Big E has responded to the news that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are no longer with WWE, sharing a symbolic image that reflects the end of an era for The New Day.
The reaction came shortly after reports indicated that Kingston and Woods mutually agreed to part ways with WWE following a contract situation involving TKO Group Holdings.
Big E New Day Reaction Draws Attention
Big E took to social media to post fan art inspired by the classic Spider-Man No More comic panel. The image shows Kingston and Woods discarding their New Day gear in a trash can in an alley, echoing the moment when Peter Parker walked away from being Spider-Man.
The post did not include a written message, but the visual alone carried a clear meaning, signaling a closing chapter for the group’s time in WWE.
New Day History and Breakup
The New Day, formed by Big E, Kingston, and Woods over a decade ago, became one of the most successful factions in WWE history. The trio captured multiple tag team championships and built a lasting connection with fans through their “power of positivity” identity.
However, the group’s dynamic changed in 2024 when Kingston and Woods turned heel on an episode of Monday Night RAW and removed Big E from the group.
Big E has remained out of in-ring competition since suffering a serious neck injury during a match involving Ridge Holland. While Kingston and Woods continued competing, Big E transitioned into a broadcast role for WWE premium live events.
Ongoing Reaction Across Wrestling
The departure of Kingston and Woods has sparked widespread reaction across the wrestling industry, including from AEW talent. The situation remains fluid, with both wrestlers currently in a non-compete period before they can explore new opportunities.
For now, Big E’s post stands as one of the most notable responses, offering a visual tribute to a group that defined a generation of WWE tag team wrestling.
Following the May 2 episode of Collision, AEW has confirmed additional matches for its upcoming three-hour Dynamite and Collision special set to air this Wednesday, expanding the lineup with new developments from recent shows.
Women’s Tag Match Set After Tension
A new tag team match was made official following a confrontation involving Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. Statlander blamed Shida for costing them the AEW Women’s Tag Team titles, leading to tension between the two.
Shida later responded by promising to make things right. That led to a backstage meeting involving Harley Cameron and Mina Shirakawa, where Shida revealed she had arranged a match between the two teams. The bout was subsequently confirmed for Wednesday’s broadcast.
Jon Moxley Set for Eliminator Match
Jon Moxley will compete in a Continental Championship Eliminator match against Juice Robinson.
Robinson earned the opportunity after teaming with Ace Austin to defeat Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta. Following that win, Robinson signaled his interest in a title shot against Moxley. The situation escalated after the match when Garcia and Yuta attacked, prompting Gunn Club to return and make the save.
Fairway to Hell Special Also Announced
AEW also confirmed a separate one-hour special titled Fairway to Hell, scheduled for next Saturday. The first match for that show has been announced, with Jack Perry set to defend the National Championship against Mark Davis.
With multiple matches now confirmed, AEW continues to build out a busy schedule across both weekly programming and special events.
Here is the updated lineup for this coming week’s AEW shows:
AEW Dynamite & Collision (May 6)
AEW Champion Darby Allin defends against Kevin Knight
Double Jeopardy match: Dax Harwood vs. Orange Cassidy
AEW Continental Championship Eliminator: Jon Moxley vs. Juice Robinson
Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida vs. Mina Shirakawa & Harley Cameron
AEW Fairway to Hell (May 9)
AEW National Champion Jack Perry defends against Mark Davis
AEW Collision Results – May 2, 2026 – Welcome to WrestlingAttitude.com’s coverage of AEW Collision for May 2, airing live from the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois.
Ten‑Man Tag Team Match: The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, PAC) & The Dogs (Clark Connors & David Finlay) vs. The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz, Dezmond Xavier, Myron Reed) & Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)
We opened fast and furious as both teams brawled at ringside. Inside the ring, Castagnoli and Reed traded shots until Reed dove over the top to wipe out Castagnoli and PAC on the floor. The chaos continued outside while Connors and Wentz fought in the ring. Wentz hammered Connors with repeated strikes in the corner. Connors muscled Wentz into his corner, allowing Finlay to tag in and stomp away with fury. Wentz escaped and Xavier and Reed hit crisp double‑team offense on Finlay before Darius and PAC entered the match.
