Big E Doubted Memorable New Day WWE Promo Would Work

A celebrated segment involving The New Day worked out very well, but Big E had doubts about it before it happened.

When The New Day’s Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods were feuding with The Usos on WWE SmackDown, they had a memorable rap battle in July 2017.

That rap battle is a segment that many WWE fans still remember because there were some great lines from both sides. It was also used to add more animosity to the rivalry, which would lead to a Hell in a Cell match between the two teams.

While writing a fantastic Players’ Tribune story about his career, former WWE Champion Big E wrote about how The New Day was starting to gain traction by doing unique things.

“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.”

That led to Big E writing about the classic rap battle segment with The Usos and admitting he thought it would be “hot trash.”

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.”

Big E Is Content With WWE Career

In the same Players Tribute article, Big E said he is at peace with the end of his wrestling career after suffering a broken neck over two years ago.

“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.”

The December 2nd episode of WWE Monday Night Raw will celebrate ten years of The New Day.