Jeff Jarrett believes the AEW debut of Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed was the defining moment of All In: London 2026 — and he still can’t understand how WWE allowed the longtime New Day stars to get away.
Kofi and Creed debuted as New Level during the All In Buy-In at Wembley Stadium, emerging as the wild-card partners of Swerve Strickland in the Trios Roulette Royale.
The surprise immediately paid off, as New Level won the match and captured the AEW World Trios Championships on their first night with the company.
Speaking with Conrad Thompson on My World, Jarrett said their arrival was the moment from All In that he keeps coming back to. “The trios story of Creed and Kofi and the vibe and the surprise, and I don’t think you can say this enough. I am blown away that AEW got the opportunity for those guys to be on the roster,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett then speculated about what could have led WWE to part ways with two performers who had spent well over a decade with the company. “Maybe it was a low-ball offer. I still, none of that really adds up to me, and maybe it was a bad day at the office when they were crunching numbers from TKO and got the mandate,” he said.
Kingston and Creed, formerly Xavier Woods, departed WWE on May 2. Bryan Alvarez reported at the time that their existing contracts had not simply expired. Instead, they were reportedly asked to restructure their agreements into TKO-branded contracts on less favorable terms.
The pair declined, requested their releases and were granted them before serving 90-day non-compete periods that expired at the beginning of August.
Dave Meltzer reported that the contracts WWE wanted restructured had been signed in 2025 and would have kept both men with the company through 2030. BodySlam reported that those deals were worth seven figures.
Their departures came amid a larger post-WrestleMania 42 round of cuts that reportedly affected approximately 30 names over a two-week period. Fightful Select subsequently reported that several people within the AEW locker room were advocating for the company to sign Kingston and Creed.
For Jarrett, their value extends beyond what either man can contribute inside the ring. “Those guys have a legacy that they don’t really have peers,” he said. “When you look at New Day’s legacy, and for them to jump, they brought their entire audience. They both have created a monster following in the gaming world. It’s big.”
Jarrett also praised how AEW handled their debut. Despite speculation surrounding the pair’s futures following the expiration of their non-compete periods, their involvement at All In was kept secret until they emerged at Wembley. “If you’ve watched the other guy’s product, WWE, the 8,000 pound gorilla, KofiMania, on and on and on, they are so synonymous with that brand,” Jarrett said. “To kick off that show in that trios match with Swerve and Nana, it’s like they slid in and they were already a part of the roster the minute they came out on stage, because Swerve was their partner. I don’t think you could write it up or line it up, and they hadn’t been gone that far from working with those guys. In this day and age, it’s about as big a surprise as you’re really going to get.”
New Level’s entrance featured new graphics, a new team identity and a licensed hip-hop track, with the reaction inside Wembley immediately establishing the significance of their arrival.
Jarrett acknowledged that the multi-team match itself was a challenging one to execute, but said the reaction Kofi and Creed received made their debut special before the action had even begun. “I think they did a hell of a job, but when they walked out, Conrad, the building rattled, and that is a testament to those guys. It’s big time,” Jarrett said. “I think we will talk about this moment for a long time. To kick things off, you can’t put a price on it.”
Jarrett ultimately distinguished between his favorite match and favorite moment from All In. He selected Will Ospreay’s AEW World Championship victory over Kenny Omega as his favorite match, while Kofi and Creed’s surprise arrival was his standout moment.
The history behind New Level’s debut only added to its significance.
Kofi and Creed formed The New Day alongside Big E in 2014, with the group going on to capture 13 tag team championships in WWE. Their accomplishments included a record-setting 483-day Raw Tag Team Championship reign, while Kofi and Big E both became world champions as singles competitors.
Big E retired from in-ring competition following the neck injury he suffered in 2022 and remains associated with WWE in an ambassador role, making him the only member of the original New Day trio still with the company.
Kofi had been with WWE since 2006, while Creed joined the company in 2010, making their appearance at All In the beginning of a dramatically different chapter after spending the vast majority of their careers under the WWE banner.
