Why The New Day Rejected WWE's Final Contract Offer

More details have emerged behind The New Day's decision to leave WWE after receiving a new contract offer.

Last Saturday, news broke that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods parted ways with WWE. The development was one of the biggest stunners in recent WWE memory, given their longevity and status as one of the greatest tag teams in pro wrestling history.

Woods, Kingston and Big E formed the iconic New Day stable back in 2014. Even after Big E suffered a career-ending neck injury in 2022, Woods and Kingston continued to lead the iconic faction for four more years.

In the newest edition of his Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingNews.co), Dave Meltzer reported that Woods and Kingston signed five-year extensions through 2030 last year.

"The New Day, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, left the company this past week just one year into a five year contract that was to run from 2025 to 2030 after being told that essentially WWE was going to cut them, but that they could get a new deal at a lower rate," Meltzer said.

According to Meltzer, WWE told The New Day they could stick around if they agreed to a pay cut. Kingston and Woods declined, since WWE wasn't doing much with them anyway.

"They made the decision to leave since the company wasn't doing anything with them," Meltzer said. "Immediately, a lot of AEW talent, notably The Young Bucks and FTR, started with tweets teasing the idea of wanting them in the company."

Standard WWE contracts carry 90-day non-compete clauses. If Woods and Kingston had those in their respective deals, they'd be eligible to sign with another promotion at the end of July.

The New Day Compiled 15 Championships

During their run together, The New Day won 13 Tag Team Championships together. Not only that, but Kingston and Big E each enjoyed a WWE Championship reign. The latter was also the lucky winner of the 2021 men's Money in the Bank ladder match.

The New Day won seven SmackDown Tag Team Championships together, the most in history. The Usos are second with five. No other tag team has won it more than twice.

Given all their accomplishments and popularity, it's safe to say that Woods and Kingston won't have to wait long to land with another promotion. AEW, for one, should have a strong interest in the pair.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 4:05 PM.