In a dramatic bout on Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, The New Day—comprised of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods—secured their twelfth WWE World Tag Team Championship, extending their all-time record. The victory came at the expense of The War Raiders, and notably involved a controversial moment when Kingston restrained Ivar’s legs outside the referee’s line of sight, enabling Woods to score the decisive pinfall.
New Day Steals Win and Championship Gold from War Raiders
Following the win, Kingston and Woods quickly retreated up the entrance ramp, championship titles in hand, signaling both triumph and continued animosity with the WWE Universe.
The lead-up to this match was not without tension. Prior to the match, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle exchanged heated words with the tag team, amplifying the intensity of the evening. However, it was the storyline developments involving The New Day’s former partner, Big E, that cast the longest shadow over this triumph.
In December, WWE fans were stunned when Kingston and Woods turned on Big E during a segment intended to commemorate The New Day’s 10th anniversary. The betrayal marked a jarring character pivot for Kingston and Woods, long considered crowd favorites and among the most decorated tag teams in WWE history.
Big E, who has remained sidelined with a severe neck injury since 2022, had proposed a managerial role to reunify the faction. Rather than accept the olive branch, Kingston and Woods publicly rebuked their former teammate, blaming him for perceived abandonment at a time they claimed to need him most. The remarks were viewed by many fans as both callous and unprovoked, considering the severity of Big E’s condition. The WWE Universe quickly turned on Kingston and Woods, branding them as villains in the ongoing saga.
New Tag Team Still Getting Heat from Fans
Despite the shift in public sentiment, the two remained focused on reclaiming tag team gold. Through February and March, The New Day racked up a series of victories on Monday Night Raw, defeating notable teams including Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, and the New Catch Republic. The streak positioned them as top contenders for the titles held by The War Raiders, who had captured the championship belts from Judgment Day members Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh in December.
Their initial title encounter on the April 7 edition of Raw ended in controversy when Kingston and Woods introduced a steel chair into the match. While Ivar ultimately used the weapon, the referee’s disqualification ruling left the Raiders technically defeated—opening the door for a rematch under grander circumstances.
That rematch came on wrestling’s biggest stage. Under the bright lights of WrestleMania, The New Day capitalized on their opportunity, ending a near four-year drought without main roster championship gold. It marks their first tag team title reign since 2021 and reaffirms their place in the annals of professional wrestling history.
Though Kingston and Woods now sit atop the tag team division once again, questions remain over the lasting fallout from their split with Big E and whether their embrace of villainy will ultimately cost them the fan loyalty they once commanded.
As the WWE landscape continues to shift post-WrestleMania, The New Day’s victory could signal not just a return to dominance—but a new, more ruthless chapter in their storied careers.
