It’s a “new day” for Austin Creed and Kofi over in AEW, as they’re currently wrestling with Swerve Strickland as “New Level.” With the ex-WWE wrestlers officially working with the competition, their former tag-team partner Big E responded. And all in all, this was exactly the kind of response I expected from the veteran pro wrestler.
While his buddies spend the rest of the 2026 TV schedule wrestling under Tony Khan’s company, Big E continues to be a face for WWE on the commentary team and other philanthropic efforts. He spoke to OzarksFirst and thankfully, confirmed that nothing had changed in his relationships with Kofi and Creed, despite their exits:
We built a bond that I really believe is bigger than just a job or a company. And more than anything, I will always root for those guys in whatever path they take, and I’m so proud of them.
Despite WWE storylines suggesting Big E was at odds with his cohorts, he appears thrilled to see Kofi and Austin (formerly Xavier Woods) continuing their career elsewhere. He remains happy for them and will be their supporter wherever they end up, and as a fan, I couldn’t be happier to hear those sentiments.
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Still, it may be a bummer for WWE fans, who hoped to see The New Day get back together at some point in the future. That said, Big E has officially retired from in-ring action following a fracture to his neck, which seemingly shuts the door on any future feud or reunion with them.
For those not watching AEW, Austin, Kofi and Swerve are the current AEW World Trios champions. It’s not surprising to see them get the rub so soon in the company, as one of WWE’s winningest tag teams of all time. Plus, the claims about Triple H and company allegedly giving the group a lowball offer to extend only drew more attention to their exit, years after they were relegated to the lower ranks of the main roster.
I’m not sure the door is closed for New Day to return to the WWE down the road, though one might question why they’d want to, as more former superstars from the brand find a home in AEW. Despite rumors that Chris Jericho return, he seems to prefer the rival company, as does Adam Copeland, previously known as Edge.
Now, with free agent Sheamus seemingly also on his way to the company, I’m once again wondering if the WWE and AEW rivalry is back in a big way. As criticism of the WWE and its creative decisions grows, one can’t help but wonder if fans aren’t more incentivized to ignore tribalism and simply watch whoever has the better product.
Whether that’s AEW or WWE is certainly up for debate, as there are pros and cons to both. I’ve said it a lot over the past few years: there’s no better time to be a fan of professional wrestling, and no issue with rooting for whoever you want.
Here’s hoping Kofi and Austin continue to thrive over in AEW, and Big E continues support them and while embracing his role in WWE as one of its commentary faces. I’d love to see him continue to evolve in that role, and maybe even get to call a future Monday Night Raw at some point.
