During his appearance on Feel The Power, The Big Show spoke on not originally being into the idea of The New Day. According to the Big Show, he thought that it was a step backwards for Kofi during a time where he was working towards becoming a main-event level player. Here’s what he had to say:
I had seen Kofi come in from FCW, and all the poor things that Kofi went through, and how he survived, and his athleticism, his commitment to be better, his commitment to dependable and solid. I saw him working toward that championship role. He was getting there. Intercontinental Champion, move up to Heavyweight Champion, and then, there’s these two guys I don’t know. I’m like, ‘no’ because I’m thinking 3 Man Band. Like, ‘no one’s going to come out and do well on this! This is not going to work!’ Now, mind you, this isn’t in front of the crowd, this is what I saw backstage, so I pulled my friend, Kofi, discretely to the side, maybe it was a foot-and-a-half to the side.
Well, we all know how I am with business because of the way the [pro wrestling] business was taught to me, I translate business the same way. When It’s business, you can’t beat around the bush and sugarcoat. You have to be direct and if you can’t handle it, you’re in the wrong business. In there, I’m all business, period. And I told Kofi, I said, ‘you’re on your way to being a championship contender and getting the big title. You don’t want to run around with these two [expletive]. I mean, I get it. You’re trying to do something. Maybe you’re in a lull right now, but these two [expletive] aren’t going to get you over. And I love you, man. I just want to see what’s best for you.’ Kofi, I love Kofi because he is never ever disrespectful, except in Words With Friends. No, but he looks at me and he says, ‘I appreciate that, but there is something special here. Give it a look.’ I went, ‘okay, I will. I will reserve judgment, but I’m just telling you, like, you’ve seen how many three-man groups [get over] and whatever and I just, to me, I just thought it was a death sentence for my friend, Kofi. I really did.
I sit down and I’m watching the monitor, and I hear this loud, booming voice come over it. Like, I’m sitting in the Baptist Church in South Carolina, the Pentecostal Church, and then all-of-a-sudden, the trombone, and the crowd, and the energy. Then, I saw you guys work and the way you worked together, and as soon as y’all came through the curtain, what did I say? I apologized and I said, ‘forget every friggin’ thing I just said.’ I probably dropped a [expletive], but we’ll keep it polite. But I said I was absolutely freakin’ wrong. What you guys have got is magic. Don’t change.’
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Credit: Feel The Power. H/T WrestlingInc.