fans, but would not have worked had Mustafa Ali been in the WWE Championship picture as planned.

An injury suffered by Ali would see Kofi replace him in that year’s Elimination Chamber and would see fans rally behind the Ghanaian Superstar.

That momentum would result in WWE having Kingston challenge for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35, a spot reportedly once reserved for Ali.

On a recent edition of the “Insight” podcast, Ali was asked if he could see himself having the same support as Kofi at the time. He said,

“I don’t think so because Kofimania is different because I think that was a guy with a decade long career where the fans willed it into existence. … it wasn’t produced, it wasn’t written, you can’t. For me to sit here and even have the gall (to think that could have been me)… At the end of the day, Kofimania, there’s no topping that.”

Kingston’s reign with the gold would come to an end in October 2019 after he was flattened in seconds by Brock Lesnar.

Ali was released from WWE in 2023 without ever holding gold. Click here to find out how his release was both a surprise and expected.