Bully Ray Explains Why He'd Rather See Former WWE Stars The New Day In TNA Over AEW

At the end of July, former WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, together known as The New Day, will officially enter the free agency market, with a number of wrestling promotions expected to approach them with offers. When it specifically comes to Woods and Kingston, though, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has a clear preference as to which he'd rather see them sign with: TNA Wrestling.

Considering their history with former TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt and Jeff Hardy, Ray wants to see The New Day revisit it, this time with a proper in-ring program. As such, he implores TNA President Carlos Silva to make a pitch that Kingston and Woods can't refuse.

"Dear Carlos Silva, do what you gotta do and get in the game. Make these guys an offer and give them all little side things that they're going to need," Ray said on "Busted Open Radio." "New Day and the Hardys. Listen, make no mistake, if the Hardys are not in TNA, TNA is not as strong as it is right now. The Hardys have strengthened that company. The Hardys' autograph session post-show lasts longer than their shows. Yes, that tells you everything they need to know. You bring in The New Day also. Now yes, you have to focus on New Day and the Hardys. You can reference history. You have The Righteous, but then it kind of tails off. You can get Nic [Nemeth] and his brother in there."

Among the list of The New Day's potential landing spots, Ray recognized both AEW and TNA Wrestling as frontrunners. On a personal level, however, the allure of the Hardys vs. The New Day in TNA outweighed the multiple tag team matchups and additional money that AEW could provide.

"Everybody must make a play for The New Day, without a doubt," Ray said. "It should not be a given anymore that okay, if you leave WWE, you're just going to go to AEW. TNA is now on the same type of television as AEW and the WWE, whether it's USA, whether it's CW, TBS or now AMC. They have to make a play. You have to have a dog in the fight. You have to buck up. You have to get on the phone and go, 'Guys, how much? What's it going to take? We might not be able to compete with AEW's numbers. We most likely can't pay you what you were making in WWE, but here's what we can offer. Here's the freedom we can offer. Oh, by the way, the Hardys are here. The Hardys that you brought out at WrestleMania as a surprise.'"

Matt and Jeff Hardy famously returned to WWE as a surprise addition to the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 33, with the pair going on to retrieve the titles for the win. The initial announcement of their participation, of course, came courtesy of Woods, Kingston, and Big E. Still, a match between The Hardys and The New Day never materialized in WWE.

Should Woods and Kingston ink a contract with TNA, a bout against The Hardys would become a legitimate possibility. Recently, Matt revived his former "Broken" gimmick as he and Jeff continue their feud with The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch). Whether Jeff will bring back his respective alter ego, known as Brother Nero, has yet to be seen.

The New Day and The Hardys are all decorated figures, especially within tag team wrestling. In Matt and Jeff's case, they've held championship gold in WWE, TNA, and Ring of Honor, among other companies. Under the WWE banner, The New Day has enjoyed a dozen tag team titles, with many of them also including Big E.

In the event that The New Day sign with All Elite Wrestling, Ray emphasized the importance of the company making the most of it, especially considering the large financial investment involved. How exactly would AEW do that?

According to Ray, dedicating significant television time to The New Day would certainly put AEW on the right path. A larger focus on the division's core teams would too.

"In investing in The New Day, you have to invest in your entire tag team division and you have to make the tag team division a focal point of the company," Ray said. "I know what's going on with FTR and Edge and Christian ... Now you have Edge and Christian, you have your legendary team. Now you have FTR, your AEW tag team. Your synonymous with AEW tag team. Now you have the New Day, your heavy hitters coming from another company. Oh, by the way, you have the Young Bucks, who helped build the place. Now that's four tag teams right there. Those are four heavy hitter tag teams. You better be ready to invest some time on your weekly show into your tag team division."

As it stands, FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) reign as the AEW World Tag Team Champions, though Adam "Edge" Copeland and Christian Cage remain hot on their tails. At Double or Nothing, Copeland and Cage will challenge FTR for the tag titles in an "I Quit" match. If Copeland and Cage lose, though, they must permanently retire as a tag team. New Day faced FTR on a number of occasions during their respective stint in WWE.

Meanwhile, The Young Bucks, despite not holding AEW tag gold since 2024, remain regular fixtures in the company. Interestingly, Woods' last TNA match prior to his 2010 WWE arrival pitted him against The Young Bucks in tag team competition. At that time, fans knew Woods as Consequences Creed and The Young Bucks as Generation Me.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.