Heading into tonight’s New Day 10-Year Anniversary Celebration on WWE Raw in Everett, WA., the former WWE Champion reflected in a Players Tribune piece on a memorable segment from their past, as well as what his future could look like if his in-ring career is over.
On being excited to explore opportunities if his WWE in-ring career is over: “You know that thing I said earlier — how I’m someone who spent his past not being able to picture a future? I can picture one now. Which is ironic, I guess, since I broke my neck and can’t wrestle. But I’m at peace. And if that’s truly a wrap on my in-ring career……. I’m excited to explore the paths that are opening up for me in its wake. Whether it’s working for WWE outside of the ring, or it’s hosting, or acting, or voice work, or filmmaking, or so many other things. I feel like there are still so many parts of myself for me to discover. I feel like I’ve spent the last 10 years with Woods and Kofi on this amazing, life-changing project: trying to perform a version of wrestling that’s in the image of all the things we love. And now I want to find out how far I can stretch that project past wrestling. I want to see if I can actually create some of those things we love.”
On why he originally doubted the memorable rap battle segment between The Usos and New Day back in 2017: “Only now we got to do it in a way that felt like us. Like, our WrestleMania 32 entrance — that’s just Woods being Woods. He had an idea based on Dragon Ball Z (he and Kofi are both fans), and this talented designer named Mikal Mosley helped us bring it to life: where not only would our gear be inspired by Dragon Ball Z characters … our entrance would look like we’re toys being poured out of a cereal box. (I still can’t believe they pulled it off.) Or like — Kofi, he’s a massive sneaker head. And one day on Twitter there was this “controversy” brewing around Steph Curry’s new “dad shoe.” Immediately we thought, Yeah. That’s a segment. So we found the nearest Foot Locker, picked up a pair of hospital-white Curry 2 Lows, and cut a promo on TV that’s literally just Woods and I roasting Kofi for wearing these shoes. Man … or even the rap battle segment. Like, we’re all such big hip-hop fans. But one of the rare times I’ve doubted Woods was during our feud with the Usos, when he said we should do a rap battle with them. I know rap well enough to know I shouldn’t be rapping. I’m thinking, This has a chance to be hot trash. But it wasn’t!!! And I think the reason why is how much LOVE went into it — and how clear it was that we were having fun doing it.”
Check out the complete interview at ThePlayersTribune.com.
