Friday night’s WWE x AAA Worlds Collide card in Las Vegas was set to feature The New Day’s Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston challenging Psycho Clown and Pagano for the AAA World Tag Team Championships.
But according to Sports Illustrated, when bell time came, Woods was on the sidelines—Grayson Waller filled in as Kingston’s partner instead.
Woods explained beforehand that he had undergone unexpected surgery on his head just hours before the show. While still in the arena, he leaned into his trademark humor, pointing the blame at AAA star Penta for delivering a punishing Mexican Destroyer.
After the match, Woods shocked fans on social media by posting graphic before-and-after photos of the procedure. In his caption, he wrote: “Here is a before and after pic. Plus the lymphoma that was carved out of the back of my head.”
The post sent immediate ripples across the wrestling world, as the term “lymphoma” is widely associated with cancer.
Within hours, Woods returned to clarify that it was not lymphoma, but a lipoma—a benign, non-cancerous tumor made up of fat cells.
Though harmless, the lump required removal. By that point, screenshots of his initial message had already circulated, sparking a wave of concern before the correction landed.
The slip highlighted the fine line wrestlers often walk between real health issues and kayfabe storytelling. Woods joked in character that the lipoma was “thanks to Penta” and his finishing move, keeping the banter alive even while recovering from surgery.
Meanwhile, the action in the ring moved forward without him. Kingston and Waller fell short in their title bid, with Psycho Clown and Pagano retaining the AAA World Tag Team Championships.
The night ended in chaos as The Wyatt Sicks faction stormed the ring and attacked anyone left standing.
As for Woods, recovery times for lipoma removal generally run two to six weeks, meaning fans may not see him back in action right away.