Just one day after Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed made a surprise debut at AEW All In 2026 under their new tag team moniker The New Level, reports indicate growing regret inside WWE regarding how their contract situation was handled.
The duo departed WWE in May 2025, served out their 90-day non-compete clauses, and surfaced at Wembley Stadium alongside Swerve Strickland to capture the AEW World Trios Championships in their debut match.
Internal Regret And TKO Mismanagement Concerns
Speaking during a Q&A session, TC of WrestleVotes revealed that sources within WWE have expressed genuine remorse over letting the decorated tag team walk, pointing to a potential disconnect between corporate management and wrestling operations.
“I did meet up with a source in WWE. He told me that this is the first time he thinks there is regret on WWE’s side of things for not having them come back. This is the first time there is a disconnect between TKO and WWE.”
According to the report, the reaction within the company stems from how the negotiations were conducted behind the scenes:
“The person I spoke to today said, ‘You know what? Maybe TKO mismanaged this one.’ People in WWE never wanted to see them leave.”
Impact On Backstage Morale In Stamford
Beyond their accolades inside the ring, Kingston and Creed built considerable goodwill with corporate personnel and production staff throughout their decade-plus tenure with WWE. Their departure reportedly created a noticeable hit to employee morale at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
“A lot of people in that company had a lot of interaction with Kofi and Austin, and they loved them. They were beloved in that organization. Everyone in that office in Stamford—a lot of those guys who worked with them—felt that was a big loss. It was a morale loss to have those guys depart.”
High-Impact First Night In AEW
AEW President Tony Khan admitted following All In that he originally had not budgeted or planned for Kingston and Creed’s arrivals, as he never expected the veterans to become free agents.
However, their debut made an immediate splash on the roster:
- Championship Victory: Teaming with Swerve Strickland in the Trios Roulette Royale, The New Level captured the AEW World Trios Championships on their very first night with the company.
- Tag Team Division Confrontation: Later in the evening, Kingston and Creed stood side-by-side with FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns to confront AEW World Tag Team Champions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage.
Addressing their departure, Creed clarified that there was no animosity involved with their WWE exit, describing it as a professional relationship that had simply run its course. Kingston added that the move to AEW was driven by a desire to compete in what they consider the most competitive tag team division in professional wrestling.
For live news, backstage updates, and full coverage across WWE RAW, SmackDown, and AEW, stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude.com.
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