Jim Cornette doesn’t think Kofi and Austin Creed should expect their move to AEW to make them bigger stars. While he understands exactly why The New Level chose AEW after leaving WWE, Cornette believes the initial excitement will eventually wear off and they’ll become “just another cog” in the company.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Cornette discussed Kingston’s claim that WWE wanted him and Creed to accept a pay cut of more than 50% during contract negotiations. Ridge Holland had separately claimed he was offered a 56% reduction, and Cornette wondered just how much Kingston and Creed had been making after spending so many years with WWE.
“Were they making a million dollars a year? If that’s the case with what they were, with how long they’ve been there, what their ages are, and what the plans were, they didn’t want to pay them that much money.”
Cornette could understand WWE deciding it no longer wanted to pay them at that level. At the same time, he could hardly blame Kingston and Creed for refusing to accept less than half of what they had previously been earning.
“I can understand that, and I can also understand if you’ve been making that good of money for that period of time or a good period of time, and they say, ‘Well, we’re just going to give you less than half.’ You just go, ‘Even if you just went home.’”
Kingston and Creed had another option, though, and Cornette believes Tony Khan was willing to provide the kind of money that made leaving WWE worthwhile.
“I can understand that. Cuz if you still need money after you’ve been making that kind of money, what the fuck? But they had an option because Tony Khan will pay that kind of money.”
That’s where Cornette believes The New Level had to make a trade. They could continue earning significant money in AEW, but he doesn’t believe joining the company will raise their profiles with the wider wrestling audience.
“And here is what they had to, they had to make a trade. They know that they’re not going to enhance their, the public image of their wrestling career to the general population by going to AEW.”
“They’re not going to become bigger stars than they are right now, but they’re going to make a lot more money than they would if they’d have stayed in the WWE, and they’re not as young as they used to be.”
Cornette compared their situation to established WWE wrestlers who moved to TNA in the past. He expects Kingston and Creed to enjoy being around their friends while working in an environment he considers less structured than WWE.
“They will probably, some of the guys that have been in WWE and go there, it’s like when some of the guys went to the WWE and went to TNA.”
“They’re not going to take it as seriously because it’s not as structured, and they’re going to enjoy getting to work with their friends and get guaranteed money for doing much less probably than they were. They’re probably not going to enjoy having to take bumps through furniture much more often, but…”
Despite all of that, Cornette actually believes things worked out about as well as they could have for everyone involved. WWE didn’t want to continue paying Kingston and Creed at their previous level, AEW landed two recognizable names and The New Level got to keep earning good money.
“I think it worked out the best for everybody. New Day keep on making the money. The AEW gets a new attraction until they make them just two of the boys. And the WWE didn’t need them and they, it was stale there, and they didn’t want them for that much money. So, everybody got what they want.”
Brian Last agreed with much of Cornette’s reasoning, although he felt offering established talent less than half of their previous salary could understandably be viewed as insulting. He also believed WWE had to know exactly where Kingston and Creed would end up if they walked away.
“And they had to know that they would go to AEW. If there was ever a slam dunk of someone who would leave WWE and go right to AEW, it was The New Day.”
Cornette doesn’t think WWE has much reason to worry about that anymore. In his view, recognizable WWE names going to AEW haven’t changed the company’s overall business enough for WWE to be concerned about where departing talent ends up.
“Yeah, and it’s not going to make a difference to AEW’s business either way.”
Cornette acknowledged that Kingston and Creed could sell merchandise and contribute inside the ring. He just doesn’t believe individual talent acquisitions have changed AEW’s position in the larger wrestling business.
“As far, they may sell merchandise and they, you know, whatever they do in the ring, the, I think the WWE has passed point, they’ve realized now we’ll just fuck with these guys with, you know, where they book their shows and fuck with their arenas or do that shit, but it doesn’t matter what talent goes there because the end result is always the f****** same.”
Last then brought things back to what’s actually happening with The New Level right now. Kingston and Creed arrived at All In, immediately became AEW World Trios Champions alongside Swerve Strickland and received a major reaction from the crowd.
“Well, they arrive in AEW, they got the fans excited to see them. Swerve is so excited he’s become a smiling babyface.”
Last isn’t ready to declare the move a failure before it has really started either, although he acknowledged that the real test will be whether AEW can maintain that initial excitement.
“Let’s see how long it lasts. But, I think you said it best. This was the best for WWE, best for AEW, and the best for them. Probably.”
Cornette agreed before lamenting how difficult it is for wrestlers today to move between major promotions while retaining their identities and continuing to build their individual reputations in the way wrestlers once could during the territory era.
“Yeah, and it’s just a shame that there’s no more situations where guys can travel from promotion to promotion and keep their name and keep building their reputation that it accrues to them rather than whatever company that, you know, they’re working for that gives them whatever name they’re going to use at that point.”
Kingston and Creed have made a strong start in AEW, and Creed has already explained that the company was the only promotion they spoke with once they became free agents. Cornette understands why they made that decision financially, but when it comes to their long-term position in AEW, he left them with a much less flattering prediction.
“But anyway, so we’ll see how long it takes for them to be just another cog in the flywheel of AEW.”
The New Level may be champions and one of AEW’s newest attractions right now, but that’s exactly what Cornette is questioning. The real test will be whether Kingston and Creed still feel like major additions months from now, rather than simply two more familiar names absorbed into an already crowded roster.
Do you think Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed will remain major players in AEW, or will Jim Cornette’s “just another cog” prediction eventually come true? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
