Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, And Big E Discuss The Origins Of The New Day

Over the past four years, the New Day have been one of the most popular acts in WWE. Earlier this year Kofi Kingston captured his first WWE Championship, and the trio are currently enjoying their seventh reign as Tag Team champions. The stable have also started their own podcast, and during Monday's episode they discussed the origins of the group.

Woods and Big E explained a key event in the New Day's creation was Extreme Rules 2014. While they weren't together at the time, E explained: "We were all in the same space as far as floundering in our careers." At the pay-per-view, Woods teamed with R-Truth in a handicap match, losing to Rusev, while Big E lost his Intercontinental Championship to Bad News Barrett. Kingston wasn't even booked for the event.

Woods added how after the event he talked to Big E about how they could revive their careers. He elaborated: "So I sat and thought about it for a few weeks and that's when I realised this idea that we had in developmental called the The Plan. It was the People's Liberation of American Nationalism. It was me, E, Saxton, and Abe Washington. The New Day is kind of an evolved thought of that, but it was essentially people who were not happy with their position in the company and wanted more from themselves, and from their job. That's when I went to talk to E about it, and we kind of shot a bunch of different things and pre-tapes, and kicking back and forth ideas - and that's when it really hit me like none of this is really clicking [...] we need a third person for this to actually work. [...] I think we need to get Kofi."

Following this, they explained they would always be together backstage with Woods' writer, coming up with ideas for the team - but this led to resistance from Superstars backstage. Woods added: "It would be the four of us constantly at TV just off in a corner and people would come by and just make fun of us for always being together. Like 'oh what are you guys even working on, what are you doing?' - and once it came to the fore that [we were] trying to start a group, that's when more people started coming and ragging on us."

Kingston then discussed how Big Show told him he was wasting his time with Woods and Big E. He added many other Superstars did the same, but Big Show was the only one who apologised.

The trio then explained how their original preacher gimmick was created. Woods said they originally wanted to be a militant faction, taking inspiration from the Nation Of Domination, but WWE didn't want to turn Kofi heel. So they decided to be problem solvers - a face trio who would help people. They described how everyone backstage "absolutely loved it," except Vince McMahon.

McMahon told them to wait a few weeks and then WWE would have something for them. Big E detailed how after a few weeks Vince said: "Sorry for all the months of the back and forth. I've got it, I've finally got it [...] you're preachers."

All three remembered that the idea was not good, but they were thankful for the opportunity to improve upon it.