AEW reportedly has heavy interest in working with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
According to Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, there is much interest within AEW for Kingston and Woods to wrestle at least one match on the promotion. Many AEW talents have also expressed interest in working with Kingston and Woods. While Kingston is expected to retain his in-ring name Woods is most likely to go by Austin Creed. The two New Day members are set to be free agents soon.
Kingston and Woods parted ways with WWE earlier this month after reportedly refusing to take pay cuts in restructured contracts under TKO.
Bobby Lashley was one of the few AEW talents who publicly spoke about working with the New Day on the promotion. He also indicated a potential alliance with the former WWE tag team joining The Hurt Syndicate, further establishing them as a dominant faction in AEW.
When @WrestleVotes Radio on @FightfulSelect reached out to a source in AEW, they were upbeat about New Day wrestling in at least a match in the company. who will need to go by a new name.
Are Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of The New Day on their way toward AEW?
A few days ago, after WWE WrestleMania 42 concluded, shocking reports emerged that Woods and Kingston had mutually agreed to part ways with the promotion. Their decision came after TKO and WWE had decided to restructure their existing contracts.
Two of the most well-loved personalities across the industry, the news became a talking point. Now, according to a recent report by Fightful Select, people within AEW want Woods and Kingston to sign with AEW.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, almost one dozen sources they spoke to want the duo to sign with AEW. While typically they expected one person to dissent to the possibility, such has not happened yet.
Fightful Select also claimed that everyone they spoke to was on board for having Woods and Kingston join All Elite Wrestling. “A number of big names in AEW were making an internal push for the two to end up there,” the report further read.
Fightful Select noted that both Woods and Kingston are “universally respected” and are highly expected to join AEW once their 90-day no-compete clause ends.
Bobby Lashley on Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods joining the Hurt Syndicate in AEW
A few days ago, AEW star Bobby Lashley opened up on the prospect of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston joining the Hurt Syndicate in AEW.
“Man, I tell you what, I think the problem that we have right now is that the Hurt Syndicate is too strong. If we bring those guys on there, we’d be just unstoppable. I don’t think there’s any guess game in what’s going to happen next. I think Kofi and Woods, I think they’re just amazing talent, and I think that anybody and everybody is going to throw in their money to try to pick those guys up. Hopefully they come to AEW, and if they do, we’ll try to get them if we can because I would love to be able to work with those guys. I like those guys. I’ve worked with those guys for years over at the other organization, and if they came over here and wanted to be a part of The Hurt Syndicate, it’s game on.”
Matt Jackson revealed The Young Bucks spoke with Triple H and WWE for a crossover match with The New Day.
On the latest episode of their Being The Elite Vlog, The Young Bucks were reviewing footage with Kenny Omega and The New Day. Matt Jackson revealed they spoke to Triple H for a match with Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods but it did not pan out.
“We truly were trying to get a New Day, Young Bucks, Kenny match to happen. An Elite vs. New Day match actively. They (WWE) said they were trying on their side. We were definitely talking to our bosses. Even to the point in 2018 when we got on the phone with Triple H and we talked to him and said, ‘Hey, we would really like to do this match.’ I don’t know if he was necessarily interested in just doing that match. I think he was more interested in pursuing us to work for him, but we talked to him about it. We were serious about doing the match and we thought we’d probably be able to do it, and unfortunately we never did.”
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, and New Day are video game enthusiasts and often played against each other in varied documented tournaments. While it was never particularly associated with a wrestling promotion, it was featured in their vlogs and social media platforms.
Earlier this month, Kingston and Woods exit WWE after being reportedly requested to take pay cuts.
Swerve Strickland would love to have New Day join him in AEW, but he’ll support whatever move Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods make next in their careers.
During an appearance on TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, Strickland reacted to the news that Kingston & Woods are no longer with WWE and will become free agents when their 90-day clauses expire. He was asked if he would like to see the two New Day members sign with AEW.
