Kofi Kingston’s Race Referenced On SmackDown As Reason For Having To Work ‘Twice As Hard’

Kofi Kingston deserves a WWE Title shot at WrestleMania. He has worked for 11 years to earn the opportunity and Vince McMahon screwed him out of another chance this week on SmackDown Live. Now we will just have to see how WWE ends up getting Kofi in the big Mania match after his New Day brothers proposed quitting.

Forbes writer Alfred Konuwa who writes about professional wrestling for the publication made an observation during SmackDown Live. Byron Saxton threw in a line that seemed to directly reference Kofi Kingston’s race and how it has caused him to work harder for his position.

Nobody in pro wrestling media will say this, and I’m not sure any of them got the reference, but Saxton’s quote about Kofi having to work twice as hard to get half as far is in reference to him being black. Well done. #SDLive

There is an African American proverb that goes: “You’ve got to work twice as hard to get half as far as a black person in white America.” This was what Saxton was apparently referencing on live television.

It is unclear who might have fed Saxton that line or if he came up with it himself, but it was quite noticeable for anyone who has ever heard the original quote and understands the context of this situation.