5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 38 (Night 2)

3. The New Day Job Hard In Needless WrestleMania Match

Sheamus Xavier woods
WWE.com

It took Sheamus and Ridge Holland less than two minutes to put Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods away last night, with Ridge scoring the pin via Northern Grit after Sheamus had struck Woods with a Brogue Kick while the referee's back was turned.

Though it was rearranged from the first night, when time constraints took hold, this match shouldn't have been on the card. It was a hurried SmackDown match better at home on weekly television than the biggest show of the year, with the minuscule runtime preventing the wrestlers from crafting any meaningful work.

And the circumstances make it worse. Woods and Kingston came out in Big E-style singlets, with Woods even pulling down his straps as his fallen partner would. The entire match was framed around The New Day scoring revenge for E following his accidental neck-break by Holland's hand. For WWE to take that story, consent to the tribute, then fast-forward through everything in under two minutes is insensitive.

The New Day deserve better.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.