November 16th 2024.
As we look back on the past decade, it's hard to believe it's been 10 years since The New Day first graced the WWE stage and changed the landscape of the company forever. It all started in November of 2014 when the WWE aired vignettes for a new gospel-inspired group featuring Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods. They preached the power of positivity and their message resonated with fans all over the world.
In an exclusive interview with The Agency, Kofi reflected on their extraordinary journey from being rejected by fans to becoming 12-time tag team champions and all-around legends. "It's wild to see how far we've come, even from the people who initially rejected us," he shared. "When you think about it, all we did was tell everyone to be the best version of themselves and that they could achieve anything if they put their mind to it. But people booed us and told us we sucked. It was like, what's going on in this jaded world where you can't even tell people to be the best they can be without getting shut down?"
For Kofi, The New Day came at the perfect time in his career. He had debuted on WWE's ECW revival in 2008 but was starting to feel stagnant. "I was going out there and just being the happy-go-lucky guy, trying to make everyone have a good time and do some cool moves, but then I would always end up losing the match," he recalled. "I started to question if this was really fulfilling for me."
The New Day's journey was not without its challenges. They were initially rejected by fans when they first started as a group. Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E had to turn the tide and prove themselves as a team. Their shaky start began with being almost forced into a church-going gimmick, which Kofi had his doubts about. But they had faith in their chemistry and believed it would shine through. "We became so good at being bad guys that the fans started to love us again," he laughed. "It's been a roller coaster of emotions, for sure."
Their ultimate goal was always to make people react and show them that it's okay to be yourself. "Whether you want to talk about how much you love pancakes or twerk in the middle of the street, it's all fine. We just wanted to encourage people to embrace their uniqueness and be themselves," Kofi explained.
The New Day's authenticity has always shone through and inspired others. And every great team needs a perfect rival. For The New Day, that was The Usos. The two teams helped define each other's legacies and brought out the best in each other over the years. "They were trying to step out from behind the traditional Samoan characters they were playing with the face paint and really show people who they were," Kofi said of The Usos. "Every time we had a match, they wanted to kill it, and that was always our perspective too."
One of their most memorable matches was a career-defining Hell in a Cell match against The Usos in 2017. "It was pretty awesome," Kofi recalled with a smile. "Although I'm still a little jealous that I was on the outside looking in."
As time went on, The New Day evolved and explored solo ambitions while still staying strong as a unit. This culminated in 2019 when KofiMania took the WWE by storm, and Kofi finally won the world championship at WrestleMania. "When I won that match against Daniel Bryan, it wasn't just my victory; it was a victory for all of us," he shared. "If we hadn't come together as a team, it would have never been possible."
Lifting each other up and being multifaceted was always something The New Day strived for. They wanted to be more than just a group. "I wouldn't have had the opportunity to become WWE Champion without The New Day," Kofi admitted. "Before joining the group, I wasn't given much mic time or the chance to show my personality. The office felt like my character could come across without it, so they gave the mic time to someone else who needed it more."
Three years after KofiMania, tragedy struck when Big E suffered a broken neck on SmackDown in May 2022. Kofi, who was in the ring when the accident happened, admitted there was no hesitation about The New Day soldiering on without him. "The power of positivity is something we all believe in," he said. "Big E may come back to wrestling at some point, but right now, he's living and loving life. He has a new girlfriend and plenty of exciting projects outside of wrestling to keep him busy. We'll take the future as it comes."
As we celebrate 10 years of The New Day, we can look back on their best moments, from winning over the fans at SummerSlam 2015 and bringing back The Hardy Boyz at WrestleMania 33 to breaking records as tag team champions. They have truly helped define the WWE landscape for the past decade. "It's pretty incredible to have had that level of impact on the industry," Kofi reflected. "I actually sent Woods a text this morning, thanking him for being my tag team partner. I never lose sight of how rare and special our bond is. But there's still so much more to come."
Kofi also expressed his excitement for WWE's current state, saying it's the hottest it's been in a long time. "We're really excited to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, but at the same time, we have a lot more work to do," he beamed.
WWE will be celebrating 10 years of The New Day throughout November, so be sure to visit wwe.com and their social media channels for exclusive content. And if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, reach out to The Agency's entertainment team by emailing us, calling 020 3615 2145, or visiting our Submit Stuff page. We'd love to hear from you.
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