“Oh yeah, of course. Absolutely,” Strickland responded. “I also just want them to do what’s best for them. If they want to take like a five-year hiatus, they’ve earned it. They’ve more than earned it. They know their value as well, and that’s the most important thing. I hope that’s the lesson that everybody learns in this, not just like as a fan but as a professional yourself in this industry, they know their value, and they understand who they are, and they understand what they bring, and what they brought and their legacy they leave behind.”
News broke on May 2 that Kingston & Woods had been released from their WWE contracts. The two opted to depart the company instead of restructuring their deals with a significant pay cut that TKO wanted.
Strickland said he briefly communicated with Kingston via text following the WWE departure news. In the TMZ interview, he praised Kingston as the “perfect” role model who has never been in the news for the wrong thing.
“He’s like the epitome of professionalism when it comes to that,” Strickland said. “Especially in our culture, you look at Kofi as one of the like top five greatest ever to do it. He’s truly a model — a role model, but he’s the model type of role model. He’s the perfect type of role model.”
Strickland, who made history as the first Black wrestler to win the men’s AEW World Championship, said Kingston was one of the biggest inspirations for his April 2024 title win.
“I meant every word I said when I won the championship and was like, ‘Kofi’s a big inspiration for that.’ It’s like, man, how do I do something so cool like that and make it my own?,” Strickland said. “How do I do that in my own legacy, in my own career, something that Kofi did at WrestleMania. He’s the only Black wrestler to win the World Championship at WrestleMania. You cannot take that away from him. He’s the only one.”
With more departures and pay cuts reportedly being handed out in WWE, the Wrestling Weekly duo of Les Thatcher and Vic Sosa discuss the optics of TKO’s latest moves, a similar situation taking place in Hollywood right now, and the additional scrutiny these moves could attract outside of the wrestling bubble.
We’ll also talk about the late Ted Turner & this week’s AEW TV.
Big E is here to stay with WWE after being internally recognized as a “valuable presence.”
Days after WWE WrestleMania 42, fans saw Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods arrive at a mutual decision with WWE to leave the promotion. The two members of the New Day left WWE after the promotion allegedly sought to restructure their contracts.
Woods and Kingston’s departure also raised questions about their former teammate Big E’s future. However, according to a new report from Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, it was noted that Big E is set to continue as a part of WWE’s PLE Kickoff shows.
He is viewed internally as a “valuable presence” and a “key reason” behind the show’s success over the years.
Will WWE star Big E wrestle again?
A few years ago, Big E suffered a neck injury after taking a suplex at ringside. He has since then been sidelined from in-ring action. Working extensively on the broadcast side of WWE, there is currently no confirmed update on Big E’s in-ring return.
Although he once opened up about his retirement decision. “So after talking to [Dr. Juan Uribe] and a few other doctors, the doctor almost damn near begged me like, ‘Hey, please, even if you get your all go, you’re clear, you’re allowed to get back in the ring, please really reconsider it,‘” Big E said.
“And when I told him, ‘I think I’m definitely leaning towards being done,’ he almost quite literally breathed a sigh of relief. So for someone who’s been doing this for so long, who knows a lot more about spines and necks than I do, I definitely took heed.”
Bobby Lashley commented on the possibility of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods being added to The Hurt Syndicate in AEW.
Lashley stated in an interview with The Danny Ocean Show that The Hurt Syndicate would be unstoppable if Kingston and Woods joined the group. He praised their wrestling contributions and in-ring talents throughout the years.
“Man, I tell you what, I think the problem that we have right now is that the Hurt Syndicate is too strong. If we bring those guys on there, we’d be just unstoppable. I don’t think there’s any guess game in what’s going to happen next. I think Kofi and Woods, I think they’re just amazing talent, and I think that anybody and everybody is going to throw in their money to try to pick those guys up. Hopefully they come to AEW, and if they do, we’ll try to get them if we can because I would love to be able to work with those guys. I like those guys. I’ve worked with those guys for years over at the other organization, and if they came over here and wanted to be a part of The Hurt Syndicate, it’s game on.”
Kingston and Woods reportedly parted ways with WWE after being requested to restructure their deals. This comes after nearly 23 talents were released in April.
