Add as a preferred source on Google Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are inching closer to an AEW debut after ending 20-year and 16-year runs with WWE, respectively.
According to Fightful Select, the expectation backstage is that both will join Tony Khan’s roster soon. They are not, however, advertised for Redemption this Sunday, July 26, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The holdup is contractual. Kingston and Woods’ WWE deals still haven’t officially wound down, even though their exits were announced on May 2. Big E has confirmed both are serving a 90-day non-compete clause that rules out any appearance on the pay-per-view.
The departure came after a mutual decision between the wrestlers and WWE. The pair turned down a contract restructuring proposed by TKO, largely over the new terms on offer, and were granted an early release.
AEW’s interest isn’t new. Nearly a dozen sources Fightful spoke with in May backed signing the duo, and several top names on the roster have pushed internally for Tony Khan to close a deal with the former champions.
Outside WWE, Woods has gone back to using the name Austin Creed, while Kingston is now being advertised simply as Kofi. Since WWE owns “The New Day” name, any AEW debut would have to come under a different identity.
Their absence from Redemption clears the way for that debut to come at All In, set for August 30 at Wembley Stadium.