On May 2, the WWE Universe was rocked by the reports of The New Day departing from the company. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were one of four WWE stars who exited that day, along with MFT members JC Mateo and Tonga Loa.
Kingston has been with WWE since 2006, becoming a fan favorite and winning multiple titles. He teamed up with Woods and Big E to form The New Day in 2014.
Despite the initial concerns about the potential of the group, the trio turned into one of the greatest teams in WWE history. They won 13 tag team championships together, along with other singles titles.
Big E and Kingston won the WWE Championship, while Woods is a former King of the Ring winner.
Xavier Woods Releases Statement on New Day’s Release
GettyXavier Woods of New Day celebrates in the ring during the World Tag Team Championship match against War Raiders during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a post on his social media accounts, Xavier Woods has released a statement regarding his departure from WWE.
Woods called WWE his home for the past 16 years, living out his childhood dream and learning a lot of things about the art form and life. He mentioned The New Day and UpUpDownDown, the team that put him on the map and the YouTube channel that gave him a bigger platform.
“The New Day gave me a bond with @TrueKofi and @WWEBigE that I’ll cherish for life. You believed in us, even when our ideas were wild, and because of that, we got to show people that being unapologetically yourself is a strength,” Woods tweeted.
He continued, “UpUpDownDown became another piece of that same mission: a place for joy, friendship, and humanity. I’m so thankful to everyone, past and present, who helped build it brick by brick.”
Woods also expressed his gratitude to everyone in WWE and those he encountered along the way.
“To the locker room, producers, trainers, crew, camera teams, ring crew, everyone behind the scenes, and the props department – thank you. WWE has the most special and hardest working props department that you’ll ever find. Love you guys and none of this happens without you.”
The 2021 King of the Ring seemingly confirmed that they did “walk away” from WWE, and he’s likely using his Austin Creed ring name moving forward.
Where Will The New Day End Up?
GettyXavier Woods (L) and Kofi Kingston of New Day walk to the ring for their World Tag Team Championship match against War Raiders during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Once the news of The New Day’s exit made headlines, many fans heavily linked them to All Elite Wrestling.
It was fueled by several AEW stars like Maxwell Jacob Friedman, FTR and Tommaso Ciampa seemingly teasing their arrival.
The New Day also have history with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. AEW’s owner, Tony Khan, has the financial capabilities to sign Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, who reportedly asked their release after TKO wanted to restructure their contracts.
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