Moxley cut off Darius with a clothesline before officially tagging in. In the corner, Moxley punched away and then bit Darius on the forehead. Darius fired back with strikes and rocked Moxley with a dropkick. Dante tagged in as the Martin brothers kept Moxley reeling with double‑team suplexes and splashes. Myron Reed tagged in and traded chops with Moxley mid‑ring. Reed charged, but Moxley sent him flying to the floor, giving Marina Shafir the opening for a cheap shot.
Both teams broke down into another ringside brawl, bodies flying everywhere as the numbers thinned one by one. Reed went for a dive, but Castagnoli intercepted him with a massive anti‑air uppercut as we went to picture‑in‑picture.
We returned with Connors striking Reed across the back. Connors held Reed by the leg to keep him grounded, but Reed kicked free long enough to create space. Finlay joined the attack as the Death Riders wiped out the opposite corner. Reed dodged a clothesline and hit a double cutter on both Dogs. Xavier tagged in and blasted Connors with a spectacular handspring somersault kick for a near fall. With Connors isolated, Wentz tagged in and superkicked him, then hit a middle‑rope dive that drove Connors’ back into Xavier’s knees.
Momentum swung back as Finlay powerbombed Wentz, followed by a Connors spear. The Rascalz broke up the pin and the match rolled on. Wentz rebounded off the ropes and drilled Connors with a knee to the face. With space created, Wentz tagged Darius as PAC entered for his team. PAC blocked Darius’ sunset flip and tried a cover, but it didn’t land. Darius tagged Dante, who hit PAC with a springboard leap. Top Flight showed sharp teamwork with Dante’s kick into the slingshot DDT for a near fall. Castagnoli tagged in and hit the Martins with a double suplex. He swung Dante in the Giant Swing, punctuated by a Moxley dropkick.
The Rascalz and Top Flight connected with a gorgeous quad dropkick on Castagnoli, and the match exploded again with everyone hitting the ring. Finlay and Connors ate stereo Codebreakers, and Top Flight hit an assisted DDT on Moxley. Darius was then caught in the Death Riders’ conveyor‑belt attack, and PAC finished it by locking in the Brutalizer for the submission.
Winners: The Death Riders & The Dogs
AEW National Championship: “Jungle” Jack Perry (c) vs. Mascara Dorada
A vignette aired of Luchasaurus and Jack Perry aboard the Jurassic Express bus before the match began. Perry and Dorada shook hands, then launched into fast‑paced chain wrestling with neither man gaining an early edge. Perry grabbed Dorada’s leg and shifted into tight amateur‑style headlocks, followed by a shoulder block. He leapfrogged Dorada and used his legs to flip him over.
Perry sent Dorada into the ropes, but Dorada countered with a mid‑air tornillo‑into‑hurricanrana. Perry caught Dorada’s hand and sprang off the top rope with a springboard armdrag. Dorada answered with the same move, then followed with a tornillo over the top rope to the floor. Perry recovered, but Dorada threw him into the crowd. They fought on top of the barricade, where Dorada drilled Perry with a Destroyer on the barricade as we went to break.
We returned with Dorada climbing the ropes, but he missed a dive as Perry moved. They traded superkicks until Perry hit a poisonrana. Dorada barely reacted, answering with a modified Code Red as both men stayed down. They rose and traded chops until Perry hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Perry hammered Dorada with chops and punches in the corner.
Dorada tried a dive from the apron, but Perry cut him off with a punch that sent him crashing to the floor. Perry followed with a top‑rope moonsault to the stunned challenger. Back inside, Perry hit a deadlift Liger Bomb for a near fall. In the corner, Perry swung with punches but missed the last one, allowing Dorada to trip him with a feint kick. Dorada hit a spectacular electric chair neckbreaker for a close two count. Dorada climbed again, but Perry stopped him. Perry tried a deadlift suplex, but Dorada punched free and hit a perfect 450 Splash — only for Perry to kick out.
On the apron, Dorada went for another Destroyer, but Perry countered with a superkick. A second superkick let Perry hit a hurricanrana. Perry climbed the ropes, but Dorada intercepted him with a knee and lifted him for a modified facebuster for another near fall. Frustrated, Dorada went up top again for a Shooting Star Press, but Perry got the knees up. Perry sprang to the top rope, caught Dorada, and finished the match with an avalanche hurricanrana for the three count to retain the National Championship.
