AEW’s Position On Signing The New Day After WWE Exit
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are no longer with WWE as of May 2, 2026, and some within All Elite Wrestling are pushing AEW to sign The New Day.
Kingston and Woods parted ways with WWE following a contract dispute with TKO Group Holdings. Their deals were not up. TKO reportedly approached them and asked them to restructure into new TKO-format contracts. The New Day refused the terms and asked for releases, which were granted immediately.
The timing feels off. Both men had signed multi-year extensions in October 2025, with Kingston reportedly contracted through 2030. Less than a year later, TKO came back and asked them to take cuts.
The WWE Universe is buzzing with anticipation about where the legendary duo will land next. Fightful reported that major AEW names are already pushing internally for the company to sign both men. These prominent figures expect the management to act quickly and secure the signatures of both men as soon as they become available in the free-agent market.
The New Day drawing “a lot of excitement” in the AEW locker room after WWE exit
Now, adding fuel to the fire, PWInsider‘s Mike Johnson noted that there is “a lot of excitement in AEW circles” about this game-changing possibility.
The reactions backed that up fast. MJF posted “It’s a new day… yes it is” on his Instagram story within hours of the news breaking. Cash Wheeler of FTR, who spent years feuding with The New Day during the duo’s heyday on the tag team division, posted his own reference on social media.
— Daniel “Cash” Wheeler (@CashWheelerFTR) May 2, 2026
The Young Bucks have also previously changed their social media bio to express a desire to one day wrestle The New Day.
AEW’s tag division currently has real depth with FTR, The Young Bucks, The Hurt Syndicate, and others. Adding Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods would significantly boost its star power.
Neither Kingston nor Woods can immediately appear on rival programming because of standard 90-day non-compete clauses, but the internal hype in AEW shows the wrestling war is far from over. If Tony Khan listens to his locker room, fans might see two of modern wrestling’s greatest tag-team step through the Forbidden Door.