WWE’s biggest weekend of the year is looming and, with it coinciding with Easter and the brand’s move to , British fans are going to find it easier than ever to watch all the action. But long-time star Kofi Kingston doesn’t just believe the UK deserves to see the Show of Shows - he says it deserves to host the spectacle.
Speaking exclusively to The ahead of WrestleMania 41, which takes place in Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday night, Kingston became the latest big name to back London as a potential WrestleMania joining stars like , Drew McIntyre and Bianca Belair as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan who hosted WWE boss Triple H at City Hall to lobby for the huge event.
Kingston, who will be wrestling alongside his long-time tag team partner Xavier Woods against The War Raiders for the tag team titles, explained: “Every year for WrestleMania people come from all over the but the UK presence is always very strong and speaks to the level of fandom and loyalty that we've always had. With the British Bulldog and all the wrestlers that you've had come through, like William Regal and Dave Taylor, there have been so many great people from the UK, there’s such a legacy and I think you guys deserve it. Plus, personally I'd love to bring my kids over here for a true taste of life across the Pond. It'd be a great experience for them."
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WrestleMania 41 not only includes two full nights of packed cards, both of which will stream live for Netflix fans at no additional cost thanks to WWE’s huge deal with the online TV giant, but a host of other events including NXT’s Stand and Deliver and their celebration of excellence in the industry, the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony. For the first time this year, iconic matches are set to be included and Kingston has one in mind that he’d like considered for inclusion, after winning the title at WrestleMania 35 in a memorable and inspiring battle against then-champion Daniel Bryan, which saw WWE’s equivalent of the Super Bowl dubbed Kofimania.
He said: “It's incredible that now there's a possibility of having a match inducted. As for KofiMania? I always say in every single interview when I say ‘KofiMania’ just the word coming out of my mouth makes it sound uncool. But the movement was amazing. It'll be six years ago this WrestleMania and I still get a ton of messages about how impactful that moment was to so many people, especially people of colour who never thought they would see an African-born WWE champion at WrestleMania.
“More importantly I think the reason why it appealed to so many people was because the story was one of struggle. All of us at some point in time have had some kind of conflict or struggle or situation where we've been told you're not going to make it or you're not good enough. Then you come to that crossroads of 'do I believe them and stop pursuing what I love or do I block them out and keep trucking along and hopefully get this chance,' and that's what happened to me.
"I marvel at how many lives it's impacted and how many people are still vocal about it. Now they’re inducting matches into the Hall of Fame that match with Daniel Bryan should definitely be included - for the historical impact and because of the impact it had on the people."
WrestleMania is the jewel in the crown of WWE's annual pay per view calendar. In recent years it has become a two-night extravaganza and with this year's event being held in Las Vegas over Easter weekend and broadcast live to millions on Netflix for the first time, it looks set to be the biggest ever.
UK fans with existing Netflix subscriptions will be able to watch WrestleMania 41 at no extra cost beyond their subscription fee. Meanwhile, viewers who sign up for for £15 a month get Netflix thrown in with dozens of other channels. WrestleMania runs live from 1am UK time although there will also be early kick-off shows live an hour earlier each night on highlighting the feuds and build up for fans who may not have followed the full Road to Wrestlemania.
While changes may yet be made to the events - notably Randy Orton’s opponent has yet to be confirmed after Kevin Owens had to step back due to a real-life neck injury - on Monday the rough card for each night was confirmed as follows:
WrestleMania 41 Night One Final CardNight one's main event has the potential to be one of the highlights of the entire weekend as Roman Reigns, CM Punk and take part in a triple threat match, with long-time Reigns manager Paul Heyman joining Punk's corner for the duration.
Elsewhere on night one, WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton takes on Charlotte Flair in a title match while United States Champion LA Knight takes on Jacob Fatu. World Tag Team champions The War Raiders take on New Day while World Heavyweight Champion Guther will take on Jey Uso in the latest instalment of their bloody feud.
Aside from the title pictures, Jade Cargill will go up against Naomi in a grudge match after Cargill was benched for months after a back stage assault that later turned out to be at the hands of the Queen of Glow herself and El Grande Americano - who looks suspiciously like Chad Gable - will take on WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio.
WrestleMania 41 Night Two Final CardNight two will see John Cena take on Cody Rhodes in his final Wrestlemania before he retires - and his first as a heel after he betrayed Rhodes by teaming up with The Rock against him. If Cena wins the Undisputed Championship - and, goodie or baddie, many fans believe he deserves it, he will get a 17th world title reign, breaking Ric Flair's record for holding the most titles.
Elsewhere, a triple threat for the Women's World Championship will pit Iyo Sky vs Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. In the Intercontinental Championship picture, Bron Breakker is defending his title against Penta, Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio. Meanwhile, WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez take on Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
Meanwhile, night two’s non-title fights which might just steal the show see Damian Priest take on Drew McIntyre while AJ Styles takes on Logan Paul.
* All WWE programming in the UK is available via , including RAW, SmackDown, NXT, Premium Live Events and WWE Archives. Viewers can buy a standalone membership direct or currently get it free as part of Sky TV deals in their Easter sale .
Meanwhile, WWE will be hosting a huge Clash at Paris pay per view event in August and a host of UK dates on the Road to Clash at Paris Tour in the run up to the event. Sign up for exclusive presale information .
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