Ever wondered why your favorite wrestlers suddenly vanish from the ring? Well, here’s the scoop on why Xavier Woods and Erik were notably absent from the WWE Raw battle royal. But here’s where it gets interesting—it’s not due to injury or storyline drama. Instead, both stars were simply enjoying some well-deserved time off. Yes, you read that right—vacation time! According to reports from Bryan Alvarez, both Woods and Erik (also known as Ivar) were on pre-scheduled vacations, which explains their absence from Monday’s show. Alvarez shared with his subscribers on X: ‘Both Erik and Xavier Woods were on scheduled vacations this week, hence them not being in the battle royal.’ This might seem like a minor detail, but it’s a refreshing reminder that even wrestling superstars need a break from the high-octane world of WWE. And this is the part most people miss—while their tag partners were in the ring, Woods and Erik were likely sipping espresso in Italy or relaxing elsewhere. Speaking of Italy, Woods himself posted photos from his vacation there, proving that even the most dedicated wrestlers need a change of scenery. His last match was a dark match at the October 3 SmackDown taping, where The New Day faced off against The War Raiders. But what really caught fans’ attention was his reaction to Dragon Lee and AJ Styles winning the tag team titles. Woods captioned his post: ‘Y’all somehow fell in love with moments over logic and made us out to be the bad guys. Insane… so glad I’m in Italy right now.’ Talk about a mic drop moment! Meanwhile, Erik hasn’t wrestled since The War Raiders’ victory over The Creed Brothers on the October 13 taping of Main Event. But here’s the controversial part—should WWE have planned around their vacations to keep the storyline momentum going, or is it fair for wrestlers to take time off without disrupting the show? It’s a tricky balance between personal well-being and professional commitments. What do you think? Should WWE prioritize wrestlers’ downtime, or should the show always go on? Let us know in the comments—this is one debate that’s sure to spark some heated opinions!
