The New Day def. Gold & Stardust

Rather than lend credence to the existence of a black hole within the WWE Universe, Kofi Kingston & Big E instead proved that it’s always darkest before the dawning of The New Day.

Xavier Woods’s optimistic allies carried The New Day to victory in a hotly contested clash against Gold & Stardust during the WWE TLC 2014 Kickoff at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Kingston and Big E endured and eventually finished off the opposition with The Midnight Hour, the maneuver that combines the Big Ending by the former NXT Champion and an upper body attack from the top rope by the Ghanian grappler.

Match Highlights from WWE TLC 2014 Kickoff |  Check out match photos

The paths of The New Day and the former WWE Tag Team Champions crossed shortly after the eccentric pairing lost their tandem titles at Survivor Series 2014. Gold & Stardust, downtrodden by the loss of the cherished championship they described as their “Cosmic Key,” elected to redirect their misery at the expense of Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods after the budding trio cost the former champions a chance to claim a new No. 1 contender status on Raw.

Experience was on display in the bout’s opening moments with Kingston and Goldust kickstarting the match for their respective sides. Tags came fast and furious, leading to constant changes in tempo that saw Kingston taking to the skies in one minute and Gold & Stardust displaying some double team deeds in the next. By the time Stardust, who came to ringside painted in a Grinch-like green, locked Kingston into a reversed Boston Crab, The New Day appeared to be running on fumes.

The novice partners turned the tide once a tag to Big E became possible, with the strongman cleaning house shortly after he became the legal man in the ring. That surge in momentum and the consistent support of Xavier Woods at ringside carried The New Day until the end, when Big E & Kingston clinched a triumphant path by way of The Midnight Hour.

With the victory, The New Day secures the win in their first appearance at a special event since WWE Battleground 2014. Gold & Stardust, on the other hand, must continue to accept the new reality that there’s no day in WWE like The New Day.