Kofi Kingston Must Win the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan at Fastlane 2019

At the start of February, the idea of Kofi Kingston winning the WWE Championship on the Road to WrestleMania would have been considered a stretch.

Coming off everything that has transpired over the past week and a half, though, it might (and should) become a reality at Fastlane 2019.

It must be noted that the renewed singles push Kingston is in the midst of was never supposed to happen. His spot in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match on Feb. 17 was meant for Mustafa Ali, but an injury forced WWE to change plans and give his opportunity to someone else.

Days ahead of the event, Kingston was announced as Ali's replacement and took his spot in a SmackDown Live Gauntlet match. His spectacular showing, which saw him defeat Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe, led to a surge in popularity for the former tag team champion as well as universal praise from fans and Superstars alike.

Although Kingston entered the Chamber with plenty of momentum, he didn't stand much of a chance of coming out on top (let alone lasting long). Despite that, he stunned the world yet again by eliminating Randy Orton and taking Bryan to the limit before falling just short.

Kingston has been a fan favorite for most of his WWE career, but he had never been more beloved by the audience than he was during the closing moments of that Chamber match.

To say he had earned the respect of the WWE Universe with his unbelievable performance would be a massive understatement, and thus it was evident the company had more to explore with him as a WWE Championship contender.

On Tuesday, the New Day member kept his hot streak alive by pinning Bryan in six-man tag team action on SmackDown, earning himself another shot at the prize at Fastlane on March 10 in the process.

Kingston has been a part of WWE's main roster for more than a decade, and only now have officials shown serious interest in pushing him as a main event player. He was on the cusp of breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling in late 2009, but even then, he wasn't nearly as over with the audience as he is at the moment.

Giving Kingston a run as world champion simply because he deserves it isn't enough of a reason to pull the trigger. That said, it would make sense from a storyline standpoint, and it would shake up the Road to WrestleMania in more ways than one.

Bryan doesn't have an obvious opponent for the marquee event on April 7, so having Kingston take the title from him at Fastlane would allow them to face off in a rematch on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Credit: WWE.com

Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter revealed on Tuesday it will be Bryan vs. Kevin Owens at WrestleMania, assuming plans don't change. As strong of a title match as that is on paper, it would feel fairly random compared to something as organic as Bryan vs. Kingston.

Bryan and Kingston have worked well together every time they have done battle, and their Fastlane clash should be no different. They would be extra motivated to rip it up at WrestleMania, and Owens could still be involved in a Triple Threat scenario.

Above all else, Kingston's WWE title defense/chase at WrestleMania is the most compelling story WWE can tell at the top of the card on SmackDown going into The Show of Shows if recent crowd reactions to the New Day man have been any indication.

To his credit, Bryan has had an exceptional run as a heel since November and been a breath of fresh air in the title scene. Unfortunately, no one (including AJ Styles) has had the fanfare necessary to serve as a real rival to him, but that is where Kingston comes in.

Kingston vs. Bryan lacks the star power that past WWE Championship feuds have had, but it does have an intangible about it that makes it so authentic and exciting.

Fans are constantly pushing for fresh faces to be spotlighted in the main event, and Kingston could be the guy to reignite the product at just the right time.

Fastlane should go down as the night WWE took a chance on someone who was a perennial midcarder by giving him his long-awaited crowning moment, regardless of how long his reign would last.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.