The New Day reflects on their final night as a trio and what this group has meant to them as individuals.
The October 16, 2020 episode of SmackDown is one that will go down in history as it was the final night that Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E competed as a trio before moving onto separate brands.
The New Day began their run in 2014 and managed to stay a unit for six years, something that is a rarity in the world of professional wrestling where splitting up tag teams is a common trope utilized to try and find the next breakout singles Superstar.
Speaking after their victory on SmackDown over Sheamus, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura, each individual took the time to state what this unit has meant to them in their lives.
“It felt good because we haven't been in the same ring with each other for about a year. For us to go out there and be on the same page, we always talk about our chemistry and we know we have something special, but there's still a little bit of those nerves because you don't know if you'll be able to pick up where you left off,” said Kofi Kingston, who was able to capture the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 in part due to the success of the faction as a whole. “We were able to do that. It meant the world to me to be in the ring with each other, I don't want to say one last time. To be in there and to one is just a reminder of why we did this. You can still feel the energy from people and it's something special we have. I'm so fortunate to have shared the ring with these guys for the past six years. That meant the world to me.”
Xavier Woods, who competed in his third match since returning from an Achilles tendon injury spoke about what it was like for him to finally find a group of people who shared his vision for professional wrestling and helped him elevate his career.
“The win is great, obviously. We get the winner's purse and all that stuff [laughs]. Get the champion's paycheck. For the entire time that I've been a wrestler, I've been trying to find the people that I wanted around me in order to make this what I knew it could be for me and I didn't find that until nine or ten years into my career. Winning and championships are great, but it's like you're leaving your school friends. You're gonna see them again and things are going to be fine, but that initial departure is a lot. My whole career, I was looking for these guys. I didn't know it was them, but once you find who it is, it's a lot. It's a lot.”
Big E reflected on the brotherhood the three members of New Day share outside of the ring in addition to finding his place in WWE with the help of Kofi and Xavier.
“One of the reasons it's emotional is because what we do on-screen is like five percent of the time we spend together. I remember Woods having to leave to get married, Kofi having to leave the European tour because he was having a baby. I remember being at Woods' old house and he had a shed. Not a normal shed, this was the dopest shed I'd ever seen, it was like a separate house and we stayed in his shed,” said E. “The amount of times we broke bread together, that we talked. As much success as we've had over the years, I always think back to 2014 and how desperate I was to TV and trying to find something to keep my job because I felt like I was this close to being fired and we were just three guys just trying to get booked. Not just all the in-ring accomplishments, they are incredible, but I'll always remember the times we spent off-camera and the amount of trust I was able to put into these two in a business that is very unforgiving when you had a dog eat dog mentality. We trusted each other with everything and that means the world to me. If my career ends tomorrow, I'll always have this and these two human beings that I'm so thankful for and that I truly love. I can't thank them enough. It's just a hiatus.”
Now, Big E will remain on the SmackDown brand in an effort to chase singles success as Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston move over to Monday Night Raw where they are currently the Tag Team Champions.
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