Kofi Kingston def. Sheamus (Tables Match; New United States Champion)

TAMPA — There’s a piece of wisdom that has been passed around the WWE locker room for years — always brings your boots to the arena, because you never know when you’re going to have a match.

Tonight, that old adage paid off for Kofi Kingston in a big way. Placed in an impromptu Tables Match against United States Champion Sheamus by SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long, the high-flyer was ready for action and proved it by smashing The Celtic Warrior through the hardwood to capture the coveted title for a second time. (PHOTOS)

It wasn’t just a great victory for Kingston, but a taste of retribution. After beating Sheamus fair and square on Monday night, Kofi was brutalized by the angry Irishman in a vicious attack on SmackDown. It was the kind of wicked assault Sheamus has become known for — dirty, underhanded and ruthless.

But the rampaging Superstar couldn’t cheat his way to victory tonight — even in a match he selected himself. As the defending champion, the Irish Superstar was given permission to choose the bout’s stipulation by Long. Immediately, The Celtic Warrior asked for a Tables Match, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise. After all, it’s the type of contest that brought Sheamus his first WWE Championship when he sent John Cena through a table in December of 2009.

The luck of the Irish may have been on the big man’s side on that winter evening, but there was no four-leaf clover that could have saved him from the frenzy of Kofi Kingston tonight. Aggressive from the opening bell, the West African Superstar displayed a fervor that has been lacking in many of his recent matches. Fighting back from the best shots Sheamus threw at him, Kingston put it all on the line when he jumped off the top rope to put The Celtic Warrior through a table on the arena floor. The maneuver may have been high-risk, but it resulted in high reward.

Now a member of Raw after the 2011 WWE Draft, Kofi Kingston will bring the United States Title with him when he returns to the red brand on Monday night. And if he displays the same intensity he displayed tonight, the new champion will definitely make an impact.