Kofi Kingston’s arrival at AEW All In: London carried significance beyond the immediate in-ring result. Standing alongside Prince Nana as part of The New Level, Kingston found himself sharing a major career moment with a performer whose earlier work had influenced one of the most important choices of Kofi’s own wrestling presentation.
During an appearance on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Kofi reflected on the unusual symmetry of the situation. Before becoming publicly associated with his Ghanaian identity in WWE, Kingston first debuted on television as a character billed from Kingston, Jamaica. That presentation was tied directly to his on-screen surname, but it also created a complicated response among fans who recognized the cultural connection behind his first name.
“It is so crazy how things come around!” Kofi said on TMZ’s Inside The Ring.
That sense of things coming full circle is central to Kofi’s current AEW run. He and Nana are both Ghanaian, and they are now aligned in the same group after taking very different routes through the wrestling world. Kofi’s early national identity was a fictional element of his WWE character, while Nana had already built a Ghanaian persona through his work in Ring of Honor. Rather than entering the same lane, Kofi chose a different direction. Years later, that decision has led to the pair working beside one another rather than competing for the same character space.
For more background on this topic, read Ricky Saints’ Coffee Spill Sends the ‘Aw, Dude’ Wrestling Meme Viral Again.
Kofi Kingston’s Early Character Direction
Kofi explained that the initial Jamaican presentation generated criticism from more than one side. His WWE character was introduced as Kofi Kingston from Kingston, Jamaica, but fans on MySpace quickly pointed out the disconnect between the character’s background and Kofi’s Ghanaian heritage.
“Initially, you know, when I first debuted as an on-screen character I was Kofi Kingston. From Kingston, Jamaica, you know? And people on MySpace were like really mad at me, Jamaicans were mad at me, and then Ghanaians were also mad at me because I wasn’t representing!” Kofi recalled.
The reaction made sense from the perspective of fans who understood what the name Kofi represents. Kofi said the name is extremely common in Ghana, comparing its familiarity there to the name Mike. For those viewers, the disconnect was obvious: a wrestler named Kofi being presented as Jamaican invited questions about why Ghana was not part of the character.
“If your name is Kofi, you’re from Ghana, we know that. How come you’re representing Jamaica? You don’t want our culture or whatever,” Kofi said while recalling the fan response.
Eventually, Kofi did move away from the Jamaican accent and became more openly connected to his real Ghanaian identity. But he revealed that the existence of Prince Nana’s Ring of Honor work was one major reason he did not initially pursue a Ghanaian character. Nana had already established that type of presentation on the independent scene, and Kofi did not want to arrive as someone who appeared to be repeating an idea another Ghanaian wrestler was already executing.
Prince Nana’s Influence on the Decision
Kofi’s comments offer an interesting look at the way wrestlers consider character identity. Representation can be meaningful, but performers also have to find a distinct voice. In Kofi’s case, embracing a Ghanaian identity at that stage would have felt too close to work Nana was already doing in ROH.
“One of the big reasons that I went away from a Ghanaian character was because Prince Nana was already doing it in ROH!” Kofi said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to just come out and be like another guy! I got to do something different that hasn’t been done!’”
It was not presented as a criticism of Nana. If anything, Kofi’s explanation suggests respect for Nana’s ability to create a recognizable identity in wrestling before their careers converged on the same national stage. Nana was already associated with Ghanaian character work, and Kofi believed he needed to establish something that would be distinguishable on its own terms.
That calculation also highlights how small the wrestling world can be despite the size of its major promotions. Two performers with a shared Ghanaian background developed in different environments, with Kofi becoming a major WWE figure and Nana maintaining a distinctive presence through ROH and beyond. Their paths crossed only occasionally over the years, but their current alliance in AEW has made that shared background impossible to overlook.
A Shared Moment at AEW All In: London
Kofi said he and Prince Nana had crossed paths “a little bit” through the years. Their relationship has now taken on a much more prominent form through The New Level, particularly following the group’s showing at AEW All In: London.
At the event, Kofi credited Nana with helping The New Level and Swerve Strickland secure victory. The result gave Kofi’s AEW debut an added layer of importance, while Nana’s role reinforced his value as a personality and strategist within the act. Kofi was emphatic in his praise for his new stablemate.
“He’s been really awesome! Just a great personality, very knowledgeable about the business, I think underrated in a lot of different ways,” Kofi said of Nana. “Really cool to be alongside of him, it’s just crazy how everything always comes back around.”
The word “underrated” stands out because Nana’s contributions are not limited to a single role. Kofi specifically praised both his personality and his knowledge of the wrestling business, two qualities that can be especially valuable within a faction setting. A stable depends on more than its wrestlers’ performances in the ring; it also needs a clear identity, timing, chemistry, and people capable of amplifying the larger presentation. Kofi’s assessment indicates that Nana has brought those elements to The New Level.
Why the Partnership Resonates
Kofi and Nana being placed together is more than a convenient AEW pairing. Their partnership joins two distinct chapters of Ghanaian representation in modern professional wrestling. Kofi’s journey involved first playing a Jamaican character before publicly embracing his actual heritage. Nana’s earlier ROH work was significant enough that Kofi deliberately avoided presenting himself in a similar manner at the time.
Now, the dynamic has changed completely. The concern about overlapping concepts has been replaced by the opportunity to work together. Rather than one performer’s identity limiting another’s options, their shared history gives The New Level an authentic connection that has developed across many years and multiple promotions.
There is also a professional maturity in Kofi’s recollection. He did not frame the earlier decision as regret. At the time, he wanted to create something different, and that choice helped shape the path he took. His present-day appreciation for Nana does not rewrite that history; it gives it a new ending. The wrestler whose preexisting Ghanaian persona made Kofi seek a different route is now a trusted ally in the same AEW stable.
Looking Ahead for The New Level
Kofi’s comments arrive after a successful AEW All In: London appearance for The New Level and Swerve Strickland. The group’s victory, combined with Kofi’s public appreciation for Nana, points to a cohesive unit with both immediate momentum and an unusually layered backstory.
For Kofi, the AEW chapter has already delivered a personal milestone. He debuted at one of the promotion’s largest events while standing beside Nana, a fellow Ghanaian wrestler whose work once helped steer Kofi away from portraying that aspect of himself on screen. It is a remarkable reversal, and one Kofi clearly does not take for granted.
Professional wrestling often produces reunions, rivalries, and unexpected alliances built on long memories. Kofi Kingston and Prince Nana’s current connection is a particularly meaningful example because it is rooted in identity, character evolution, and mutual respect. Their roads were once parallel but separate. At AEW All In: London, they finally came together.
In pictures
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.