Any given week, fans can catch various WWE superstars appear on Xavier Woods' UpUpDownDown YouTube channel. The popular gaming channel has surpassed two million subscribers and has featured everyone from Alexa Bliss to Zelina Vega on the channel.
Currently, Woods is sidelined with an Achilles injury. Instead of getting down about the injury and missed time in the ring, Woods will be using his time off to further his post-wrestling career.
"For me, that transition from actually saying goodbye to wrestling or coming to the realization that I have to stop wrestling and engage in something else in life. Not travel as much and hang out and decide what I’m doing with the next chapter of my life. I’ve been lucky enough to talk and have enough conversations with veterans I look up to like my heroes growing up. When they explained that part of life to me and how difficult it was to cross over and leave wrestling behind. Many didn’t set up for the next part of life. That’s always been something that has terrified me and been in the back of my mind. They’ve done a great job with this current generation in teaching us how to not to have those issues. My situation was find something you’re passionate about and start that life now. I love video games and am obsessed with them. It’s why I’m the person I am today," he told Scott Fishman of TVInsider.
Woods continued, "I figured having the YouTube channel, bounce around and make all these awesome contacts and content with other streamers, YouTubers, people on Instagram. That final transition, which will happen eventually, I wanted this video game stuff to lessen that blow. Getting an injury as bad as a torn Achilles, this is essentially a test run to see if the moves I’ve been making in the video game world is actually going to work when I’m done wrestling. So far it has been so freaking good. I feel good. My schedule is full. I’m bouncing around. I get to hang out, play video games and create content. I just don’t want to be sitting at home wasting away in my basement depressed that I’m injured. I’ve been able to use UpUpDownDown to keep those feelings at bay. I can’t wait to get back to wrestling, but at the same time I’m having a blast with this video game stuff."
With the channel growing in popularity, Woods has big dreams for who he would like to appear on the show. At the moment, guests are mainly current WWE superstars or employees. But Xavier is open to anyone appearing, including legends in their respective fields.
"I have two dream guests," began Woods. "First is Lenny Kravitz because that is why my hair is the way it is. When I was in high school I realized Lenny Kravitz is all that is man. I said I wanted to look like him and grow my hair out into a curly fro. I tried to learn how to play guitar and didn’t like it because my hands would blister and stuck with trombone. Jackie Chan has been essentially my idol since I was a young tot. I was going through anime movies at Blockbuster. For those who don’t know, Blockbuster is a place we used to go to rent physical copies of games and/or movies and bring them back in a timely manner. Be kind, rewind. When I was done renting all the anime movies on the shelves, the next selection was martial arts. The first movie was a Jackie Chan movie. I never took a deep dive into kung fu movies. I’m maybe like nine and I want to say it was like Drunken Master. I watched it and lost my mind. I have since tried to get my hand on everything Jackie Chan. I got his autobiography. I’m like obsessed. If I get the chance to sit down and talk about his life and ambitions, I would lose my mind. We can go to dinner and talk. Shoot me a text. My DM’s are open, @XavierWoodsPHD."
There is no timetable for Woods' return. In his absence, Xavier's mates in The New Day, Big E and Kofi Kingston won the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships. They are scheduled to defend the titles against The Revival at WWE TLC.
