The New Day's Kofi Kingston And Xavier Woods' Surprising Departure Explained
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods left WWE in a surprising mutual departure on May 2, 2026, after rejecting a TKO contract restructure. JC Mateo and Tonga Loa also exited.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 23: Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston (New Day) make their entrance during Monday Night RAW at State Farm Arena on February 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images) WWE via Getty Images The WWE roster shake-ups keep rolling well after WrestleMania 42, but this latest chunk is different than the ones before. On Saturday, news broke on WWE parting ways with The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods).
Unlike some of the previous departures, Kingston and Woods weren’t cut. They were reportedly asked to accept a contract restructuring. They declined, asked for their release and the request was granted, per Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez .
What Happened With Kofi Kingston And Xavier Woods' WWE Departure? This one just feels different. For example, my 20-year-old son doesn't know a WWE without Kofi Kingston.
Think about that for a second. If there is a short list of performers who deserve to be WWE lifers, Kingston is on that list. Woods is very near that same status.