Big Show Advised Against Kofi Kingston Joining ‘NXT Idiots’ to Form The New Day

The success of The New Day is undisputable. However, their first chapter as a trio of gospel-infused Rocky Maivias didn’t look like it would lead to much.

And like many WWE fans, the Big show didn’t get it.

Just as Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods were ready to take the New Day public, Big Show pulled aside Kingston—his fellow WWE veteran—and offered a stiff opinion.

Big Show recalled his exact warning during a recent appearance on Steve Austin Show.

“When Kofi told me he was doing that New Day gimmick, I pulled Kofi about four feet to the side right in front of Xavier Woods and Big E and I asked him, ‘So what the hell are you doing?’ I’m not polite about it. I’m direct and blunt to the point. When it comes to business it’s serious,” explained Big Show.

By 2014, Kingston had already nabbed four turns with the Intercontinental Championship. And to Big Show, Kingston still had juicer opportunities to come.

“I said, ‘What in the hell are you doing with these two numb nuts?’ I said, ‘Damn Kofi, you’re Intercontinental Champion. You’re on the way to having a run with the big strap. You don’t need to drag yourself down with a couple of NXT idiots right now.”

Seeing Kofi was so well established, aligning with a pair of unproven names from NXT’s infant stage seemed like an unnecessary risk to Big Show.

“You’re really probably gonna hurt yourself. You’re pulling yourself out of that championship run. Holding the Intercontinental Championship is a pretty big deal. You keep in that loop and eventually, you’ll get a shot at the big one.’”

But That’s not how Kingston saw it.

“He goes, ‘Naw, I appreciate it Show; but, we’ve got a good thing going here.’ I said, ‘Alright man. I’m just telling you, running around these two idiots is not gonna help you get over.”

While Big E had an Intercontinental Championship win to his name, he’d been around for just two years. Woods had yet to notch a full year in WWE. While NXT stardom guaranteed to translate in 2018, it meant even less in 2014. To a lifer like Big Show, he likely didn’t see much value out of the developmental stand.

The New Day launched anyway, and within a month had already uncorked a TD Jakes level heel turn. By shedding their babyface origins the New Day could now be yappy villains. The more they squawked, the funnier they became and within months, The New Day cemented themselves as WWE’s best comedic act. However, four installments as Tag Team Champions and a classic rivalry with the Usos vaulted the New Day one of WWE’s highest echelons.

So, naturally, Big Show had to re-approach Kingston.

“Now fast forward two weeks three weeks, I’m watching the three of them work and I’m watching their chemistry…so they came through the back and I pulled all three of them over and said, ‘Hey remember that conversation we had three weeks ago?’ Kofi is smiling and says, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Forget every damn thing I said. What you guys got is absolute fricking magic. I love it. Forget every damn thing I said.”

[H/T Wrestle Zone]