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Fresh WrestleManiatwist for Kofi Kingston

KOFI Kingston will not get a WrestleMania title shot despite winning his six-man gauntlet match on Tuesday night’s SmackDown.

Kingston defeated five WWE superstars in a row in a match lasting more than 55 minutes to secure a championship opportunity against Daniel Bryan at the show of shows on April 7.

Or so he thought. After beating Randy Orton at the end of a winning sequence which also included victories over both members of The Bar, Erick Rowan and United States champion Samoa Joe, Kingston and his New Day colleagues Big E and Xavier Woods were in celebratory mood.

But their joy was cut short by the appearance on the ramp of Vince McMahon, who declared that Kingston must overcome one more opponent to secure his road to WrestleMania – WWE champion Bryan himself.

A clearly exhausted Kingston had a couple of close moments where he almost pinned Bryan but ultimately succumbed to a fierce running knee strike and the champ got the three count to deny Kofi his WrestleMania moment.

Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder insists he “can’t wait” to take on Anthony Joshua in an undisputed world heavyweight title fight.

Wilder will defend his WBC title against Dominic Breazeale on May 18 before Joshua defends his IBF, WBA and WBO gold belts against Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller on June 1.

But, although negotiations have stalled in the past, there is fresh hope that victories for Joshua and Wilder in their respective defences will set up what would be one of the biggest heavyweight fights in history.

Told that Joshua was eager to take him on, Wilder said: “Oh man, I can’t wait for him either.

“I feel the same way about him (that I do Breazeale).

“Four months of negotiations and they knew they didn’t want the fight. Stop. What more do I have to do for people?

“I’ve tried to show people and I’ll continue to still prove that I am the best. I’ll continue to give people the fights that they want to see. But they got to be in cooperation with my team as well too.

“I am that man that can knock you out, at any given time, any given round, any given minute, any given second.”– Sky Sports

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