Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed didn’t land in AEW by accident. After making their surprise debut and winning the AEW World Trios Championship at AEW All In 2026, New Level revealed they’ve spent nearly a decade chasing matches with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
During an appearance on SI’s The Takedown, Kingston was asked whether AEW’s packed roster could make it difficult for New Level to receive television time. Kingston wasn’t concerned because AEW has consistently featured tag team wrestling—and the company is loaded with teams and wrestlers they’ve wanted to face for years. Kingston then made it clear that getting into the ring with Omega and the Young Bucks has been a long-term goal. He pointed to their video game showdown at E3 as an early sign that the two sides were eventually going to collide.
“If history is any indication, the tag team division is prioritized. You know what I mean? So, to me, that says that it’s probably a 99% to 100% chance that we’re going to be in the mix. You know what I’m saying? I think the main thing is to have the opportunity to do so.”
“To have so many teams to pick from—and then, on top of that, selfishly, we, and this is common knowledge, have wanted to work with the Young Bucks and Kenny and The Elite for a very, very long time. Again, going back to me getting real hippie with manifestation and energy, this is something that we talked about, man. We put this out into the universe almost a decade ago.”
Kingston recalled meeting Omega and the Young Bucks at E3 several years ago. New Level faced The Elite in a game of Street Fighter V, but Kingston now sees that encounter as only a preview of the wrestling match they actually wanted.
“I think it was eight years ago that somehow we were able to—what was the actual event? We played video games. E3. But how did that happen? You know what I’m saying? That wasn’t supposed to happen. But that was the universe saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you a little taste. I’m going to give you a little taste, but I’m not going to let you touch it for six or seven years. Then it’s going to come back around.’ Everybody’s going to see that it’s possible.”
Now that New Level is in AEW, Kingston sees possible matches everywhere. Omega and the Young Bucks remain at the top of the list, but he also named the Hurt Syndicate and Claudio Castagnoli as opponents with history connected to his career.
“That’s where the excitement comes in. It’s the possibility that we have the chance to go out there and mix it up with Kenny, with the Young Bucks, even the Hurt Syndicate. They’re the version of them now versus what they were. It’s different.”
“Cesaro and the Death Riders—Cesaro has been a part of every single big part of our career. If you go back and look, something significant happened with regard to tag team wrestling, Cesaro was there. Not to mention, he and I had a feud for the United States Championship way back in the day as well. He’s always this connective thread. So, Cesaro being there means that something is about to happen.”
Creed then explained how the E3 showdown was designed to feel like a wrestling angle built through video games. He faced Omega first before both men brought their partners into the mix.
“Like Kofi said, we’ve been yelling at them for a decade. Again, not to just repeat stuff, but that stuff at E3, where we got to do the Street Fighter face-off against them—I got to help build that out where it’s me versus Kenny, and then I throw shade at him. He brings the Young Bucks, and I go, ‘Oh, I can bring two people.’ Now everybody sees this play out over time. We’re just doing wrestling, but through video games.”
Creed said that interaction helped satisfy their desire to face The Elite, but it never replaced the actual match. Now they finally have a chance to take an idea they’ve carried for years and make it happen inside an AEW ring.
“That very much scratched the itch that was in the back of my brain. To be able to have the opportunity to possibly get the match—that’s wrestling. You know what I mean? You have an idea, and then you figure out how to move through the channels so that you can take the idea from your brain to in front of your eyes.”
“Every time that happens, there’s this rush. It’s like in a video game, like you’re leveling up. That’s the only way I can describe it.”
New Level spent years throwing shots at Omega and the Young Bucks without knowing whether the payoff would ever come. They’re now in the same company, holding AEW gold, and the match that started through video games is closer than it has ever been.
Do you want to see New Level face Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks in AEW? Who should win if the match finally happens? Leave your feedback in the comments below.
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.
