Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed reportedly made an extremely positive impression behind the scenes during their first night with AEW at All In: London.
As seen during the 2026 AEW All In pay-per-view, the former WWE stars made their highly anticipated debuts under the names Kofi and “Awesome” Austin Creed as The New Level.
According to PWInsider.com, Kofi and Creed went out of their way to introduce themselves and meet as many people as possible backstage at All In. Numerous people within AEW were reportedly already beyond impressed with the duo on a personal level following their first night with the company.
There was also said to be no indication that either man viewed themselves as being above anyone else because of their lengthy and successful WWE careers. Instead, Kofi and Creed were described as being extremely open, both creatively and in their interactions with others backstage.
One AEW source offered particularly high praise for the newcomers. “They are everything you always heard about, plus more.” Another source reportedly described WWE’s loss as absolutely being AEW’s gain. Kofi and Creed’s willingness to work a demanding AEW schedule also appears to have impressed company President Tony Khan.
During the All In post-show media scrum, Khan revealed that the duo had already expressed a desire to become regular fixtures across both Dynamite and Collision, pointing to Jon Moxley’s work ethic as an example of what they want to bring to the company. “Something that got me excited about New Level, these guys are not afraid to work very hard. They told me, ‘Hey, we see Jon Moxley at AEW Dynamite and Collision basically every week. We want to be at AEW Dynamite and Collision basically every week. We want to work really hard for the company. We’re going to be there practically every week.’”
Kofi and Creed’s arrival at All In marked the beginning of a major new chapter following their departure from WWE, where they spent years together as members of The New Day.
If their first night is any indication, The New Level appears determined to make its presence felt both on-screen and behind the scenes, with Kofi and Creed reportedly earning strong reviews from their new colleagues before their AEW run has even had a chance to fully get underway.
