Samoa Joe believes Austin Creed and Kofi have arrived in AEW with far more to show than fans may have seen during their lengthy run in WWE.
Creed and Kofi, now competing together as The New Level, have begun a new chapter in Tony Khan’s promotion after establishing themselves as one of WWE’s defining tag teams of their era. Their move immediately adds two hugely experienced performers to an AEW tag division that already includes accomplished, stylistically varied teams. For Joe, the biggest development may not simply be the new opponents awaiting them. It is the opportunity for Creed and Kofi to work with greater freedom and present a fuller picture of what they can do.
Speaking on The Takedown on SI, Joe said he expects AEW audiences to see a broader side of both men as they settle into their new environment.
“I think if anything, you’re going to start seeing the kind of the range and the variety and the actual flexibility they have stylistically,” Joe said. “You know, I think for a lot of years, you might have seen a more restrained version of what they were in the past [in WWE], and I think now you’re going to kind of see them to their full potential.”
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Joe understands the transition from WWE to AEW
Joe’s assessment carries weight because he has made that transition himself. The veteran has found major success in AEW, including two reigns as world champion, and has competed across a range of high-profile programs in the company. He knows the adjustment is not just about entering a different locker room or facing unfamiliar opponents. It also involves finding the most effective version of oneself within a promotion that offers a different mix of wrestlers, match structures and creative possibilities.
For Creed and Kofi, the change presents an opportunity to build upon a legacy already secured in WWE while exploring territory that was not always available to them there. Their body of work in WWE made them central figures in the modern growth of that company’s tag team scene. Alongside acts such as The Usos, they helped ensure that tag team wrestling regularly occupied an important place on major cards and television shows.
That history is significant, but The New Level do not appear to view their AEW run as a victory lap. They have made clear that they expect to thrive regardless of the setting, expressing confidence that they can succeed in any environment. The name they have chosen reflects that outlook. It is intended to represent their effort to reach a new level themselves while also raising the competitive standard around them.
Joe’s comments align with that mission. His focus was not limited to nostalgia for what Creed and Kofi accomplished before arriving in AEW. Instead, he pointed to the range, variety and stylistic flexibility that could become more visible in their current surroundings. That is a compelling proposition for an audience familiar with their accomplishments but eager to see how their presentation evolves against a new collection of opponents.
A loaded AEW tag team landscape awaits
The New Level enter an AEW division with no shortage of potential opponents. FTR stand out as an obvious measuring stick, given their reputation as one of the most accomplished teams in contemporary wrestling. A matchup between FTR and Creed and Kofi would bring together four performers with elite experience in traditional tag team structures, while also allowing for a contrast in approaches and team identities.
Cage and Cope represent another possible challenge. Their presence offers a different kind of physical and strategic matchup, one that would test how The New Level respond to power, veteran instincts and the demands of wrestling an established duo with major-event credentials. The Motor City Machine Guns are also among the teams positioned to give Creed and Kofi a very different examination. Their precision, pace and long-standing chemistry could make them ideal opponents for a team hoping to demonstrate the stylistic adaptability Joe highlighted.
Then there is the possibility of The Young Bucks. A rivalry involving The New Level and The Young Bucks could quickly become one of AEW’s most talked-about tag team programs, both because of the teams’ credentials and because of the styles involved. Creed and Kofi bring years of major-platform experience and a history of sustained teamwork. The Young Bucks have long been closely associated with AEW’s tag team identity. Putting those teams together would create a major collision of reputations, philosophies and fan expectations.
Kofi has already identified Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as a major reason he and Creed joined AEW. That admission gives a potential program added significance. It is not merely a fantasy matchup created by the depth of the division; it is a confrontation Kofi has openly suggested was part of the appeal of making the move in the first place.
More than a change of address
Wrestlers changing promotions are often judged immediately through a narrow lens: their first match, their first opponent, or how quickly they move into championship contention. Those benchmarks will matter for The New Level, especially given their experience and profile. Yet Joe’s comments suggest that the more interesting story may be their long-term evolution.
Can Creed and Kofi use AEW’s environment to expand how they are seen as a team? Can they retain the cohesion and strengths that made them successful for years while adding new dimensions to their in-ring work? Those questions sit at the center of Joe’s belief that fans will now see them at their full potential.
The idea of a “restrained” version does not erase their WWE accomplishments. On the contrary, their success there is precisely why expectations are so high. They were part of a generation of teams that helped make tag team wrestling feel essential, and they did so over an extended period against high-level competition. But experienced performers can still have unexplored layers, especially when they move into a setting with different matchups and different creative space.
AEW has the personnel to bring those layers out. The division’s variety matters as much as its name value. FTR, Cage and Cope, the Motor City Machine Guns and The Young Bucks do not offer the same challenge. Each potential rivalry would ask something different of The New Level, whether that is a technical and tactical contest, a physical fight, a fast-paced showcase or a major clash between two decorated teams.
That breadth is why Joe’s emphasis on stylistic flexibility is notable. The New Level do not need to become a completely different team to make an impact. Their task is to apply their established chemistry in fresh circumstances and prove that their experience can translate across any type of opposition. Their own confidence that they can excel in every environment suggests they welcome that test.
The chance to define a new era
Creed and Kofi’s arrival offers AEW more than two recognizable names for its tag team division. It gives the company a team with years of shared history, a clear sense of purpose and a stated desire to elevate the competition around them. The New Level’s name puts their ambition plainly: they want to advance beyond what came before rather than simply recreate it.
Joe sees the move as the platform for that next step. Having experienced success after making his own move from WWE to AEW, he believes the pair will now be able to reveal a wider creative and athletic range. Whether that potential is first shown against FTR, Cage and Cope, the Motor City Machine Guns, The Young Bucks, or another AEW team, the core expectation is the same.
Fans may be about to see Austin Creed and Kofi operate with a greater degree of freedom than before. If Joe is right, The New Level’s AEW run will not be defined only by where they came from. It will be defined by how far they can go from here.
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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.