It’s no secret that anime’s influence on mainstream culture grows every day, with several entertainment personalities not being shy about their passion for the Japanese-born media form. Of course,WWESuperstars are no exception, and in recent years, no one has shown their otaku soul more thanthe legendary tag team and faction The New Day. Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston have delighted fans over the course of the last ten years with anime-inspired apparel and other references, including a spectacular Saiyan armor costume for WrestleMania 33.
However, The New Day has recently brought their passion for anime to the next level, using two iconicDragon Ballcharacters to tease the next unexpected twist in a current storyline that sees Woods and Kingston clash with each other for the first time in a decade. As tensions have been brewing in The New Day for months, pro wrestling tradition dictates that these two former best friends come to blows soon, and one will have to play the role of the “bad guy”. What better way to tease it than dressing up as Goku andone of the best villains fromDragon Ball Super?
WWE’s Xavier Woods Teases His Upcoming Heel Turn by Dressing Up as Goku Black
The New Day Channel Their Inner Otaku For What Could Be the Last Time
Duringthe July 07, 2025, episode of Monday Night Raw, The New Day (currently consisting of just Woods and Kingston, as Big E has retired from wrestling due to a neck injury) came to the ring for a Tag Team Match against Alpha Academy (Otis and Akira Tozawa). In recent months, the once-unshakable New Day has been plagued by misunderstanding and frustrations, as Woods especially is tired of their losing streak and low position on the card, while Kofi seems to not care too much. The two wore matchingDragon Balloutfits, but to the keen observer, the message was clear.
While Kingston’s attire was clearly a homage to Goku’s iconic orange-and-bluegi, Woods wore clothes modeled afterGoku Black, the powerful antagonist of the “Future” Trunks Saga inDragon Ball Super, resulting from the evil kai Zamasu taking over Goku’s body in another timeline. Sure enough, the match quickly ended with The New Day losing due to miscommunication. Arguing all the way to the backstage,Woods and Kingston then delivered what’s possibly their best promo ever, airing all the grievances and frustrations accumulated over New Day’s historic ten-year run.
In wrestling tradition, when a tag team splits up, their members usually enter a feud with each other. It’s also standard wrestling practice, however, that one of the two plays the role of the bad guy, thus “turning heel”.It’s clear that Xavier Woods will take on that burden, as his Goku Black-inspired outfit leaves no room for doubt. After all, Woods has never won a singles title in his WWE career, while Kofi enjoyed several reigns as Intercontinental Champion and, more importantly, a short but memorable run as WWE Champion.
Pro Wrestling and Anime Are Closer Than It Seems
Pro wrestling has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity over the past years, and its protagonists have also changed. Far from the muscular, yelling, larger-than-life men of the 1980s, current pro wrestlers are not shy to share their passions with their fandom, and anime is one of those. The two entertainment forms connect more often than it seems, and this is just another testament to the unstoppable growth of anime, whose influence is now felt in almost every aspect of pop culture.
