On Monday’s WWE Raw, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned heel on Big E in a segment intended to celebrate The New Day’s decade-long triumph.
Woods claimed that Big E had abandoned them, and Kofi agreed. Big E pointed out that he had broken his neck, but they didn’t care, and Kofi wondered why Big E hadn’t returned. Woods mentioned that he underwent surgery while Big E was gone, and Kofi stated that if he cared about them, he would have returned.
Kofi said Big E chose himself above them, whilst Woods stated that Big E would never be medically cleared and instructed Big E to leave the ring and call him if they needed him, despite Big E’s offer to be their manager. This angle officially initiated The New Day’s heel turn.
This came after WWE teased for months that Woods would turn on Kingston. The angle involving Big E on Monday’s Raw was not initially planned.
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that the angle had been prepared for months. Meltzer stated, “When Odyssey Jones came in, they were going to tease issues with them not getting along but it would end up with Kingston & Woods going heel by choosing Jones and having him publicly replace E. But then Jones got fired and the whole thing was put on hold.”
WWE released Jones earlier this year after receiving complaints of domestic violence.
