#1.) Kofi Kingston – 2019
The most recent example of the list comes from the road to WrestleMania 35. (Mustafa) Ali was scheduled to be a part of the WWE title match at Elimination Chamber. Similar to the prior year, WWE decided to host a gauntlet match between the competitors. Of course, Ali was supposed to be a part of it but he pulled out due to an injury.
The New Day’s Kofi Kingston stepped up to take his spot and mesmerized WWE fans across the world with an incredible performance that lasted over an hour. It helped the crowd get behind Kingston in a way they never had throughout his career and it led to an organic rise to the top.
He fell short at Elimination Chamber but his stock only grew. The storyline of Kingston as an underdog was the perfect one and it resulted in him finally fulfilling his destiny and becoming WWE Champion at WrestleMania 35. All of that happened because of an injury.
