Xavier Woods has shared his farewell message following his departure from WWE, closing the statement with a message about reclaiming his own identity after 16 years with the company.
Woods posted the statement on X on May 4, two days after news broke that he and Kofi Kingston had mutually agreed to part ways with WWE.
“For the past 16 years, WWE has been my home. It’s where I grew up, found myself, failed, learned, and got to live out things the younger version of me could only dream about. When I first walked into FCW, I just wanted a chance to prove I belonged and to bring something different to professional wrestling. That chance became a life full of moments I’ll carry with me forever, WrestleMania, championships, King of the Ring, arenas around the world, and the gift of connecting with all of you by being myself,” Woods wrote.
He paid tribute to The New Day, describing the bond between himself, Kingston, and Big E as something that will stay with him long after wrestling.
“The New Day gave me a bond with Kofi and Big E that I’ll cherish for life. You believed in us, even when our ideas were wild, and because of that, we got to show people that being unapologetically yourself is a strength,” Woods wrote.
He also thanked the team behind UpUpDownDown, his gaming YouTube channel that became a beloved extension of his personality outside the ring, before expressing gratitude to the people who made the day-to-day work of WWE possible.
“UpUpDownDown became another piece of that same mission, a place for joy, friendship, and humanity. I’m so thankful to everyone, past and present, who helped build it brick by brick. To the locker room, producers, trainers, crew, camera teams, ring crew, everyone behind the scenes, and the props department, thank you. WWE has the most special and hardest working props department that you’ll ever find. Love you guys and none of this happens without you,” Woods wrote.
He closed with a message that drew a clear line between the character he played and the man he truly is. “And to everyone who has been part of this ride: thank you for believing in me. Thank you for letting me be Xavier Woods. Thank you for giving me the confidence to walk away as Austin Creed,” Woods wrote.
Woods and Kingston mutually parted ways with WWE on May 2. Woods is a multi-time Tag Team Champion and former King of the Ring winner across his time with the company.
