Big E has offered an in-depth look at the booking behind The New Day’s emotional breakup, in which Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned on him.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former WWE Champion addressed criticism that the angle did not make sense, given he was not medically cleared to return. “There was never…we were not in limbo about me being cleared or not. We knew that those guys really wanted to turn heel and they wanted to do something with me that would service that,” Big E said.
Big E explained that the group landed on a rare turn that featured no physical attack, building instead on weeks of simmering tension. He praised Kingston and Woods for the storytelling.
“Those guys did such a phenomenal job of building tension,” he said, pointing to a post-match shot of the two saying “terrible things to each other” as a standout. For Big E, it landed precisely because of how much the trio had emphasized their brotherhood over the years.
The timing aligned with a deeply personal moment. Big E’s Players’ Tribune article about his mental health was published the same day as the turn.
“To have that heartfelt thing come out, talking about my own struggles with mental health, and then that same day have the breakup, it just felt so juicy,” he said.
Big E also revealed a follow-up idea he pitched that was not used, one that would have involved him helping cost Kingston the Royal Rumble. “I love the idea, maybe our hats are real low, Kofi lands on the barricade, we tilt our heads up, take our hats off, and then maybe there’s a swipe of the foot, and we cost him the Rumble,” he said. “Creative had other plans.”
While proud of the initial turn, Big E conceded the follow-through fell short. “Unfortunately, the follow-up of that turn didn’t go the way we wanted, but we were proud of the initial heel turn,” he said, noting his focus is now on his role as a broadcaster.
