The New Day would blossom a decade later as one of the most successful and entertaining factions in WWE history. The company will be celebrating the factions of Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E on USA Network's “Monday Night Raw” in the coming weeks. Before the big day, The Post's Joseph Staszewski interviewed Kingston for a few questions and answers.
(Edited for clarity and length)
Q: Some wrestling doesn't last 10 weeks or 10 months. Now that you're celebrating your 10th anniversary with New Day, what does that longevity mean to you?
A: When you think about all the tag teams that have come into existence in WWE, many of them, I think they've been around a lot longer than they actually are. And for us to go on for 10 years is really an incredible feat and something that we're really proud of and something that we've strived for. This is always the goal to get to this point and beyond.
Yeah, hey, we take a lot of pride, and especially the fact that we've brought so much to the industry, whether it's hosting WrestleMania or facing off against The Rock on the Rock. , mic, who was able to do so many great things, brought the real serial (Booty-Os) to WWE. This is my first food in over 10 years.
There's so much we've accomplished and I'm so proud of it. 10 years is a really long time and you never realize it until you actually sit down and wake yourself up. “Wow, 10 years. Wow.”
Q: What do you think is the secret to longevity?
A: Actually, I want to be friends. You know, a lot of tag teams get thrown together like one person with this background and that background. And it looks like you guys are interested in the same things. And now we bring you all together. You have no real chemistry ability. We are all trying really hard to push up our brothers and uplift our brothers. That's what The New Day is all about. It's all about brotherhood. And we believe that from the bottom of our hearts.
If Big E succeeds and I succeed, if Woods succeeds, that means I succeed, and if I succeed, that means Woods and E succeed. I think that's what was able to distinguish us from many people. Because I think different teams, at some point, might have ulterior motives like, “Oh, I want to be a singles star, or I.'' I want to win this title and I want to do this. ”And it’s me, me, me, me, me. None of us ever think like that.
Q: When you guys started, we obviously didn't know if this was going to work because it was tough at first. From there, you go to the WWE Championship, E goes to the WWE Championship, Woods becomes the King of the Ring and has a single success, so that's what led to that outcome. Want to make it even more special??
A: I don't think we knew if the gimmick itself would continue to work, but we always knew it would be successful. We have always believed that by coming together and having people experience our chemistry, we will either love us or hate us, but we will succeed no matter what. I was confident. We always had that mentality, but it literally sucks when people boo you from outside the building and you've been working so hard for six to eight months to make something that's going to be on TV. When you see what is being said.
As much as we've described it over the years, we don't know enough about how difficult and exhausting it was to get in front of the camera and turn on the red light to be on TV, as if it was a real struggle. It's as if he didn't tell them. Fighting with the writers, trying to get in there, fighting with our own people who look at us like, “Why are you guys always together?” Why do you wear the same clothes? We're trying to do something special. Many could not understand what was happening. It was an uphill battle, but we knew that with each other we would succeed.
It was my childhood dream to win the WWE Championship. And if I don't meet E and Woods, if we don't cross paths and do what we have to do, that won't happen. When Big E becomes WWE Champion, it won't happen unless we all sync up, keep pace together, build ourselves, and have fun. Woods, it's been his lifelong dream to become the King of the Ring. And to me, that seems more impressive than becoming WWE Champion. Because Kings of the Ring is like a really, really small club and they don't have that tournament every year. It's a big thing to play in a tournament. Winning is tough.
We're still pushing here. We are still trying to see how we can challenge ourselves, what thresholds we can cross, what records we can bring.
Q: What is it like for you and Xavier to explore what we've seen recently, 10 years together and maybe the last two years without championship success? What was it like? What would happen between these two friends when that happened?
A: Yes, there's definitely a little bit of tension. But I think of it like anyone who has siblings knows that you get into fights. We're butting heads a bit. But at the end of the day, just like understanding what the big picture is, we also know that we have the same goals, we want our partner to get the best treatment, and we want them to be successful in everything. I find myself thinking that. That they can achieve.
We always come together for family dinners and get-togethers, right? Because they're family, right? That's really what it's all about. But over the last few years we've been trying a little bit to be successful and win the championship, but at the same time I think it's a huge success that we were able to stay. Television still influences people in related ways.
When we go outside, people are still chanting “New Day Rock.” People are still smiling when we go outside. they are still standing up. They are still ready to have fun. They know that no one else on the roster will entertain them in a way that no one else can entertain them. So it's still a success in itself.
Q: It's been a few years since Big E wrestled. There was clearly hope that he would return [from his broken neck]but that doesn't seem to be the case. What was it like to watch him go through the process of trying to get back together, even if it didn't work out?
A: It was really motivating and inspiring to see him get to where he is now, and from a mental standpoint, just like when you break your neck it messes with your mind. It feels like you are literally an inch closer to your life. It's like an oft-used cliché, but he literally came close to life. His doctors said he would have had a stroke if his neck had snapped in one direction. If he had broken it to some extent, otherwise he would have been paralyzed to some extent. On the contrary, he might have lost his life. I mean, he literally came within an inch of his life.
And throughout the entire process, he was upbeat about it. He's been taking it one day at a time. He regained his strength. he's there He says he sometimes forgets he was even injured, so it's a testament to how far he's come and seeing how he's been dealing with it, I don't think he's depressed about it. He says he has never seen it there and always shows it to be so. I'm positive about it and I'm always thinking about how he can get better every day.
Q: Does he feel like he needs to be a part of this story with you and Xavier, whether it's at this celebration or at some point afterward?
A: I don't think you can celebrate New Day without Big E. That wouldn't be right. That doesn't taste right, does it? So I hope he's available. But like I said, he's busy doing a lot of things outside. I don't know what his schedule will be, but I hope he will be able to participate. It would feel incomplete without him being involved in some way with The New Day's 10th anniversary.
He was very involved in the foundation of The New Day and what people think of when they think of The New Day. People still see us and say, “Hey, New Day.” They put their hands on their heads. They put their hands on their hips and rotate their hips the same way he did. So, yeah, yeah, I'd be willing to bet he'll be a part of it in some way.
Q: Odyssey Jones had a small part in this story. Was he removed from the job (reportedly fired due to domestic violence allegations) or was a major creative change necessary??
One of the main lessons I learned is that you never know what's going to happen tomorrow in WWE. You need to be able to make adjustments at any time. You know for weeks what's going to happen on Monday Night Raw, you've been working towards it, and then you walk into the building and all of a sudden you're doing the exact opposite. did. And what lifts you up is your ability to adjust and roll with the punches. Nothing ever goes according to plan.
So once Odyssey left the series, we had to pivot and figure out a way to continue the story and keep moving forward. Because, as they say, the show must go on. Then, find the optimal adjustment method.
