WWE Superstar Xavier Woods has released a video statement addressing a neck injury he recently sustained, placing the blame squarely on Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. In the video, a visibly distressed Woods, wearing a neck brace, accused Pearce of orchestrating the attack as a way to deny The New Day a rematch for the WWE Tag Team Championship. The video keeps in line with his storyline but there are indications that he is legitimately injured or keeping kayfabe going after the shows.
The injury occurred this past Monday on Raw, when Woods took the Mexian Destroyer. “This past Monday, I suffered a debilitating injury due to the irresponsibility of one Adam Pearce, a maneuver called the piledriver,” Woods began. He explained that the specific variation used, the “Mexican Destroyer,” is the most dangerous of all. “This front flip 720 Piledriver adds an incredible amount of velocity and force to the impact and drastically increases the chance for a serious neck injury,” he said.
Again, keeping in storyline, Woods said that the attack was not a random act of violence, but a calculated move by the Raw General Manager. “Adam Pierce sent his masked mercenary to attempt to shatter every bone in my neck, all because he doesn’t want to give The New Day our well deserved rematch for the Tag Team Championship,” he stated.
In his statement, Woods also argued that he has been treated differently by WWE management compared to other top stars who have suffered similar attacks. He feels that The New Day has been a victim of “double standards for the entirety of our WWE careers.”
“Randy Orton was assaulted with a pile driver and he was cared for. Cody Rhodes was assaulted with a pile driver and he was cared for,” Woods said. “I was assaulted with a pile driver. Where was my care? Where was my Jason Jordan, where was my Shane Helms? Where was my Jamie Noble? Where was my general manager?”
While Woods’s comments are presented within the context of a WWE storyline, a recent report from Fightful Select has indicated that the neck injury may be legitimate. The report noted that Woods has been seen wearing the neck brace off-camera, including at restaurants after the show, which is not typical for a purely storyline injury.
Woods concluded his video by stating that his New Day partner, Kofi Kingston, will look for retribution this coming Monday on Raw. “Kofi is going to avenge me by beating Penta so bad that he won’t be able to damage the neck or well being of anyone else on the roster,” Woods declared. He asked fans to keep him and the tag team division in their thoughts and prayers.
Sounds more like Woods is honoring Andy Kaufman and keeping kayfabe after shows like Seth Rollins did.
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Last monday I suffered a serious neck injury in my match against @PENTAELZEROM https://t.co/yyM7PYH7Rs pic.twitter.com/bb8HbD8COC
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) August 23, 2025
