The WWE Universe has been noticeably missing the energetic presence of Xavier Woods in recent weeks. The New Day member has been sidelined from active in-ring competition due to a nagging shoulder injury that has kept him off television since January. However, Woods remains optimistic about his recovery trajectory and hopes to be cleared for a return in the not-too-distant future.
“Staying Positive” During Physical Therapy
Woods recently provided a detailed update on his physical condition during a conversation with Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone at the WWE 2K26 Creator Fest. The multi-time tag team champion admitted that while he feels fine in his day-to-day life, the specific demands of professional wrestling remain a hurdle.
“I feel ok. Lifting things with my shoulder doesn’t feel ok,” Woods explained during the event. “I kind of put it through like a meat grinder, so we’ll see how it is. Hopefully, it’s a few weeks of physical therapy, and then we’ll be back at it. But if not, I will let everybody know. But yeah, it’s alright. We’re just staying positive.”
Woods’ last official televised matchup was a chaotic four-way tag team contest on the January 26 episode of Monday Night Raw. In that bout, he and Kofi Kingston teamed with American Made and Los Americanos in a losing effort against the Alpha Academy. He subsequently appeared at the Royal Rumble on January 31, participating in an untelevised dark match where he teamed with Kingston and Grayson Waller against Shinsuke Nakamura and the Motor City Machine Guns.
The reality of his injury was formally acknowledged on WWE television on February 16, when Kingston and Waller appeared on Raw to announce that Woods had been battling the shoulder issue for several months and required dedicated time off to properly heal. Despite his inactive status, Woods made a brief on-screen appearance on this week’s Raw, humorously complaining that the company was dedicating the broadcast to AJ Styles rather than honoring him.
