Kofi Kingston’s meteoric rise as the WWE Champion was one of the biggest stories in wrestling this year, but this was just as big of a year for The New Day as a collective.
On July 14, 2014, Xavier Woods offered Kofi Kingston and Big E a proposition on an episode of Raw. At the time, the two were floundering at the by their own admission. Woods declared that they could not “move ahead by shaking hands, kissing babies and singing and dancing like a puppet.” He continued, “together it is our time to find purpose because we do not ask any longer.”
That fall, WWE started airing vignettes for the new trio and The New Day was born. They made their in-ring debut on the Nov. 28, 2014 episode of SmackDown. Honestly, this felt like another attempt to arbitrarily put Black wrestlers together because the company didn’t have any other ideas for them.
However, The New Day became one of the most unconventional, authentic, and successful Black factions in all of wrestling. Their achievements set them apart as one of the greatest tag teams of all time, but what makes them so special is their initiative to be themselves in an industry full of dated stereotypes.
Kofi’s accomplishments as a single competitor will always grant him recognition among some fans, but we shouldn’t understate just how much The New Day have overcome together. As such, these are five of their best moments to date.
The New Day becomes the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions
The New Day secured their first WWE Tag Team Championship win at Extreme Rules 2015. A month later, they won the first-ever tag team Elimination Chamber match to retain then. Other than that, it was a fairly forgettable reign.
Their second reign was the one that put them on the map. At SummerSlam 2015, they regained the titles in a fatal four-way match featuring Los Matadores, The Lucha Dragons, and The Prime Time Players.
Afterward, the champions famously feuded with The Dudley Boyz for the next few months. Eventually, they defeated the legendary tag team in the rubber match at Hell in a Cell 2015.
Fans initially rejected them, giving them the perfect chance to work as heels. They excelled as antagonists for most of 2015. Still, this part of their stint together was instrumental in shaping the faction into the fan favorites that they’ve become. By the following year, they gained crowd support with their infectious energy, unmatched chemistry, hilarious catchphrases, and impeccable tandem offense.
In July of 2016, they were drafted to Raw, where they effectively became the first Raw Tag Team Champions—and the last team to hold the sole tag titles. On Dec. 12, The New Day became the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history. They eventually ended their reign at 483 days in the following week at Roadblock: End of the Line.
The team, that no one thought would last, made history in their first two years together and they were far from finished.
The New Day’s rivalry with The Usos
Although The New Day’s record-breaking tenure as the Raw Tag Team Champions helped to define them, their run on SmackDown was just as fruitful. Specifically, their rivalry with The Usos, which spanned from May of 2017 to March of 2018, delivered several classic matches and countless entertaining segments.
The team brought “The Power of Positivity” to SmackDown Live in April after the 2017 Superstar Shake-up. They officially debuted on the May 23 episode of Talking Smack, before they returned to action a week later.
The New Day got their first shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Champions at Money in the Bank 2017. However, The Usos managed to retain the titles via count-out. This set the stage for their popular rap battle segment on the July 4 episode SmackDown Live.
Two weeks later, Kofi and Xavier Woods represented the trio in their rematch at Battleground. In the end, Woods executed an amazing coast to coast elbow drop to win the match. Their first tag titles win on “the blue brand” was momentous because it was also the first time he scored a championship-winning pinfall.
The Usos ultimately regained the titles at SummerSlam before they lost them again to The New Day in a Sin City Street Fight on Sept. 12. This led to their incredible titular match in the opener of Hell of Cell in October.
This bout was the centerpiece of their feud and easily the best performance on the card. Big E and Woods gave it all they had, delivering some inventive spots throughout, but The Usos picked up the win. In the process, both teams earned each other’s respect.
The New Day defeats The Bludgeon Brothers
The Usos and The New Day put on another excellent match at Fastlane 2018. Unfortunately, it was cut short when The Bludgeon Brothers interfered.
The new team of Harper and Rowan decimated both teams, setting up a triple threat match at WrestleMania 34. The hammer-wielding duo made quick work of them again at “The Showcase of the Immortals” to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
For the next few months, they dominated the tag divisions as they defeated the Usos, The Good Brothers, and a reformed Team Hell No. The New Day finally got their chance to challenge them again at SummerSlam, but the champions retained via DQ.
This setup a No Disqualification Match for the following episode of SmackDown. This was a banger, with both teams pulling out all the stops. The finish came when Kofi hit Harper with Trouble in Paradise and set him up on a table in the ring. Then, Woods hit him with his flying elbow and they both dogpiled on him to end The Bludgeon Brothers reign of terror.
The storytelling in this match was outstanding. The start of their fifth tag title reign felt like an emotional win for The New Day as they celebrated to end the show. In addition, their backstage interview after SmackDown went off the air featured one of their best promos. It perfectly encapsulates what makes them so entertaining.
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.
The New Day wins their sixth WWE Tag Team Championship
How could they top Kofimania? Well, they could make good on their plan for all three members to hold a title. The New Day did just that on July 14, 2019, at Extreme Rules when Xavier Woods and Big E became six-time tag team champions.
If that date looks familiar, that’s because July 14, 2014 was the day Woods approached Kingston and E on Raw about forming The New Day five years ago. Even more, Extreme Rules was the pay-per-view where they won the WWE Tag Team Championship for the first time.
Later that night, Kingston successfully defended the WWE Championship, cementing their spot and the top of the SmackDown roster. Everything had officially come full circle and it was amazing to see how far they’ve come together.
This moment may not be as historic or tear-jerking as Kofi’s win at WrestleMania, but it was the pinnacle of their success as a team. Furthermore, it proved that they didn’t need to split up to stay relevant.
As a matter of fact, a breakup angle right after Kingston became WWE Champion would’ve been out of character for the stable. Their message has always been that they march to beat their own drum and “a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That became more evident than ever this summer.
What do you think? Drop a comment below and let us know your favorite moments featuring The New Day.