The New Day was a creative gem that fell into WWE’s lap. Initially, the stable seemed destined to fail, but some great performances from Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston resulted in one of the most memorable turnarounds in recent years.
The Trio would then go on to become the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history, and they are now set to host WrestleMania 33. However, the recently leaked photos and videos featuring Paige, Brad Maddox and Xavier Woods have cast a shadow over The New Day.
The impact that the leaks will have on the career of Woods is yet to be known. But with Woods in the headlines now, let's take a look at five things you probably didn’t know about him:
Honourable Mention: Master of Psychology
Xavier Woods is working towards a PhD, and this is a fact that most fans out there are aware of. But do you know what he studied before pursuing this PhD? Probably not.
Along with his professional wrestling training, Woods attended Furman University. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and then finished a Masters degree in the same subject.
As we go further down the list, we will look at certain factoids that will shine a light on Xavier Woods and how he used his skills and intellect to mould his career.
#5 He was a cheerleader in high school
For most of The New Day’s title run, Woods was sidelined as a manager. Even though he was not involved in the matches directly, his antics outside the ring were very popular. Who's to say that he didn't pick up something from his days as a cheerleader in high school?
Woods wrestled during his time in high school, but his school did not have a wrestling team. This made Woods look for an alternative, so he ended up in cheerleading because he thought that it would help him later in life.
#4 His love for ponies
We probably cringe at grown men that love 'My little Pony'. However, it turned into a mini-cult phenomenon when The New Day did it.
Surprisingly, The New Day's love for unicorns is based on Xavier Woods' love of ponies in real life. Let's also not forget, the unicorn horns raked in a lot of money at the merchandise stalls.
Woods revealed his love for 'My Little Pony' back in 2014. He is also obsessed with video games, and his YouTube channel is the biggest proof of that. Initially, his gaming content was designed to be a Network exclusive but was later kept on YouTube.
#3 The R-Truth connection
R-Truth might not have a part to play in the career of Xavier Woods at this point of time, but he was directly involved in the embryonic stages of Woods’ career.
Woods teamed up with R-Truth during his debut, at Bound for Glory (2007). The duo were known as Truth and Consequences, and the stint allowed Woods to make a name for himself and get a foothold in the industry.
Years later, when Woods made his WWE main roster debut, it was R-Truth who was again partnered with Woods. Woods and Truth teamed up to defeat Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal of the 3MB back in 2013. Just like in TNA, Woods would go on to use that platform to make a name for himself in WWE.
#2 Inspiration from Apollo Creed
Xavier Woods portrayed a character which was inspired by Apollo Creed. Woods came up with the idea when he was working for the South Carolina-based World Wrestling Council. It was initially called Apollo Creed, but he later changed the name to Consequences Creed when he signed with TNA and allied with R-Truth.
Just like in WWE, Woods was mostly restricted to the tag team division during his TNA run. Apart from TNA, he also worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling for a short period, where he teamed up with Kota Ibushi.
#1 The New Day was his brainchild
Not many might know this, but The New Day is the brainchild of Xavier Woods. Even though they all had potential, Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were three wrestlers who struggled in the WWE roster due to a lack of creative direction.
But one fine day, Woods came up with the idea of putting all three of them together. He even admitted that he was ready to put his career on the line to push the idea. Despite its initial problems, the stable picked up and became one of the most iconic trios in recent WWE history.
The new leaked videos could derail the momentum that Woods has gathered, but with the talent that he has showcased so far, it wouldn't be wrong to surmise that he will be able to bounce back.
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