New Level’s arrival in All Elite Wrestling has immediately changed the complexion of the company’s trios division, and Dave Meltzer believes Kofi and Austin Creed are likely in AEW for a sustained run rather than a brief post-WWE chapter.
Kofi and Creed, previously known together as part of WWE’s New Day, entered AEW ahead of All In London 2026. Alongside Swerve Strickland, they captured the AEW World Trios Championship, putting two members of the new group at the center of a major title picture almost as soon as they arrived. AEW President Tony Khan subsequently confirmed that New Level were “All Elite.”
In his latest newsletter, Meltzer assessed both the nature of the signings and the group’s first in-ring appearance on AEW Dynamite. He wrote that he expects Kofi and Creed to be with the promotion long term, pointing in part to their respective ages and the apparent seriousness of their decision to make the move. Kofi is 45, while Creed is 40.
“They probably aren’t sitting here with the idea of doing this until WWE calls them back with the idea then they try and quit,” Meltzer wrote.
That observation speaks to the larger significance of New Level’s AEW debut. Wrestlers changing major promotions can create immediate speculation over the length and purpose of a new deal, particularly when the names involved have been so closely associated with another company for years. In this case, Meltzer’s view is that Kofi and Creed are entering AEW with a commitment to adapting to a new environment, not merely preserving their former presentation while waiting for another opportunity.
A championship-level introduction
New Level’s first week has been eventful. The group’s positioning alongside Strickland gave the former New Day members an instant connection to one of AEW’s highest-profile stars, while the AEW World Trios titles established them as central players in the division. Their first televised title defense came Wednesday on Dynamite, when New Level and Strickland defended against The Rascalz.
Meltzer was particularly positive about the way Kofi and Creed performed in that match. He described them as looking like “two different people,” emphasizing the intensity and speed they brought to the ring. In Meltzer’s assessment, they worked at what seemed like “triple speed,” with more motion and aerial activity than they displayed even during their younger WWE years.
That is notable because neither wrestler arrived in AEW as an unknown quantity. Kofi and Creed built extensive resumes before becoming free agents, and their past success naturally brings expectations about how they will be used and how much of their familiar style will carry over. Their Dynamite performance suggested a willingness to raise the pace and meet AEW’s in-ring standards rather than simply rely on established reputations.
“They are smart guys who understood going in that the style is different and that AEW shouldn’t change for them, and they needed to change for AEW,” Meltzer wrote.
The distinction is important. AEW has long placed a premium on fast-paced action, varied tag-team combinations and wrestlers being able to thrive in lengthy, high-energy matches. The trios format can make those demands even greater, requiring six performers to maintain rhythm while creating clear moments for each member of the team. Against The Rascalz, New Level’s first Dynamite defense presented Kofi and Creed with an early opportunity to show they could work effectively within that pace.
Adapting rather than asking AEW to adapt
Meltzer’s praise was rooted not only in athletic execution but also in approach. The suggestion is that Kofi and Creed recognized AEW as a distinct wrestling setting and prepared accordingly. That does not mean abandoning what made them successful before. Their experience as a decorated tandem, their timing together and their ability to connect with an audience remain important assets.
However, arriving in a new promotion often involves a balancing act. Familiarity can be valuable, especially for performers whose identities have been built over many years. At the same time, a new company’s audience, match structures and roster depth can call for adjustment. Meltzer’s comments frame New Level’s early AEW work as an example of wrestlers choosing to embrace that adjustment immediately.
Kofi and Creed’s speed in the trios title defense appears to be the clearest evidence of that transition so far. A wrestler’s style can evolve at any stage of a career, but it is especially striking when established stars make a debut and appear energized by the change in surroundings. Meltzer’s description of the pair flying around the ring more than they did in their younger WWE years underlines how forcefully New Level sought to make an opening statement.
For AEW, that kind of debut matters beyond a single match. The company has a deep roster and multiple championships, meaning new signings must quickly demonstrate why they belong in prominent positions. New Level did not enter quietly. They arrived around All In London, became part of the trios championship picture and then defended the titles on Dynamite against a team built around its own high-tempo offense.
Tony Khan outlines the timing of the signing
Khan has also discussed the process that led to Kofi and Creed joining AEW. He stressed that there were no conversations with the team until after their 90-day clause with WWE had expired. Khan said he had not expected New Level to become available as free agents, making their eventual availability something AEW had not planned for in advance.
That point adds context to how quickly the team has been elevated. Khan said the signings were not part of something he had already budgeted for. Rather than presenting the acquisition as a move that had been in motion for months, he described it as an opportunity that emerged only after Kofi and Creed were free to have discussions.
There is a practical side to that explanation. Major roster additions require more than simply finding a television role. They affect financial planning, creative direction and the distribution of opportunities across divisions. Khan’s comments indicate that AEW did not build its original plans around the expectation of signing Kofi and Creed. Once that possibility became real, though, the company moved to bring them in and position them quickly.
Khan also said he had deliberately strengthened AEW’s tag team and trios divisions before adding Kofi and Creed. That preparation is relevant because New Level is entering a landscape where teams and three-person units already matter. Rather than asking the newcomers to construct a division around themselves, AEW had established the divisions as priorities before their arrival.
With Strickland at their side and the AEW World Trios Championship in their possession, New Level now has an immediate platform within that structure. The defense against The Rascalz was only an early chapter, but it helped clarify the expected tone of their run: movement-heavy, competitive and designed to work within AEW’s existing style.
What the early reaction suggests
There is still limited information publicly available about the exact length of Kofi and Creed’s AEW agreements. No specific contract terms were disclosed in the comments surrounding their debut. Meltzer’s belief that they are signed long term remains an informed assessment rather than a confirmed contract detail.
Even so, the early signs he highlighted support the idea that this is intended to be a meaningful run. The team did not arrive for a one-off appearance, and they were not introduced in a peripheral role. They entered alongside Strickland, won the trios titles and immediately worked a championship defense on Dynamite. Their willingness to adjust their in-ring approach has also drawn praise at a point when every appearance helps define their identity in the company.
New Level’s next challenge will be sustaining that first impression. Winning titles and making a high-speed debut can establish momentum, but continued success will depend on the opponents placed in front of them and on how their alliance with Strickland develops. The trios division gives them a natural setting for that story, while Kofi and Creed’s background as an accomplished team gives the group a foundation few newly formed units possess.
For now, Meltzer sees a pair of veterans who have entered AEW with urgency and a clear understanding that a new promotion requires a new level of effort. Their Dynamite performance against The Rascalz offered an early glimpse of that mindset. If the long-term outlook proves accurate, New Level’s rapid championship ascent may be remembered as the beginning of a substantial new phase for Kofi and Austin Creed in AEW.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.