Kingston and Woods issued statements on their exit, reflecting on their tenure with WWE, and expressing gratitude for the support during the past few days.
Bobby Lashley thinks WWE made a “horrible” decision by parting ways with New Day members Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods.
In an interview with Good Karma Wrestling, Lashley reacted to the news that Kingston & Woods are no longer with WWE. He called the move a “fumble” on WWE’s part and indicated that he would like to see Kingston & Woods join the AEW tag team division — if WWE doesn’t reverse course by bringing them back before they ever hit free agency.
“It’s one of those things where it’s like — that was a fumble. That was a fumble,” Lashley said. “Bro, you retire those guys. You take those guys to the end and give them whatever they want, because they’ve given the business everything.
“I don’t think there’s a person in the business that says, ‘Hey man, I don’t like those guys,’ or, ‘Those guys treated me wrong,’ or, ‘Those guys weren’t good to me.’ There’s no one. And we saw that one time before when somebody else [R-Truth] got released. When somebody else got released, they had to bring him back because they were like, ‘Uh oh, this is a bad move.’
“Well, this is a horrible move also. But it could be a great move for someone else. So at the end of the day, we might see some different mix-ups and the tag team division might come really, really strong and interesting in AEW. And if so, a tremendous amount of fans will go over there because they’ll start kind of saying, ‘Hmm, what’s going on? Isn’t this business built on respect?’ And if you have respect for the business, you have respect for the people in the business. And these guys should have a lot of respect in the business, so what’s going on?”
Kingston & Woods were granted their WWE releases after being asked to restructure their contracts. They did not agree with the pay reduction TKO was offering, so Kingston & Woods chose to depart the company instead.
Lashley is a former AEW Tag Team Champion as part of The Hurt Syndicate. He told Good Karma Wrestling that he feels like AEW is getting better and better every week, and there’s plenty of room for viewers to become AEW fans while still enjoying what is going on in WWE. He believes there is “healthy competition” between the promotions.
As for his goals in AEW, the 49-year-old Lashley still has his sights on becoming World Champion. He’s already held World titles in WWE and TNA and now wants to do so in AEW.
The New Day have confirmed that they have left WWE. And the world of wrestling has confirmed that there’s still plenty of demand for the New Day.
Big E, the third member of the New Day, expressed his admiration for former teammates Kofi Kingston and Austin “Xavier Woods” Creed almost immediately. AEW wrestlers Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Dax Harwood replied soon after. And the feedback hasn’t stopped there.
Here’s a collection of some of the comments left by notable personalities—from WWE, AEW, and elsewhere—on Kingston’s and Creed’s posts. A number of them made comments related to compensation, which seems relevant given the circumstances:
Ash by Elegance:“THANK YOUUUU!!! You are such a role model to so many!!! Spread your wings and fly now!!!! – ps – I tell everyone [Creed] was the first person ever to make me realize I do have an accent! Lol.. I’ll never forget that at FCW in Tampa.”
Nick Aldis:(Replying to Creed) “An amazing run for an amazing human being. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for you brother.”
Shayna Baszler:(Replying to the exercise Kingston is doing in his farewell video) ROPE FLOW GANG
Shayna Baszler: (Replying to Creed) I will ALWAYS go to bat for [Creed] because he went to bat for us.
Bayley:“Thank you for everything. I’ve shared a locker room for you for the last 13 years and you were always there for us. Made us laugh, reminded us of our worth, and got us PAID to have fun with our friends. One in a million!”
Mansoor:“Kofi and [Creed] are our two GOATs, the locker room leaders (along with Jimmy and Jey) while we were over there and always looked out for us. I’ll never forget when you wore that MxM shirt on TV to support us.”
Dean “Mojo Rawley” Muhtadi:“Thank you for the great times and big laughs my brother! [Up Up Down Down, Creed’s YouTube channel] was a huge testament to your business savvy and willingness to help the locker room. For so many talent, we needed those paychecks as they often paid the same as pay per view matches! Appreciate you bro!”
