The New Day Discuss Contract Extensions, Injury Updates, And Popping Pills On ‘Feel The Power’

The New Day’s new podcast, The New Day: Feel The Power, is only on week three, but it’s already become one of the most interesting pieces of content under the WWE umbrella. (Seriously, if you haven’t listened to episode two, where Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods clown on the extensive list of names WWE creative gave them for their faction years ago, you are missing out.)

The latest installment of Feel The Power, titled “One Man Down,” is actually a much more serious episode than the previous two. In it, Xavier Woods goes in-depth regarding his recent achilles injury, and the status of his mental health because of it:

Woods goes on to discuss that it’s other, non-wrestling endeavors such his YouTube channel Up Up Down Down which keep him occupied and stop him from succumbing to, as he puts it, his personal demons:

https://twitter.com/newdaypod/status/1206071816504201216

All three men then get into a candid discussion on what life might be like post-wrestling:

BIG E: I often think about what life at 45, 55 will be, because you only get one body… I’m going to, I fear, have to pay the price in 10, 15 years. That’s one of my biggest fears: Being an old, hobbled man. I don’t want to live like that, man.

KOFI: Isn’t it crazy when you see a lot of the veterans come through: Nobody has a perfect stride. Every veteran you see, everyone is hobbling. That’s a glimpse into our future. It’s a reminder to take care of your body. But at the same time, it’s like we’re in this industry where so many people are clawing for this position that it’s hard to step down and take some time off when you know someone’s gonna claw and try to take what it is that you have. That’s the nature of our business… It’s this mind mess of a situation where you have to choose between yourself and your career.

XAVIER: I do want to be able to play with my eventual grandchildren. I don’t want to be a hobbled mess. It’s scary. But I want to still perform for people and bring them this entertainment and a deeper level of enjoyment… In the position [we are in], you have the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better. We want to be able to perform for people that enjoy it for as long as we possibly can, and we want to do everything we can on the back-end of that to make sure when we are done doing this, that we are able to give that time that’s been lost — or taken, essentially — from our families, to give that back to them. We are home now. I can take you to all your wrestling matches and football games and soccer matches, and I don’t have to hurt while I’m doing it. It’s scary to think there’s a possibility that balance doesn’t exist.

Kofi goes on to reveal he recently re-signed with WWE for another five years, keeping him in the company until 2024.

The episode ends with Big E discussing his own battle with injuries and depression, and how abusing prescription medication can play a role in recovery.

BIG E: When I was playing football, I had four surgeries in two-and-a-half years in college, and I had a creatine tub filled with 12 to 15 bottles of pills. The rule was, when I was playing college ball, was the strength coach would let you back into the weight room as soon as you were off pain pills. It was an honor system, but I tried my best to adhere to that. I would take as little as possible [and] deal with the pain, and instead of throwing the pills out, I’d throw them in this bucket. But after four surgeries, you have this bucket full of opiates, and hey, I was done playing, I’m kinda bored and kinda depressed, so let me pop some pills and drink. I’m so thankful I don’t have an addictive personality, [because] it’s scary. There’s a lot that goes with injury that people don’t really talk about.

The New Day: Feel The Power is available on all podcast services.