AEW’s Bobby Lashley Criticises WWE Over New Day Release

Bobby Lashley has strongly criticised WWE following the departures of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, calling the situation a major mistake.

Speaking on Good Karma Wrestling, Bobby Lashley said WWE “fumbled” the handling of The New Day members and argued the company should have kept both men for the remainder of their careers.

“That was a fumble. You retire those guys. You take those guys to the end and give them whatever they want, because they’ve given the business everything,”

Lashley said. He went on to praise Kingston and Woods for the reputations they built backstage and throughout the wrestling industry, suggesting that very few people would speak negatively about either man.

“I don’t think there’s a person in the business that says, ‘Aye 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 Compared The New Day’s Release To Another Recent WWE Release

Lashley also compared the situation to a previous WWE release, likely referencing R-Truth‘s 2025 release, that the company later reversed after backlash. While calling the decision “a horrible move” for WWE, he believes it could become a major positive for AEW if the duo eventually signs with AEW. According to Lashley, the addition of Kingston and Woods could dramatically strengthen AEW’s tag team division and potentially shift fan attention toward the promotion.

“This is a horrible move also. But it can be a great move for someone else. So at the end of the day, we might see some different mix-ups and the tag team division might become really, really, really strong and interesting in AEW.”

Kingston spent roughly 20 years with WWE, while Woods had been with the company for around 16 years. The pair officially departed on May 2 and have since issued farewell statements reflecting on their time with the promotion and thanking fans for their support.