Backstage News On Vince McMahon Edict For The New Day

New details have been revealed on Big E's recent move back to WWE SmackDown, and how WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon feels about the group.

As we've noted, Big E was moved from RAW back to SmackDown last month to assist Kofi Kingston in the mini-feud against Happy Baron Corbin and Madcap Moss. It was believed that this was a temporary change while King Xavier Woods is out of action with a calf muscle injury, but it was later revealed that Big E is back on the blue brand for good.

In an update, a new report from Fightful Select notes that McMahon was adamant that Kingston and Big E were not billed as "The New Day," and instead just be called "Big E and Kofi Kingston," which is how they were announced for Big E's first week back on SmackDown.

There was apparently some miscommunication internally over Vince's edict on Kofi and Big E because on YouTube and internal lists they were listed as The New Day. However, the following week that had changed. WWE is now billing them by their names, without the group name.

Furthermore, it was noted that Vince was also adamant at one point about putting The New Day back together as a trio because he "missed the magic that they created together." However, Vince also preferred that the group split up in the last two WWE Drafts, with the idea that a top babyface like Big E should be on their own in most situations. There were numerous Draft pitches made to keep The New Day together despite Vince's idea, but it didn't do much good.

Woods has been out of action since suffering a muscle tear during the Street Fight against SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos on the January 7 SmackDown. Woods noted then that he was expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks, but it was recently reported that he was removed off the internal inactive list as of the January 28 edition of SmackDown, indicating that he had been cleared to compete.

There's no word on when Woods will be back or what WWE has planned for the trio on SmackDown, but we will keep you updated. Big E and Kofi had been feuding with Moss and Corbin, but that program ended when Drew McIntyre returned at the Royal Rumble to resume his feud with the two heels. Big E and Kofi defeated Los Lotharios on last week's SmackDown.

Stay tuned for more.