Kofi Kingston explains why he will have an eye on each member of The Shield at WWE Extreme Rules.
Kingston talks Ambrose, Ryback, Cesaro and more with skysports.com
Kofi Kingston is scheduled to fight one man this weekend - but he is preparing to battle three.
The Ghanaian will defend his United States Championship against The Shield's Dean Ambrose at Extreme Rules, an event you can see live and exclusive on Sky Box Office HD in the early hours of Monday morning.
But the former Intercontinental and WWE Tag Team Titlist told
skysports.com that he expects Ambrose's cohorts, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, to get involved in their crony's contest in St Louis, Missouri.
Read on for Kingston's thoughts on his Extreme Rules clash, as well as his take on John Cena and Ryback's WWE Title encounter, his former tag-team partner Evan Bourne, and how much he is enjoying being a father...
skysports.com: How much are you looking forward to Sunday's Extreme Rules pay-per-view?
KOFI KINGSTON: There is obviously a lot of excitement involved with Extreme Rules as for the most part the matches have an extreme stipulation, and both I and my fellow WWE Superstars are really looking forward to Sunday night.
skysports.com: Which matches are you particularly interested in seeing?
KK: I'm definitely looking forward to seeing John Cena and Ryback face each other in a Last Man Standing Match; Ryback has been a wrecking ball ever since he came to the WWE in early 2012 and now he has set his sights on Cena's WWE Title. Cena has never lost at Extreme Rules, but Ryback rarely gets beaten and I feel that when he puts his mind to something he can achieve anything. This will be a match of sheer will and the winner will be the man that wants it more, because both are similar in strength and stature.
skysports.com: You will be defending the United States Championship at the event. How prestigious do you consider the title to be?
KK: Whichever title I am holding is the one I deem to be the most prestigious, but the United States Championship really is special because it has been held by legends such as Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat. I am doing my best to keep that prestige going by having lights-out matches every time I am in the ring so that whether I keep my title, or god forbid, lose it, the fans know that it means a lot to me.
skysports.com: What do you make of your opponent, The Shield's Dean Ambrose?
KK: Ambrose is a very peculiar, maniacal and devious person and the way he moves around the ring is different to anything I've ever seen before. He has a lot of talent as he proved when he fought The Undertaker and Kane in the United Kingdom, and has done some very impressive things for someone who is classed as a rookie.
skysports.com: Do you expect Ambrose's associates, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to interfere in your bout?
KK: I'm definitely going to have to contend with the other members of The Shield, the high-flying Rollins and the powerhouse Reigns, because everyone knows they will work together even in singles matches, and if I didn't prepare for all three of them I would be a fool. I don't expect my match with Ambrose to be a fair fight but I'm ready for that. I'm going to bring the fight, beat the odds and come out on top.
skysports.com: How close is your former tag-team partner Evan Bourne to returning to the ring?
KK: I think Evan's recovery is going well as he had a match in NXT a few weeks ago and he is doing everything within his power to get back from his foot injury. We are all desperate for him to get back because he is a funny, positive guy and great fun to have in the locker room, while we all want to see him do these difficult video-game-esque moves that he makes look so easy.
skysports.com: Another man you know well, Dolph Ziggler, has been ruled out of Extreme Rules after suffering a concussion. Have you ever had a similar injury?
KK: I have never had a concussion in the ring but I did have one when I was playing high-school football and I just remember waking up and not knowing where I was and then having a really bad headache. In the WWE safety is paramount and the primary concern is to protect ourselves and other Superstars, so Dolph taking Extreme Rules off is the right thing to do, even though I'm sure the fans will be disappointed at not getting to see him wrestle.
skysports.com: Antonio Cesaro recently declared himself the most talented man in the WWE. Would you agree with that statement?
KK: I wouldn't say he was the most talented man in the WWE because I have to believe that I am, but Antonio is extremely talented and pound-for-pound is probably the strongest guy I have been in the ring with and that is saying a lot because I've been in the ring with the Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry. I get a bit apprehensive being doing my high-flying moves on him because I know he can stop me in the air at any time and I've never been manhandled like I have when I've been in the ring with Antonio. He has been very good for a very long time and thankfully people are beginning to see that now.
skysports.com: Rumours are circling that Paul Heyman is looking for a new client. Would you ever consider becoming one of his guys?
KK: If you look at his track record and the people he has represented, I would be silly not to want Heyman to represent me. I don't know if Brock Lesnar would be the same Brock Lesnar without Heyman, and even CM Punk, who doesn't need Heyman because he is a really smart guy himself, knows that having him around will take his opponents off their game and increase his odds of winning matches. Heyman is one of the geniuses of our time and if I was tutored by him I would definitely learn a few things.
skysports.com: And finally, you have just become a father. How are you enjoying it?
KK: It's the best thing in the world, even though it's a lot of work! Leading up to the birth of my son everyone said that all the achievements I had accrued would not compare to becoming a dad and they were right. My son is healthy, developing a personality and doing great and I am on cloud nine every time I go home. It really is an amazing experience.
Extreme Rules Booking details
WWE Extreme Rules will be shown on Sky Box Office HD (752) and Sky Box Office (743) on Sunday, May 19 (Monday morning).
WWE Extreme Rules will be repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743) - but NOT on Sky Sports Box Office HD (channel 752) - between 9am on Monday, May 20 and 9pm on Saturday, May 25. Repeat showings will last for three hours.
The event is priced at £14.95 for UK customers, €21.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.
You can order WWE Extreme Rules by pressing the Box Office button on your remote. Select 'sports & events' and follow the on-screen instructions.
Viewers are able to call 08442 410 888 to book WWE Extreme Rules. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).
You can also book WWE Extreme Rules online by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/
Cable customers should contact their local cable operator.
