5 directions for WWE RAW stars The New Day at WrestleMania XL
The New Day are the longest-reigning WWE RAW Tag Team Champions of all time, but that doesn't mean they have a guaranteed spot at WrestleMania XL. Last year, Big E and Kofi Kingston were out of action with injuries, and Xavier Woods only appeared at WrestleMania 39 to advertise the video game WWE 2K23.
Woods and Kingston last competed at The Show of Shows during Night Two of WrestleMania 38 in a losing effort against Ridge Holland and Sheamus of The Brawling Brutes. Big E is still out of action as a result of the neck injury he sustained in March 2022. His most recent WrestleMania match happened in April 2021, when he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Apollo Crews in a Nigerian Drum Fight.
On the upcoming March 18th episode of Monday Night RAW, The New Day's Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are scheduled to compete against Alpha Academy. This match will determine a spot in the six-pack ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania XL.
While their big friend remains on the sidelines, Kofi and Xavier are trying to regain their top spot in the tag team division. Which direction will they take during the 40th installment of WrestleMania?
#5. The New Day challenges for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a Six-Pack Ladder Match
The New Day have been together for almost a decade, becoming 12-time Tag Team Champions and one of the most memorable groups in the history of professional wrestling. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods last held gold a year ago as part of the white-and-gold brand, where they held the NXT Tag Team Titles for 56 days.
There are plenty of tandems gunning for the championships held by Finn Balor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day. Duos like DIY, Awesome Truth, New Catch Republic, and The Creed Brothers all want to become Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
Kofi and Xavier could potentially be challenging for the main roster's tag titles at The Show of Shows in April, but they're not the only team looking for championship glory in 2024. The Judgment Day is scheduled to defend their Undisputed Tag Team Titles against five other teams in a six-pack tag team ladder match.
The New Day might find themselves in a multi-team battle to become the undisputed champions of WWE's tag team division. But first, they'll need to get past Alpha Academy's Otis and Akira Tozawa to qualify to compete in the match.
If they can defeat Otis and Tozawa in a tag team match on the March 18 episode of Monday Night RAW, The New Day will once again be booked to challenge for the tag straps at The Showcase of the Immortals.
#4. The New Day tag team invitational
Instead of going for the tag titles at WrestleMania XL, The New Day could issue an open challenge to any team of the past and present. That could end up being the case if the duo isn't able to defeat Alpha Academy for a place in the six-pack ladder match in Philly. Kofi and Woods could dub this in-ring challenge "The New Day Tag Team Invitational," and their opponents would be presented as a surprise.
The Headbangers are currently signed to a Legends contract and are included as DLC playable characters in WWE 2K24. What if they were to return to accept The New Day's invitation?
The U.S. Express is scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next month, but what if they had one last match at The Showcase of the Immortals? They wrestled at the very first edition of WrestleMania in 1985, losing the WWF Tag Team Titles to The Iron Shiek and Nikolai Volkoff.
Barry Windham of The U.S. Express is currently 63 years old and last wrestled in February 2010. His former tag team partner Mike Rotunda is currently 65 years old and last wrestled under his IRS moniker in December 2007 during RAW's 15th-anniversary battle royal.
In March 2008, the company booked a WrestleMania Rewind match between The U.S. Express and the tandem of Iron Shiek and Volkoff. However, the match wasn't able to get started because Jillian Hall came out to sing "Born In The USA," leading to Rotunda giving her an airplane spin.
Other legendary tag teams like Harlem Heat and The Rock 'n' Roll Express would also be excellent candidates to answer The New Day Invitational. WWE could also use this match concept to give a brighter spotlight to one of the company's up-and-coming tandems like The Creed Brothers, Pretty Deadly, and The Authors of Pain.
#3. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods reunite with Big E at WrestleMania 40
Last year, it was rumored that there was a creative idea within WWE about Big E returning to WWE television at WrestleMania 39 to appear alongside his New Day stablemates, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. However, that rumored segment was never featured at The Show of Shows in 2023.
At the time, both Big E and Kofi were on the shelf with injuries. Big E had suffered a broken neck, and Kingston was recovering from an injured right ankle.
Currently, Kofi and Xavier are both healthy enough to compete in matches for WWE. Meanwhile, it's still unclear whether or not Big E will ever return to active competition in the sport of professional wrestling.
However, just because Big E is still recovering from a neck injury doesn't mean he's unable to do an in-ring segment at The Showcase of the Immortals. Big E and the rest of New Day can entertain the crowd without getting physical or taking bumps.
Big E hasn't appeared on WWE television since taking a neck-breaking bump on the March 11, 2022, episode of SmackDown. The crowd in Philadelphia and the audience watching worldwide will surely welcome back the big man with open arms if he were to return to televised programming at The Granddaddy of Them All.
#2. Kofi Kingston and/or Xavier Woods play WWE 2K24
Xavier Woods promoted his YouTube channel UpUpDownDown and WWE 2K23 during the 39th installment of WrestleMania. Woods wasn't booked for a match at The Show of Shows last year, but he still made his presence known while also promoting a hobby he has a passion for, which is video games.
In 2024, both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods could find themselves promoting the company's latest video game release, WWE 2K24. Even if the two New Day members are booked for a match at The Show of Shows this year, they could still find time to promote WWE 2K24 when they're not wrestling.
WrestleMania XL will be a long show that will stretch across two nights, so that'll leave plenty of time for WWE to advertise their latest video game product.
Both Kofi and Xavier are big video game fans. It wouldn't be surprising to see them playing WWE 2K24 in televised segments at this year's WrestleMania.
#1. Woods and Kingston attempt to win the 2024 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Since 2021, the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal has taken place on the SmackDown right before WrestleMania. The match was first introduced in 2014 and was featured on the main card for the 30th edition of WrestleMania. This battle royal was always dedicated to the legendary Andre, who is also the very first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods all competed in the first two editions of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Woods would also wrestle in last year's battle royal on the SmackDown before WrestleMania 39. However, no member of The New Day has ever won this battle royal.
The 2024 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal will likely once again take place on the blue brand right before The Show of Shows. However, considering this year will feature the 40th installment of WrestleMania, maybe this bout will be bumped up to The Showcase of The Immortals in honor of the late great Andre.