WWE: The New Day’s top 5 moments of the 2010’s

Kofi Kingston’s first WWE Championship win

Kofimania was one of—if not—the best storylines in professional wrestling this year. Kingston’s quest to become the WWE Champion, following a phenomenal performance in the gauntlet match on the Feb. 12 episode of SmackDown, was engrossing and poignant.

Everything that Kofi worked toward for 11 years led to this last-ditch effort to earn a world title shot. Moreover, this was the culmination of Woods’ pitch to Kingston and Big E back in 2014. Xavier always hoped to elevate them as a collective, but he said on many occasions that he wouldn’t rest until Kofi was WWE Champion.

He and E got the chance to fight for an opportunity for their longtime friend when they competed in a tag team gauntlet match on the Mar. 26. They outlasted five teams—including The Usos, who forfeited—to punch Kingston’s ticket to challenge Daniel Bryan at “The Grandest Stage of Them All”.

As The New Day celebrated with the WrestleMania sign looming in the background, they received a standing ovation. Then, the locker room emptied as their peers joined and cheered outside the ring. In a touching moment, Byron Saxton, who was supposed to be one of the original members of the faction, left the commentating desk to celebrate, as well.

In April, Kofi Kingston fulfilled his boyhood dream of competing for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. As promised, he pinned Bryan to win his first world title. Watching E and Woods lift him up on their shoulders, was the most emotional and inspiring moment in the event’s history.

You could see how much it meant to Xavier, which made the victory even more gratifying. If Kofi didn’t get to share that moment with his friends and family, it wouldn’t have felt never as rewarding. After all, this wasn’t just his win; it was a win for them as a collective. It was a win for every Black wrestler who dreamed of reaching the same heights.