Kevin Owens: (Replying to Kingston) “Fantastic wrestler and an even better human being. Same can be said for Woods. Thank you guys for allowing me to join you guys for that one week … and seriously, I’m so sorry for turning on you.”
On Monday afternoon, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods each issued their first statements since being released by WWE.
News broke over the weekend that New Day member Kingston and Woods had parted ways with WWE. The two were reportedly asked to restructure their contracts but did not like the money TKO was offering. With that, Kingston & Woods were granted their releases and are now under 90-day non-compete clauses.
Kingston all but confirmed the contract report in his statement today, urging people to never compromise or accept less than their worth.
“Do your best to live a life without regrets, control what you can control, always give it your all, and fight hard for what you believe in,” he wrote on social media. “Do not ever compromise or accept less than your due when it comes to your worth. Find the courage to believe in yourself and fearlessly pursue your goals and dreams, because anything is possible.
The full post from Kingston can be read below. He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love he’s received over the past few days.
It’s taken me two full days to respond to all my texts. I hadn’t been on social media until today and I’m overwhelmed by all the messages here too. So much love.
So I can’t help but to be filled completely with gratitude…
Woods thanked everyone who was part of his WWE journey, making sure to mention how hard-working the behind-the-scenes crew is. He appreciates the lifetime of moments he got to make in WWE and will carry them with him forever.
“To everyone who has been part of this ride: thank you for believing in me,” Woods wrote at the end of his statement. “Thank you for letting me be Xavier Woods. Thank you for giving me the confidence… to walk away as Austin Creed.”
For the past 16 years, WWE has been my home. It’s where I grew up, found myself, failed, learned, and got to live out things the younger version of me could only dream about.
When I first walked into FCW, I just wanted a chance to prove I belonged and to bring something… pic.twitter.com/jm0K78bh1C
The comment sections of Kingston and Woods’ posts have already started to fill up with messages from their former WWE colleagues. On Instagram, New Day’s Big E left a message for each of them.
“My brother, my family, to the grave. And beyond. A living legend. In and out of the ring. Love you dearly,” Big E wrote to Kingston.
“You have inspired me for many years and continue to. What a blessing it is to call you family. Love you immensely,” Big E responded to Woods. “Your impact on this business is immeasurable. You turned your dreams into reality. A real life alchemist. You have been a blessing to so many people backstage, to your peers in the ring, and to fans around the world. What a run.”
New Day became one of the most decorated and popular tag teams in WWE history during their time with the company. Kingston & Woods most recently held tag team gold from April-June 2025 during their heel run on Raw. In addition to their tag team success, Kingston had one WWE Championship reign, with WWE recently ranking his title win from WrestleMania 35 as the 13th greatest moment in WrestleMania history.
What’s next for Kingston & Woods is unconfirmed, but some of the top names in AEW immediately responded to their WWE departures by indicating that they would like the two New Day members to join the AEW roster.
With Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston gone from WWE, it raises the question of what potential dream matches could be waiting for them outside the company.
That is not to say it is a foregone conclusion that Kingston or Woods will continue their wrestling careers outside of WWE. However, if they choose to do so, there are numerous opponents out there for them and several potential dream matches that many fans would like to see.
Below, I’ve listed some of what I feel are the best potential matches awaiting Woods and Kingston.
Young Bucks social media screenshot (Image credit: Young Bucks social media screenshot)
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston)
There is no other way to start this list than with New Day vs. The Young Bucks.
Not only is this a dream match between two of the most successful tag teams in the history of professional wrestling, it’s actually about something far more important than that: It’s a match between quite possibly the two greatest merchandise-selling tag teams in the history of wrestling.
The Young Bucks, prior to AEW, sold so many T-shirts through Pro Wrestling Tees and Hot Topic that it helped spawn a wrestling promotion. The Elite’s merch sales were so strong that a company now employing quite possibly the largest roster of professional wrestlers ever assembled exists in part because of it.
