WWE writers for Raw and Smackdown are doing a solid job. Both shows have compelling stories, and some strong work is being done on NXT.
One particularly well-crafted angle involves the New Day on Raw. A potential break-up between Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston has been teased over the years. Still, this current angle involving the Final Testament could be the real deal with the newly elevated Odyssey Jones in the mix.
Over the past few weeks, Woods has been shot showing some displeasure with the introduction of Jones into the mix. On Monday’s episode of Raw, he told Kofi he felt he was trying to replace the injured founding member of the New Day, Big E.
Kingston denied it, and the trio defeated the Final Testament in a fairly entertaining six-man tag match. There were a few tension spots in the match designed to show that Woods still isn’t quite feeling Jones’ presence.
The signs appear to point to Woods turning on Kingston sometime in the coming weeks. That would make sense and fit the average flow for WWE TV, but one of the things the promotion has done well under Triple H’s creative guidance is throw the occasional curveball.
Writing creatively for professional wrestling has changed over the past two decades. Surprise returns are more complex because of social media, so many plot twists must come with shifts involving current talent.
At this point, everyone expects Woods to turn, but what if it’s Kingston who finally plays a role he’s never really played in the WWE–and that’s a heel? I’ve always wondered what an ultra-cocky and ruthless Kingston character would look like.
The New Day were somewhat forced into a heel persona at the outset, but that evolved into the trio becoming one of the biggest babyface factions in WWE over the past 10 years.
Kingston has never been an unapologetic, staunch heel with built-in exit strategy to return to babyface.
If that happens, it would not only come as a shock to almost everyone–except me and those of you reading this story–but it would elevate The New Day for another run while also potentially providing Big E an opportunity to at least make some sort of appearance besides his occasional spot on the pre-show of a premium live event.
While Karrion Kross’ insinuations have been the seed for this potential discord, I’m not sure how much he’ll be needed to continue what could be one of the more compelling angles on WWE television. Woods has some serious mic work left in him that he hasn’t had the opportunity to share throughout his career.
However, we’ve seen flashes. Given this opportunity, there’s a good chance he will deliver something memorable. We haven’t seen Kingston consistently show what he can do on the mic since Kofimania in 2019.
Does he have one more serious run left in him? I’d love to see it.
