In a strong moment of a 28 May episode of Monday Night RAW, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, a fan-favourite team of The New Day, stopped attacking tag division to pay their tribute to one of the legends of the WWE past. When the duo entered the ring to defend their titles, they were proudly sporting gear in tribute to the giant Gonzalez, whose airbrushed muscular suit and body hair in uneven patches made him memorable.
It was not only the gear tribute. Woods spent time in ring after they won their titles in a hard-fought triple-threat match against Alpha Academy and The War Raiders to highlight Gonzalez. What he said was not empty. In honoring a wrestler who once dominated WWE roster at more than seven feet tall, Woods demonstrated his reverence for the history of WWE- a touching tribute to Eight-Foot Monster, who earned his name by facing off against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 9.
The era of WWE bridging
Popular but short-lived early-90s wrestler Giant Gonzalez tangled with such wrestling legends as Hulk Hogan before quitting WWE not much after WrestleMania 9. His brief reign still lives on in minds of fans as they see contemporary WWE scene play out.
The visual imitation of Gonzalez and his trademark appearance (including surreal airbrushing and fake body hair) was not only way Woods was able to pay visual homage; it was also a way to bring fans to a level of WWE history. By so doing, he made the audience remember that even minor characters can still make lasting impressions.
The reaction of WWE Ring announcers and social media was positive, praising Woods' ability to notice lore of wrestling. This instance underlines the ability of The New Day to mix entertainment and true emotion-so they will not only go down in the books as champions but also as historians of the squared circle.