We saw footage from after Dynamite on Wednesday as Renee Paquette interviewed Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. Statlander didn’t look pleased, telling Shida that her antics had cost her everything. Shida tried to apologize and said she would make it up to her, but Statlander wasn’t having it. She stormed off in anger.
Trios Match: The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) vs. MXM TV (Johnny TV, Mason Madden & Mansoor)
O’Reilly and Mansoor opened the match. O’Reilly kicked Mansoor, prompting him to tag in Mason. O’Reilly kicked Mason as well, leading Johnny TV to tag in. O’Reilly trapped Johnny in the corner and hit the ten‑punches. Strong tagged in and added punches of his own. Cassidy tagged in next and, in classic Orange Cassidy fashion, tried to add some flair to his punches. MXM TV cut him off by knocking O’Reilly and Strong off the apron, giving Johnny control over Cassidy.
Johnny leapt from the ring to wipe out both O’Reilly and Strong. Mansoor and Mason teased doing the same but stopped to pose. Cassidy tried to join in behind them, but MXM caught him with a double‑team. Johnny hit Starship Pain, but O’Reilly and Strong broke up the pin. Mansoor went for a dive but froze on the apron. Strong lifted Mason with a back suplex, then hoisted Cassidy onto his shoulders. Cassidy ducked Mason’s attack, shoved Mansoor to the outside, and reset the momentum. In the ring, O’Reilly and Strong hit a double‑team on Johnny, leaving him out cold. Cassidy followed with a diving elbow to score the win.
Winners: The Conglomeration
Tommaso Ciampa appeared after the match to taunt The Conglomeration. Commentary reminded us that Dax Harwood faces Orange Cassidy in a Double Jeopardy match this Wednesday — if Harwood wins, Ciampa and FTR earn a Trios Title shot.
Tony Schiavone Update — Tanea Brooks
Tony Schiavone extended best wishes on behalf of the entire AEW family to “Rebel” Tanea Brooks, who recently announced a terminal ALS diagnosis. He noted how deeply she is loved by the wrestling community.
Recap — Will Ospreay / Death Riders Saga
We got a recap of the ongoing issues between Will Ospreay and the Death Riders, including last week’s vignette and the fallout from this past Wednesday.
TBS Championship: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Anna Jay
Jay opened with a side headlock takeover attempt, but Nightingale blocked it and told her to “show me your fire.” Jay answered with a sunset flip for an early near fall, then followed with an inside cradle and a la magistral pin. A mistake in the corner allowed Nightingale to take control with heavy blows and a clothesline. Jay recovered and hit the flipping neckbreaker for two.
With Nightingale in the corner, Jay hit kicks, a snapmare, and a running dropkick. Nightingale was sent to the floor, but she tripped Jay on the apron and followed with a cannonball dive as we went to break.
The match resumed with Nightingale hitting a spinebuster for a near fall. She missed a corner splash, allowing Jay to land a spinning kick to the face and a bulldog for two. Nightingale countered with a backslide, but Jay kicked out. Nightingale placed Jay on the top turnbuckle and delivered a massive superplex, followed by a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Jay fired back with a superkick and an X‑Factor, but couldn’t secure the title. She locked in the Queenslayer, but Nightingale muscled out of it. “The Comeback Killer” finished the match with the Babe with the Powerbomb to retain the TBS Championship.
Winner: Willow Nightingale
Backstage — Renee Paquette with Shida, Statlander, Harley Cameron & Mina Shirakawa
Renee Paquette was backstage with Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, Harley Cameron, and Mina Shirakawa. Shida said she had “made it up” to Statlander by arranging a tag match for them against Cameron and Shirakawa. Statlander still didn’t look pleased and walked away without saying a word.
The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia) vs. The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Ace Austin)
Jon Moxley joined commentary to watch his Death Rider allies in action. Juice and Yuta started things off as Austin was knocked from the apron. Garcia struck Juice from behind, giving the Death Riders the early advantage while Austin was still recovering in the BBG corner. Garcia taunted Juice with push‑ups before tagging Yuta. Juice countered their double‑team attempt, allowing Austin to tag in. Austin hit a leg drop on Garcia, but Yuta chopped him across the chest.
