5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (27 Jan - Results & Review)
Downs…
4. A Repeat Performance
Two months ago, WWE delivered a fantastic, ungodly amazing segment with the New Day’s 10th-anniversary celebration, leading to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turning heel and dismissing a returning Big E from the group.
That moment, viewed as a rocket launch for the duo as villains, was widely praised, sparking newfound interest in the act for the first time in a while. But if that moment launched a rocket, it’s spent the past several weeks in orbit, circling Raw and not doing much of note beyond repeating itself in a loop.
Monday night saw Xavier Woods facing Rey Mysterio in singles action… like Kofi Kingston did last week. Like Kofi, Woods fell to Rey. And like Kingston, Woods’ family at ringside turned their back on their New Day loved one. Oh, and don’t forget yet another backstage segment where heels scoffed and recoiled at the idea of being associated with the New Day, because they’re so reviled.
It has been two months and Monday night was a greatest hits album of everything they’ve already done with New Day’s heel turn. Heels and family members alike hate Kofi and Xavier? Check. Lose to Mysterio in singles action despite being a tag team act? Check.
What are we doing here? Maybe there’s some unseen direction or big development around the corner that we’re missing, but this feels more and more like they’re either treading water or just repeating stuff because they don’t have anything else to do with New Day at the moment.
Regardless, this act needs a clear push in a direction – any direction – to move things along. They’re still getting booed, but those boos are going to turn to apathetic silence eventually unless something changes.