Long-time WWE stars Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods shockingly exited the company last month after reportedly refusing to take a pay cut just one year into their new contracts, which would have carried them through 2030. Now as soon-to-be free agents, The New Day brethren are expected to draw offers from multiple other pro wrestling companies, with the possibilities for their futures seemingly limitless.No matter what awaits The New Day, though, fellow former WWE star Karrion Kross will surely and eagerly be watching along."That was insane. That was insane," Kross said on "The Ariel Helwani Show" regarding Kingston and Woods' WWE departures. "I called them right away. I spoke with them, and I can't wait to see what they do next."Under the WWE banner, Kingston and Woods enjoyed great tag team success as members of The New Day. Alongside Big E, the pair even shattered the record for the longest run of any tag team championship in WWE history; reigns of Gallus and The Usos later eclipsed them.As individuals, Woods earned the crown as WWE's King of the Ring and put an end to Roman Reigns' two-year winning streakin 2021. Kingston emerged as a Grand Slam Champion in WWE, having captured the Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team, and WWE Championships in his respective career."I just remember people saying like 'you know, this might not last forever.' Well, neither can a contract," Kross added, referencing his own WWE contract situation from 2025. "If they can terminate at any point for any reason, really all you're guaranteed is 90 days of pay when you're on a non-compete. People hear three year, five year, 10 year contract. For any reason, if they just decide to go in another direction, that's a wrap."
Further reflecting on his personal WWE departure, Kross noted that, despite initially feeling hurt by the chain of events surrounding it, he now considers it one of the greatest things to ever happen in his wrestling career."I look you dead in the face and I tell you the truth, for real. I feel more fulfilled now performing because I know what I'm capable of," Kross said. "I know what I can really do. I don't want to go out there and risk potentially everything for something to go wrong and not be able to perform at my best. I would resent myself for doing that. You do that for so long and you tell yourself that you're on your way to getting somewhere and it's all going to pay off and they respect it and then this thing happens to me, right? Everything goes upside down, but then you see old energy leaves, new energy enters. You got to be open to it. You got to be receptive to it."Kross' post-WWE journey has so far included a return to the independent wrestling circuit and Major League Wrestling, the latter in which he currently reigns as the MLW World Heavyweight Champion. Last month, he additionally captured the WSW World Heavyweight Championship while touring in Australia.In their case, Woods and Kingston have only made one public appearance since leaving WWE: GalaxyCon in Oklahoma City, where fans lined up to meet them for photos and autographs. Still, their names remain fresh on the lips of their peers, as evidenced by recent comments made by Kross, The Young Bucks, and AEW World Champion MJF.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Ariel Helwani Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
