Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed have entered AEW with a new identity, a championship win, and a name intended to define the scope of their next professional wrestling chapter. The former WWE standouts are now operating in AEW as The New Level, while competing individually as Kofi and Austin Creed.
The change was made official at AEW All In: London, where Kofi and Creed made their AEW debuts and joined Swerve Strickland to capture the AEW World Trios Championships. Their arrival also introduced a new entrance presentation, with A$AP Ferg’s “New Level” serving as the group’s theme music.
At the All In post-show media scrum, Creed explained that the choice of The New Level was not built around one isolated idea. Instead, he said the phrase connected their move to AEW, their competitive ambitions, the title of their entrance song, and the simple rhythm of a chant that audiences can quickly adopt.
“Honestly, it works on every type of situation,” Creed said. “We ourselves are on a new level AEW. We are bringing a new level of competition to the sport of professional wrestling. The song ‘New Level,’ obviously is called ‘New Level’ and it just makes perfect sense.”
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Creed also pointed to the practical value of the name in a live wrestling environment. “How does the chant go? ‘[New Le-vel!]’ So it all fell into place,” he said. “There’s no such thing as coincidence. So when we realized this, that was the direction that we had to go.”
A Name Built For A Fresh AEW Presentation
The New Level is a clear reintroduction for two wrestlers whose partnership had long been familiar to wrestling audiences before their AEW arrival. Kofi and Creed were prominently associated with The New Day during their WWE careers, but their AEW debut came with an adjusted team name, individual ring identities, and a presentation designed for their current environment.
That distinction matters. A new promotion often gives established talent an opportunity to refine how they are positioned, and Kofi and Creed’s debut did not treat their move as merely a continuation under a different banner. The New Level provides a concise label for the team while allowing both men to maintain recognizable individual identities. Kofi remains Kofi, while Creed uses the Austin Creed name that has long been tied to his broader public persona.
The name also immediately communicates what Kofi and Creed want their arrival to represent. Rather than making their AEW presence solely about a change of scenery, Creed framed it as a rise in competitive expectations. His comments stressed the idea that the pair view themselves as bringing “a new level of competition” to professional wrestling.
That is an ambitious statement, particularly given AEW’s depth across its tag team and trios divisions. Kofi and Creed arrive as experienced specialists with major-event experience, but they now have to establish what The New Level means in an AEW ring against a different collection of opponents and within a different championship structure.
All In Debut Ends With Trios Gold
The opening statement could hardly have been stronger. At All In: London, Kofi and Creed teamed with Strickland and won the AEW World Trios Championships in their first appearance for the company. The result instantly moved The New Level from an anticipated debut to a central part of AEW’s title picture.
The trios championship win also created an important connection between the two newcomers and Strickland. Kofi and Creed may be presenting a new team name, but their first AEW success is directly tied to a three-man unit rather than a traditional tag team match. That gives AEW two parallel stories to develop: The New Level as Kofi and Creed’s partnership, and the championship alliance they have formed with Strickland.
The group did not wait long to demonstrate that its All In victory was more than a one-night moment. Kofi, Creed, and Strickland successfully defended the AEW World Trios Championships on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. With one successful defense already in place, the new champions have begun their reign with momentum and have reinforced the significance of their London victory.
For Kofi, the All In match was especially notable on a personal level. It marked his first match outside WWE in two decades. A wrestler with that degree of history entering a new promotion is naturally a significant development, and the championship result ensured that his first non-WWE outing in 20 years came with immediate stakes and an immediate accomplishment.
Music, Message, And Crowd Connection
Entrance music is often a major part of a new act’s identity, and the selection of A$AP Ferg’s “New Level” gives Kofi and Creed’s presentation an obvious through line. The song does more than share the group’s name. It reinforces the theme Creed described at the media scrum: a move upward, a new competitive standard, and a new phase for both performers.
In Creed’s explanation, the name and theme were not separate branding decisions. They were parts of one concept. The phrase works as the team name, it aligns with their new promotion, and it can become a crowd chant. That type of overlap can be valuable for a newly introduced act because it gives audiences multiple ways to recognize and respond to it.
The chant Creed referenced is also particularly simple: “New Level.” AEW crowds are often quick to engage with a memorable phrase or vocal cue, and the team’s name is structured in a way that makes that participation easy. Whether the phrase develops into a regular crowd response will be determined over time, but the intent behind it is apparent.
More broadly, the presentation suggests that Kofi and Creed are not approaching AEW as performers looking to replicate every aspect of a previous run. Their shared history remains an important part of who they are, but The New Level is meant to stand on its own. The fresh name, changed individual designation for Creed, and new theme establish a distinct starting point.
From WWE Departure To AEW Champions
Kofi and Creed left WWE in May 2026 after declining an offer to restructure their contracts. Their AEW arrival at All In therefore came only months after the end of that tenure, but the speed of their transition has been striking. They did not enter AEW quietly or spend an extended period on the fringes of the card. Their debut placed them in a championship situation immediately, and they left London with the AEW World Trios Titles.
That trajectory puts significant focus on what comes next. The successful Dynamite defense has kept the new champions moving forward, while the status of Kofi and Creed as a dedicated tandem ensures that interest will not be limited to trios competition. The New Level’s development will be watched both through its title reign with Strickland and through the way Kofi and Creed operate as a two-man team in AEW.
For now, Creed’s comments provide the clearest mission statement. The New Level is not a name chosen only because it sounds new or because it accompanies a recognizable song. In his view, it reflects the performers’ belief that their AEW run represents an elevation in competition and opportunity.
That message has already been backed by results. Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed debuted at one of AEW’s biggest events, won the company’s World Trios Championships with Swerve Strickland, and followed it with a successful defense on Dynamite. The New Level has arrived with a name that explains its purpose—and, in its first appearances, with accomplishments that support the claim.
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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.