What Happens to The New Day When They Lose The WWE Tag Titles?
NOTE: It’s been 357 days as of writing this piece that The New Day have held WWE’s World Tag Team Titles.
Let that sink in for a minute.
While it seems other titles in the company are changing hands faster than a hot potato, the combination of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods have held it down and made tag team wrestling great again. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan to begin with and thought the idea of a three-man title was more of a gimmick than anything else since WWE did away with The Shield. But considering how successful Roman Reigns Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have been in just the last year as champions, I wonder (out loud) what happens when (not if) they lose the straps, potentially at SummerSlam to Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson?
Kingston has been a solid mid-card champion in the past, having won the United States and the Intercontinental belts. Big E was an Intercontinental Champion for a short run and Woods is still making his way in the promotion. All three have the potential to hold gold again, but will their collective stars begin to tarnish a bit by singles runs?
There are a few things to consider before making that kind of assessment.
Kingston should have been a main-event star long before he became part of this comedic act. His fan appeal and his ability in the ring screamed championship material. A roadblock in the way of Randy Orton changed all of that. While he has also been a good tag team champion, there is the potential to grab mid-card gold once again.
There has been talk about a push for Big E in the past and continues to be a topic discussed after SummerSlam. Now that he is out with an “injury” does this mean the notion of the big man going out on his own has been halted? I doubt it – but considering what is out there, should he remain on the Raw roster? Does moving over to Smackdown Live make more sense?
The one thing Big E has going for him that Kingston and Woods do not, is size. Oh, and please help him find other costumes besides those singlets.
Size matters in WWE, as Vince McMahon has proven over the years. I could see him as a serious challenger to the WWE World Title if it were to remain on the Tuesday night program with someone other than Dean Ambrose wearing the belt.
Woods is the most interesting of the three in terms of value to the company. He is still somewhat of an unproven commodity and has the talent and the mic skills to become something more than a cartoonish figure. If he were a bit lighter, he would be phenomenal in the cruiserweight division – which is where he would excel.
Looking at a long range plan, Woods could be the one who outshines both of his partners, and it’s not even close.
Sunday night could be the end of an era in this company. The New Day may remain a tag team for a run to retain the company titles from The Club, but once they drop their straps, it might be best for all three to go their separate ways. History is always made to be broken. The run this trio has had is nothing less than impressive. But now, it’s time to see if they can stand on their own. Both Kingston and Big E have proven they can do that. If Woods can, it could be a great move by WWE to show their unique talents on their own, not just as three wrestlers needing each other to survive.