As for New Day, there was a good 10-year period where you could not go to a WWE event without seeing people wearing their merchandise in the stands. Not to mention boxes of Booty-O’s and unicorn horns.
I can’t think of two other tag teams with such a history of fans wearing their merchandise.
Granted, the wrestling merchandise machine wasn’t exactly as much of an opportunity back in the Road Warriors’ or Rock ‘n’ Roll Express’ heyday, but still.
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage take in the crowd at Forbidden Door. (Image credit: AEW)
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston)
I don’t know how much longer either Cage or Cope have left in their in-ring careers, but if they can hold out just a little longer, another dream match is now possible.
While Edge & Christian didn’t have the longevity as a team in WWE that New Day did, these are still two of the most famous tag teams in WWE history.
It’s definitely an era-spanning match, and one that didn’t happen in WWE simply because while New Day were at their peak, Edge & Christian were not active.
But finally, with Kingston and Woods’ WWE departures, this match can happen, provided Copeland doesn’t have to film Percy Jackson or something.
FTR make their entrance at AEW Revolution 2026. (Image credit: AEW)
New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Revival/FTR…but in AEW
New Day and The Revival have wrestled before, but we’ve never seen New Day vs. FTR.
New Day and The Revival spent about half a year feuding in late 2019 and early 2020. Granted, most of those matches featured Big E teaming with Kingston, but we have technically seen this match before.
I think it’s fair to say that there would be fewer handcuffs on an FTR vs. New Day match in 2026 AEW than there were in 2019/2020 WWE. We’d get to see a bit more of what the two teams can do.
Both teams have further cemented themselves as the top teams of their generation in the years since then as well. It would feel far more like a “dream match” now.
Photo: JJ Williams (Image credit: Photo: JJ Williams)
New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) & A Partner vs. SkyTeam (Máscara Dorada, Místico and Neón) at Arena Mexico
I just kind of want to see what New Day would look like at Arena Mexico, and while perhaps not a likely occurrence, the possibility of it happening now exists.
There is something about the old, over-the-top, unicorn-loving, pancake-eating New Day gimmick that feels like it would translate well to that environment.
I’m not saying this would be a five-star match or anything like that. I would just like to see Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston under the old New Day gimmick in a venue like Arena Mexico. They could wear masks with little unicorn horns on them. I’m sure those would sell.
Ideally, they would wrestle either SkyTeam or Mistico and a partner, just so they’d be involved in something bathed in the sort of aura that Mistico creates in that building.
House of Torture njpw1972.com (Image credit: NJPW)
New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. any combination of House of Torture members
Just give me a second to explain this.
Thank you. Okay, once again I am not saying this would be a five-star classic, I just think it would be fun to see Kingston and Woods, who can both be absolutely hilarious when the situation calls for it, responding to the blatant HOT interference.
Woods being incredulous that Hiroshi Tanahashi continues to allow House of Torture to do this could be pretty funny. Them coming up with ways to irritate Don Fale or Dick Togo? Come on, I can’t be the only one who sees this.
I just think New Day being in NJPW at all would be fun. An act you never thought you’d see outside WWE all of a sudden causing chaos in Korakuen Hall would be great.
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods pose for a picture. (Image credit: WWE)
New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) in an AEW Tag Team Continental Classic
This one might be a bit of a stretch.
I’m not certain this idea is appealing to a 44-year-old and a 39-year-old, but AEW has more than enough tag teams to do a really great tag league style tournament.
You could put New Day against any number of AEW teams like The Hurt Syndicate, JetSpeed or Gates of Agony.
I don’t know that older teams such as Cage and Cope or Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin would be into wrestling that often within a month either, but if AEW ever decides to do this, think of the teams that could take part:
The Young Bucks
FTR
Cage and Cope (if possible)
Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin (if possible)
New Day
JetSpeed
Gates of Agony
Rascalz
Top Flight
The Infantry
The Dogs
Eddie Kingston & Ortiz
The Outrunners
Grizzled Young Vets
Big Bill & Bryan Keith
Juice Robinson & Ace Austin
Some combination of Death Riders
Some combination of Don Callis Family guys
There are definitely some fun potential matchups there.
