Africa’s first WWE champion Kofi Kingston returns home

Kofi Kingston’s The Year of Return documentary follows an African child’s dream to become a WWE superstar, leaving home with his family to build a life in another country and returning to celebrate with his people.

Kingston’s hour-long documentary properly welcomes you into his world as he celebrates his first WWE Championship win. It is an incredibly emotional story of triumph, showcasing Kofi’s rise as a wrestler, the support he received from his family and friends, as well as the belief he had to have in himself to finally realise his dream.

Kofi Kingston goes home

The story starts with him arriving in Ghana on a South African Airways flight, being welcomed by scores of supporters at the airport and taking a tour of the slave castles.

It then goes back in time with Kofi sharing fond memories of his childhood, attending Wrestlemania 14 in Boston, his first-ever and cringe-worthy WWE audition for a show called ‘Tough Enough’, graduating from university and starting formal employment at a job where he worked at a cubicle.

He goes into the highs and lows of his career, even mentioning how he debuted into WWE with a fake Jamaican accent. Kingston’s own recollection of his career journey is accompanied by commentary from his friends, family and WWE colleagues.

The doccie gives a backstage view into some of his biggest matches and the rise of #KofiMania leading up to his first WWE Championship win in 2019. That year was one of Kofi’ Kingston’s best years in WWE for two reasons, making history by becoming WWE’s first African born champion and getting the opportunity to go back to Ghana with the belt, to celebrate the historical feat.

This coincided perfectly with Ghana’s own Year of Return initiative, where the government of the country was running a campaign to encourage Africans from the diaspora to come to Ghana. Kofi was welcomed in Ghana by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who shares how the country of 30 million people is incredibly proud of his achievements, and how well he represents the people of Ghana across the world. “Akwaaba, akwaaba, akwaaba again, you’re very welcome to Ghana,” said President Akufo-Addo, as he gifted Kofi with a welcome home scarf.

Beyond meeting the president, the documentary shows how Kofi got the opportunity to meet family members he had never met and getting a chance to inspire young Africans who wish to emulate his example.

Kofi Kingston’s Year of The Return documentary is currently available to watch for free on the WWE Network.

Other must-watch WWE Network documentaries include the WWE 24: Seth Rollins: Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim, CM Punk: Best in the World and non-other than the recently released series, The Undertaker The Last Ride.