Bobby Lashley has called The New Day’s release a major fumble on WWE’s part.
Speaking on Good Karma Wrestling, Lashley reacted to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods’ unexpected exit and made it clear he believes the company mishandled the situation.
“The Almighty” said WWE should have kept Kingston and Woods for the remainder of their careers, rewarding them for everything they have contributed to the business. He emphasized that both stars are widely respected backstage and have no reputation for negative behavior.
“Oh man! It’s one of those things where it’s like, that was the fumble. That was the fumble. Bro, you retire those guys. You take those guys to the end and give them whatever they want because they’ve given the business everything. I don’t think there’s a person in the business who says, ‘Hey man, I don’t like those guys’ or ‘those guys treated me wrong’ or ‘those guys weren’t good to me.’ There’s no one,” Bobby Lashley said.
While he acknowledged the move could benefit another promotion, Lashley warned it may raise questions among fans about respect within the industry. He added that if the duo strengthens another tag team division, especially in AEW, it could draw significant fan interest.
Bobby Lashley says The New Day’s WWE exit could be good for AEW
“But it could be a great move for someone else, you know? So at the end of the day, we might see some different mix-ups. The tag team division might become really, really strong and interesting in AEW. And if so, a tremendous number of fans will go over there because they’ll start saying, ‘Hmm, what’s going on? Isn’t this business built on respect?’ And if you have respect for the business, you have respect for the people in the business, and these guys should have a lot of respect in the business. So what’s going on?”
The New Day’s departure from WWE was arguably the biggest shock in the wrestling world last weekend. Kingston and Woods were reportedly asked to restructure their contracts but declined. This led to what has been described as a mutual decision to part ways. However, the same situation did not apply to JC Mateo and Tanga Loa, who were outright released.
Both Woods and Kingston have since addressed their exit. Kingston appeared to confirm reports that the duo was asked to renegotiate for lower pay. Another report suggested WWE was attempting to transition Woods into a Tyler Breeze-type role. This would see him focusing more on gaming-related content rather than in-ring competition.
Whether this signals the end of the in-ring run for two-thirds of The New Day or simply the beginning of a new chapter elsewhere remains unclear.
READ MORE: Booker T Points To AEW As ‘Money’ Option For New Day After WWE Release
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