Former WWE Champion Big E shared his perspective on Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston’s recent heel turn during an appearance on “X-Pod 97.”

Big E addressed how The New Day has adapted over time in WWE, emphasizing the importance of evolution in professional wrestling.

In this industry you have to evolve

Big E noted that becoming complacent after achieving popularity is a common pitfall in wrestling. He expressed pride in what the group built collectively while acknowledging the current direction of his stablemates.

I’m really proud of what we’ve built, as a collective, (…) but now, for better or worse, the wrestling world is talking about those two again

During the interview, Big E mentioned that Woods and Kingston have found renewed motivation following their character change. He also referenced their on-screen heel turn as a unique moment in wrestling.

I can’t think of any other turn that went the way it did

Big E also discussed the fan reaction he experiences when meeting supporters in person. Many fans express their disapproval of Kingston and Woods’ new direction directly to him.

I really feel like the community has rallied behind me in ways that are beyond humbling for me. I appreciate all the love, but the most part it’s a lot of, in person, people telling me that Kofi and Woods can go to hell

Ivar commented on social media about Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship match against Brock Lesnar from 2019. On X, Ivar compared the recent TikTok ban duration to the length of Kingston’s match with Lesnar, which lasted seven seconds.

That tik tok ban lasted about this long huh?@TrueKofi @AustinCreedWins pic.twitter.com/W56P0mhpHM— Ivar (@Ivar_WWE) January 20, 2025

The championship match occurred at the WWE SmackDown on Fox premiere in October 2019, where Lesnar defeated Kingston with an F-5 to capture the WWE Championship.

Kingston and Xavier Woods will return to in-ring competition on the January 20 edition of WWE RAW.

WWE Raw Preview (1/20): McIntyre vs. Rollins, JBL Appearance

RAW will broadcast live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Netflix. Seth Rollins faces Drew McIntyre in singles competition following their recent confrontation involving CM Punk.

The event features the return of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to in-ring action. WWE Hall of Famer JBL makes a special appearance, while Jey Uso addresses his upcoming World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 25.

Additional segments include Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria’s first appearance since capturing the title, Sami Zayn’s address following his victory over The Miz, and a tag team match between Damage CTRL and Pure Fusion Collective.

The New Day’s recent heel turn has garnered support from wrestling interviewer Chris Van Vliet, who praised Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods’ current character work. The dramatic shift occurred during the group’s 10-year anniversary celebration on the December 2 episode of RAW, where Kingston and Woods rejected Big E’s offer to serve as their manager.

Van Vliet addressed fan concerns about the direction change on his INSIGHT podcast. The veteran interviewer laid out his perspective on the storyline’s potential:

No, not at all. They are already doing some of the best work of their careers, I think, and we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible here. It also is setting up for a possible return – who knows? – if they’re even able to do this, but can you imagine if Big E does get cleared to wrestle? The story that could be told here with Kofi and Xavier, man, so good.

Big E takes on new role with Netflix partnership

As The New Day’s on-screen dynamic shifts, Big E has secured a new position within WWE’s expanding content strategy. The former WWE Champion will host WWE RAW Classics on Netflix, continuing his involvement with the company’s programming ahead of RAW’s transition to the streaming platform.

This development follows his March 2022 injury, during which he has maintained visibility through various kick-off show hosting duties.

The announcement comes at a pivotal time, as his former partners Kingston and Woods recently claimed his presence had become a burden to the group’s progress.