WWE star Kofi Kingston claims The Rock was first African-American to win WWE Championship

WWE star Kofi Kingston had a ground-breaking 2019 as it was the year when he won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35. It went down as a moment in history as Kofi Kingston became the first African-American to hold the WWE Championship. Although Kofi Kingston has acknowledged that it was a sentimental moment for everyone involved in the industry, he pointed out that WWE legend The Rock should be counted in the record of African-American WWE Champions.

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Kofi Kingston denies being first African-American to win the WWE title

Kofi Kingston recently made an appearance on WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley's Table Talk podcast and the 38-year-old responded to people who didn't consider The Rock to be an African-American champion. When D-Von Dudley asked Kingston about his feelings on being the first African-American wrestler to win the WWE Championship, the Ghanian-born WWE star corrected Dudley and claimed that it was, in fact, The Rock who was the first African-American to win the WWE Championship. Kingston said: "I find it silly that most people don't consider The Rock as an African-American wrestler."

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Kingston then revealed that regardless of The Rock's mixed-race appearance, he should be considered as an African-American. Kingston, who is currently inactive in the WWE due to a back injury, explained: "It doesn't matter if he's half black. He's still black and he was the first black wrestler to win the WWE Championship." Kingston then went on to state that the moment he became WWE Champion he received a countless number of messages while MVP was in tears. Kingston concluded by revealing that it was an extremely sentimental moment for him, "I think for a long time, African-American people have been waiting for someone who looks exactly like them to lift the WWE Championship."

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The Rock WWE career as WWE Champion

Former WWE African-American stars Booker T and Mark Henry were also world champions in the industry but they held the World Heavyweight Championship. The Rock won the WWE Championship eight times and was the only other African-American wrestler to hold the title prior to Kofi Kingston. Kofi Kingston won the WWE Championship after he defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35. He held the belt for 180 days before losing the title to Brock Lesnar on SmackDown back in October 2019. 

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