WWE roster cuts: Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods part ways with company
The New Day is over. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, the group’s two energetic members, have reportedly left the WWE. Their exit comes one week after greater than a dozen WWE superstars were cut from the roster.
Kingston and Woods have mutually parted ways with WWE, based on skilled wrestling journalists Sean Ross Sapp and Cory Hays. Their departure brings an finish, for now, to one of the crucial profitable groups in skilled wrestling historical past.
The New Day debuted in 2014 with Big E. Originally offered as a happy-go-luck black gospel superstars, they had been broadly rejected by followers. WWE pivoted by turning them into villains and giving them leeway to include extra of their personalities into the characters. Unicorn horns, pancakes, anime references and a trombone had been used to large impact. The group turned humorously annoying and cherished by embracing pursuits they shared with the group.
Their success is unparalleled within the WWE. Their 13 WWE-branded tag group title reigns — not together with titles gained from different promotions — are essentially the most in company historical past. They even have essentially the most SmackDown tag group title reigns (7) and the longest Raw tag group title reign (483 days).
The New Day utilized the “Freebird Rule,” which means the members would rotate tag title defenses. After Big E suffered a damaged neck in 2022, ending his in-ring profession, Woods and Kingston continued as a tag group. Kingston final appeared on April 17, teaming with Grayson Waller in a failed try and win the WWE tag group titles. Woods is at the moment sidelined with a shoulder damage.
Both superstars had been part of the roster earlier than becoming a member of up in The New Day. Kingston signed a improvement deal with WWE 20 years in the past and debuted on the primary roster in 2008. He’s a former WWE champion with 4 intercontinental and three United States title reigns. Woods signed a developmental deal in 2010 and would go on to win the King of the Ring.
Two members of The MFTs have additionally left WWE. Sapp and Hays reported that JC Mateo and Tongan Loa are not underneath contract. Their departures come as a shock as a result of the group is such an everyday presence on SmackDown. An offshoot of The Bloodline, the group is led by Solo Sikoa. They’re at the moment feuding with Jacob Fatu, Roman Reigns and The Usos.
Loa is a former WWE tag group champion who rejoined the promotion in 2024 alongside Tama Tonga. Mateo, generally known as Jeff Cobb exterior of WWE, is an Olympian who spent lower than a 12 months within the WWE.
The New Day, Loa and Mateo be a part of 16 superstars — together with Kairi Sane, Aleister Black, and the Wyatt Sicks — who had been lower by the promotion final week.