Big E has reacted as his former New Day members, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, part ways with WWE.
It was recently reported by Bryan Alvarez of WON and other media outlets that Kingston and Woods mutually decided to leave WWE.
Shortly after, their former partner Big E reacted to the release by sharing a fan art image of the New Day’s WWE departure.
The fan art features Woods and Kingston throwing their New Day attire in a trash can down an alley, based on the famous Spider-Man No More comic panel, where Peter Parker left behind his Spider-Man suit. While Woods and Kingston are no longer a part of WWE, E continues to be a part of the promotion’s broadcast team for their PLEs.
Big E was kicked out of the New Day a few years ago
A couple of years ago, in 2024, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned heel on an episode of Monday Night RAW, when they kicked out the former World Champion E.
E suffered a serious neck injury after a suplex from Ridge Holland a few years ago. Since then, the 40-year-old has remained out of action, while Woods and Kingston continued to be active WWE Superstars.
E, Woods, and Kingston formed New Day over a decade ago and became one of the most popular promotions in the industry. One of the most successful factions, the New Day, won around 12 Tag Team titles together.
Their release comes after WWE and TKO tried to restructure their existing contract. Their release has become a talk of the town, with several AEW names reacting to it. It is currently unknown what their plans are.
It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.
It turns out the departure of talent from WWE isn’t finished yet. On Saturday, The New Day of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods and others parted ways with WWE. Jim will talks about the names, their history and where you might like to see them appear next.
Ricky Saints made his WWE SmackDown debut Friday facing off against Cody Rhodes, Fatal Influence is still shaking up the top of the women’s division, and Jacob Fatu continued his march of terror towards Roman Reigns and the World Heavyweight Championship.
Plus, an AEW Collision preview, NOAH, AAA and more.
“Gonna be able to kick thier ass in @Tekken again. It is indeed a New Day.”
Tommaso Ciampa posted a lengthy statement to Instagram about Kingston and Woods:
“Inside the ring, he’s one of the absolute best. No denying it. Outside of the ring, he’s Mount Rushmore material. As a leader, a friend, a family man, a co worker, you name it.
Kofi is a rare breed in this industry. Matter of fact, he’s one of a kind in life. I feel lucky to have had a front row seat throughout so much of his journey, from the Jamaican days in Chaotic and developmental, to main roster, to Kofi Mania and beyond… he never changed. Not once. Not for a second.
Kofi and Woods (don’t mind our awful quality Super 8 photo!) are special talents, but even more so, they are special men. Congrats to both guys on such incredible careers. I can’t wait to see the next chapter.
I often told myself throughout my career to “take the photo”… it’s something I’m becoming better at as of late. But I do regret missing so many great photo opportunities early on.
Anyways, scrolling through my phone and I came across these 5. Ivar (Handsome), Kofi, and I all trained at the same school twenty plus years ago (Kenny too)… what a journey! Woods and I first crossed paths at the ECWA Super 8 about 16 years ago.
And the other two photos were taken right after TLC SummerSlam. I think the photos and the cast of characters speak for themselves. Lots of fantastic performers and people. 🖤”
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have some within AEW hoping they end up with the company following their WWE departures.
PWInsider reported Saturday that there is “a lot of excitement in AEW circles” about the potential of Kingston and Woods coming into the company. Our own Bryan Alvarez has since confirmed this to be the case.
Regarding Woods and Kingston’s WWE departures, Alvarez wrote on Saturday:
“We can also confirm that in the case of New Day, it was their decision to leave based on what TKO was offering for a new deal.“
“To be specific, New Day’s deals were not up. They were asked to restructure to TKO deals, they didn’t like the deals, so they were then granted their release.“
Alvarez also noted that both Woods and Kingston will be under 90-day non-competes.
The Young Bucks once changed their bio on social media to mention they hope to wrestle New Day at some point:
AEW’s MJF and Cash Wheeler both posted references to Kingston and Woods on Saturday.
