WWE Champion Kofi Kingston recently spoke with Sports Illustrated and talked about having respect for Daniel Bryan.

“Bryan is the unsung hero, and he’s done a lot for guys who are undersized but showed they can still be cast in this top guy spot. He’s done it so well for a very, very long time,” Kofi said. He continued, “And Bryan went through that identical journey I did to get to WrestleMania. He was badgered and blocked by The Authority and called a B-plus player, that was his story, and it became mine, too. We don’t get a lot of shine in main events, we’re not 6’8″ and 300 pounds, so the fact that he was my opponent was poetic. I have a whole lot of respect for Bryan and the boundaries he’s been able to break.”

Kofi is set to defend his title against Randy Orton at Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Kofi is looking to create a new major moment with Orton.

“Making people believe they can do great things, that’s an instant motivator,” Kofi said. “I’m the guy at the center of that, and I’ve been so lucky and fortunate to achieve so many great things and have so many moments in WWE. I always want people to experience the feelings I am experiencing.

“Anything I can do to get you to feel, that’s an honor and a duty that I take very seriously. I’m going to go out there, go all out, and go get that dream.”