Kofi Kingston will take on Randy Orton at SummerSlam next weekend, but the rivalry between the two superstars has been going on for 10 years.

Kingston will be defending the WWE Championship against Orton at WWE's biggest party of the summer.

However, it was The Viper who held The New Day member back from progressing further as a singles star back in 2009 at a time where he was coming into his own.

As Kingston explained in his recent interview with The Ottawa Sun, he was on his way to the main event scene in WWE in 2009, but he never reached that level due to Orton.

The WWE Champion said: “For those who don’t know, 10 years ago — in 2009 — I was on my way to the main-event scene and I was wrestling a top-tier guy like Randy Orton. The direction it seemed to be going was I would get main events — it didn’t happen.

"I come to find out Randy Orton had a lot to do with holding me back, using his influence to make sure I never got to the main-event scene.

"I’ve had Intercontinental championship reigns, U.S. championship reigns, tag team titles, but I’d never had a WWE championship match — not one time in 10 years (until Wrestlemania)."

Kingston concluded by saying: “It’s going to be awesome. Here I am, the WWE champion against all odds and Randy Orton’s a bit upset about that. It’s a bit personal for me. It’s going to be a banger, it’s going to be an intense match and I can’t wait.”

Ever since the start of 2019, the roles have been reversed, as The New Day member grew stronger and stronger to the point where he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

However, there is a concern amongst fans that WWE may move the title onto a more well-known superstar like The Viper ahead of SmackDown's move to Fox.

If Kingston is able to beat Orton at SummerSlam and retain the WWE Championship, it would not only show that WWE has a lot of confidence in him, but it would also bring a lot of validity to his title reign as it would be his biggest win since WrestleMania.