WWE's Xavier Woods Reacts to Pat Sajak's 'Wheel of Fortune' Retirement
Pat Sajak is leaving Wheel of Fortune after next season, and a WWE Superstar has a message for him. Xavier Woods went to social media on Monday night to react to the news of Sajak announcing his retirement from the popular game show. In the post, Woods shared photos from his two appearances on Wheel of Fortune and wrote an emotional message to the 76-year-old host.
"Just heard the news that [Sajak] is retiring after this upcoming season of [Wheel of Fortune]," Woods wrote. "HUGE congrats to him and all the amazing work he's done. As a host, he's been an inspiration to me for years and I'm honored that I had the chance to share the stage with him."
Woods competed in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune last October and returned to the show in March for WWE Week. When the reigning WWE King of the Ring appeared on Wheel of Fortune in October, Woods took home $96,350 for his Gamers Outreach charity program.
Sajak has been the host of Wheel of Fortune since 1983 and has won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host. In a statement that was posted on Twitter, Sajak said, "Well, the time has come. I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)."
The 2023-24 season will be the final one for Sajak but is slated to remain on as a consultant for the show for the three years after he leaves as host. "As the host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years," Sony Pictures Television EVP of game shows Suzanne Prete said in a statement, per The Wrap. "We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season. Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we're thrilled to have him remaining close to the 'Wheel of Fortune' family!"