Austin answered with a leg sweep and kipped up. In the corner, he avoided Yuta’s running attack and dodged Garcia’s sweep. Yuta caught him from behind, and Garcia and Marina Shafir attacked Austin two‑on‑one behind the referee’s back. Yuta hit a suplex for two before tagging Garcia as we went to commercial.
We returned with Yuta and Garcia running the conveyor‑belt attack on Austin, finishing with a double shotgun dropkick. Garcia applied the Peruvian Necktie, but Austin powered out. Garcia blocked Austin’s path to the corner and countered a sunset flip into a Dragon Tamer attempt, but Austin reversed into a Death Valley Driver. Austin crawled to his corner and made the hot tag to Juice, who exploded into the match. Juice hit a senton on Yuta, then a crossbody on Garcia on the floor. Yuta accidentally hit Garcia when Juice shoved him into a diving Yuta.
Back inside, Juice fired up and unloaded on Yuta. Marina Shafir jumped on the apron to distract him, allowing Yuta to roll him up, but Juice kicked out and Yuta accidentally struck Shafir. Garcia threw Austin over the top rope. A bloodied Yuta planted Juice with a piledriver, followed by the Fastball Special dive — but Juice kicked out at the last instant. Yuta missed the Busaiku Knee, Austin re‑entered and got dropped with a Samoan Drop, and Juice cracked Yuta with a punch before finishing him with a DDT to win it for the Bang Bang Gang.
Winners: The Bang Bang Gang
The Gunns Return
After the match, Juice motioned toward Moxley at commentary, signaling he wanted a shot at the AEW Continental Title. Garcia attacked Juice from behind, and Yuta jumped Austin. The beatdown was cut short by the return of Colten and Austin Gunn. The Gunns hit Yuta with 3:10 to Yuma after narrowly missing Moxley.
They declared that “The Collision Cowboys were back,” and had only two words for anyone not down with that: “Gunns Up!”
Backstage — Divine Dominion
Divine Dominion were interviewed and declared that the only hope the Women’s Division had was if God Himself struck them both down. Otherwise, everyone should stop trying to beat them.
Skye Blue vs. Nixi XS
Skye opened by flattening Nixi with a charging big boot. She threw Nixi onto the apron, then knocked her to the floor with another big boot. Outside, Skye smashed Nixi’s face into the steel steps and followed with an elevated facebuster from the apron to the floor. She rolled Nixi back inside and climbed the ropes. Nixi tried to intercept her, but Skye caught her in a compromising position with the Cheeky Nandos kick, then hit a powerbomb. Skye broke up her own pin, then applied the “Descent Into Madness” sleeper to secure the victory.
Winner: Skye Blue
Next Week on three-hour AEW Dynamite & Collision “Fairway to Hell” special
AEW Men’s World Championship: Darby Allin (c) vs. Kevin Knight
Hikaru Shida & Kris Statlander vs. Harley Cameron & Mina Shirakawa
Double Jeopardy: Orange Cassidy vs. Dax Harwood
AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley vs. Juice Robinson
Next Week on AEW Collision
AEW National Championship: “Jungle” Jack Perry (c) vs. Mark Davis
TNT Championship Match: Kevin Knight (c) vs. HOOK (w/ Katsuyori Shibata)
HOOK tried for a suplex early but couldn’t land it. He did manage a takedown, prompting Knight to ask if Shibata taught him that. They locked up in a collar‑and‑elbow tie‑up and traded standing switches. Knight transitioned into a hammerlock, but HOOK threw him overhead with a judo flip. Both men landed on their feet after exchanging armdrags. HOOK retreated to his corner for advice from Shibata before re‑engaging.
In the corner, Knight blasted HOOK with punches to the chest and an uppercut. HOOK answered with clubbing strikes that left Knight gasping. HOOK charged, but Knight sent him out of the ring. Knight went for a dive, but HOOK simply stepped aside. Shibata provided a distraction, allowing HOOK to catch Knight mid‑air and throw him into the stands with an exploder suplex as we went to break.
