Tonight marked the in-ring return of Xavier Woods, who had been out of action since last year due to an achilles injury. Not only did he return, but he did so in a major way. On this night, representing The New Day, Woods and Kofi Kingston defeated the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro. Following a competitive contest, Woods and Kingston defeated Nakamura and Cesaro to become seven-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
.@AustinCreedWins & @TrueKofi back in action… you LOVE to see it!#SmackDown #TagTeamTitles pic.twitter.com/Jk3QawPOGE
— WWE (@WWE) October 10, 2020
Following the match, Big E came out to celebrate with his friends. Earlier in the night, Big E bested Sheamus in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. Just as things couldn’t look brighter for The New Day, their world would hit an unexpected roadblock in the form of the upcoming WWE Draft picks. Stephanie McMahon announced that Woods and Kingston, titles and all, would be moving to Monday Night RAW. However, her demeanor changed, as she sadly informed Big E that he would be remaining on SmackDown. In just a few moments, The New Day’s mood grew somber.
The question remains: what does this mean for The New Day moving forward? Now that the group is effectively fractured, Woods and Kingston must go their way while Big E continues down his own path. From a fan’s perspective, this furthers the latter’s singles run, which began this past July. Since that time, the powerhouse of The New Day found himself achieving considerable singles success. Not only has Big E bested Sheamus on numerous occasions, but he was able to pick up singles victories over John Morrison and The Miz. Simply put, despite The New Day’s split between brands, Big E’s star continues to shine.
1️⃣7️⃣ #SmackDown ▶️ @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/w9EEPLP2AO
— WWE (@WWE) October 10, 2020
Meanwhile, on RAW, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston will have a brand-new landscape of opponents to work with. Is it possible that they will tangle with the Street Profits? Keep in mind that the duo of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford is the reigning RAW Tag Team Champions. They may also find themselves defending against other duos, such as Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. The New Day, in its pre-existing iteration, may be done, but following the WWE Draft, they stand the chance to seize further success and spread greater positivity across the broader company landscape.
Next week, on the SmackDown Season Premiere, the trio of The New Day will compete against the trio of Sheamus, Nakamura, and Cesaro in a six-man tag team match. This will be the former group’s “farewell match” before they go their separate ways. SmackDown airs every Friday night, on FOX, at 8 PM EST.
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