WWE failed to celebrate The New Day on Monday Night Raw

Factions are one of the best aspects of professional wrestling. Getting all the “cool kids” together in one group has created some of the most exciting moments in the industry. In the eyes of many, there’s one group that stands out as the most important faction, especially in recent memory. The New Day brought together Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E at a time when they not only needed each other, but a large segment of wrestling fans needed them. The group recently celebrated a decade and that moment should have been recognized on WWE Raw.

The formation of The New Day started on July 21, 2014. Woods dressed as a combination of a pastor and a member of The Five Heartbeats approached Kingston and E, telling them that they needed to come together instead of fighting each other. That moment may have seemed like a blip on the radar at the time, but ten years later it may be seen as one of the most important moments for Black wrestlers and Black wrestling fans this generation.

The New Day’s history from that point is well-known and well-documented. Not only have they achieved all they could as a team, but this group and the fans behind them were able to elevate them into singles success of their own. Their collective and individual success are more than enough reasons that they will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Yet somehow WWE missed the opportunity to recognize this group during the latest episode of WWE Raw.

Instead, fans were given an enjoyable match between The Final Testament and Woods teaming with the group formerly known as Alpha Academy in Otis and Tozawa. Sure, this match featured some entertaining action, but it was all feeder to further the story that fans don’t want between Woods and Karrion Kross, and the Chad Gable story. Time should have been given to recognize The New Day on screen. The least that could have been done was for commentary to recognize that this group has been together for a decade.

This comes at a time in which many fans complain about Triple H’s booking when it comes to putting the spotlight on Black men. At least once a year, social media commentary comes up around his promo against Booker T decades ago, and it still reverberates when looking at how Black male wrestlers are booked. There are growing rumors that Bobby Lashley and MVP are ending their time with WWE, furthering the questions coming from fans and viewers. Not putting the spotlight on The New Day will only further some of those questions about how individuals of a specific demographic are booked.

The New Day deserved recognition for their place in professional wrestling history. This trio of Black men opened doors not only for their own careers but for Black men and women who will come after them. This was a major missed opportunity to celebrate what they have achieved.