Collision’s main event returned with HOOK scoring a near fall off a bridging Northern Lights suplex to counter Knight’s DDT. Knight fired back with an acrobatic lariat, a scoop slam, and a running frog‑splash‑style attack for a near fall. Both men rose as HOOK blocked another DDT attempt. Knight spilled HOOK over the top with a tijeras, then hit a running dropkick in the corner. Knight climbed up top, but Shibata smashed the ropes to trip him in retaliation for Knight using his dropkick. HOOK capitalized with an avalanche exploder suplex, then another suplex on the floor for a near fall. The ten‑minute warning sounded.
HOOK called for Knight to get up and locked in Redrum, but Knight reversed into a pin. HOOK kicked out, and Knight punched Shibata off the apron. HOOK tried another exploder, but Knight landed on his feet and finally hit the DDT clean. Knight climbed the ropes and connected with the UFO Splash. One, two, three — Kevin Knight retains.
Winner: Kevin Knight (retains the TNT Championship)
Collision closed with Knight celebrating his victory as the upcoming matches for this week’s combined Dynamite & Collision were highlighted.
Although the wrestlers themselves do the bulk of the heavy lifting, there are many other roles within WWE that play a part in developing a match. Sitting down together on “What Do You Wanna Talk About?,” WWE champions Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan shared some of their thoughts on producers.Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Rhodes then revealed that he has a “least favorite” producer: “Hurricane” Gregory Helms. After clarifying that Helms is, in fact, an “exceptional” producer and crediting him for training Logan Paul, the WWE star offered an explanation for his distrust.
“He got me so bad, as a rib would go, and a rib that no one would know is a rib,” Rhodes said. “Sometimes people bring me my dad’s clothes and they think I want to wear them and – no. Hey, that was his, and I don’t want it, either. … He had me, in Japan, put on this giant Dusty robe and this goofy hat.”
It was implied that the outfit did not have anything to do with Rhodes’ late father, with Helms instead convincing Rhodes to dress up in the outrageous fit as a prank in front of Japanese fans, including numerous children.
Another producer Rhodes brought up was WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly. According to Rhodes and Morgan, Holly isn’t shy about offering criticism when needed, which they both agreed was a strong asset for her role.
“I like all our producers,” Rhodes said. “I think the most fun producer to work with, sometimes, can be Abyss, because he’s almost in that match with you. He’s so stressed out, so excited.”
AEW talent quickly reacted after news broke that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods parted ways with WWE, with several high-profile names posting messages that appeared to reference the former New Day members.
The reaction came within hours of the report that Kingston and Woods declined restructured contract terms under TKO Group Holdings and were granted their releases, according to Bryan Alvarez.
AEW Reactions to New Day Departure
Among the first to respond was MJF, who posted a familiar phrase on Instagram Stories.
“It’s a new day…. yes it is.”
Cash Wheeler followed with his own message on X.
“Cot damn It’s a new day Cot damn”
Renee Paquette also shared a throwback photo featuring herself with The New Day during her time in WWE, while Ricochet added a more personal touch with a gaming reference.
“Gonna be able to kick their ass in @Tekken again. It is indeed a New Day. 👌🏽 #Ahaa”
Wheeler’s message carries added context given his history with The New Day. He and Dax Harwood — then known as The Revival — faced the team multiple times in WWE during 2019.
That run included a SmackDown match where Big E and Kingston defeated The Revival to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in November of that year, followed by a rematch at the TLC pay-per-view in December.
While a potential Young Bucks vs. New Day match has long been discussed, FTR vs. New Day is another pairing that now becomes possible with both teams potentially working under the same promotion.
Dream Matches Now Back in Play
The timing of these reactions has fueled discussion about potential future matchups, particularly long-discussed dream bouts.
One of the most talked-about possibilities is The Young Bucks facing The New Day. Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson have referenced the matchup for years, dating back to public interactions involving both teams and Kenny Omega.
With Kingston and Woods no longer in WWE, the barrier that once prevented that match has been removed.
Another option includes a renewed rivalry with FTR, as Wheeler and Dax Harwood previously faced The New Day multiple times during their WWE run.
Despite the online reaction, there is no confirmation that Kingston and Woods will sign with AEW. Both are currently under 90-day non-compete clauses, which means they would not be able to appear for another promotion until early August.
For now, the situation remains speculative. However, the immediate response from AEW talent has already sparked conversation about what could come next once that window expires.
