New Level Say They Weren’t Given An Explanation When Asked To Take A Pay Cut, Were Pitched Reduced Roles
After over a decade as a team, and even longer as individuals, Kofi (Kofi Kingston) and Austin Creed (Xavier Woods) left WWE in May.
The duo, known as the New Day in WWE, were reportedly asked to take a pay cut, which they later confirmed to be over 50%.
Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Kofi and Woods, now known as New Level, revealed that they were also pitched reduced roles, made to justify the reduced salary, which is what ultimately led to their decision to leave.
“I think it was easy for sure,” Kofi said. “It was a little scary. It was a little scary because of the uncertainty. For the past two decades, I always knew where I was working. Financially, I knew what I had to do to make plans and prioritize my family’s well-being. We all knew the tangibles. All of a sudden, having that uncertainty of what’s next was very, very daunting.
“I knew that we weren’t done. We didn’t have to be done over here. It’s amazing because there’s so much talent here to work with. That was what was really exciting.
“So there was a lot of uncertainty, but it was all positive because… whatever route that we chose, it was going to be amazing. The result was going to be amazing. I’m so glad that all of this worked out with AEW now because the possibilities are endless.”
Kofi continued, saying the mentality was to find a solution after being told about the pay cut and reduced role rather than dwell on things.
“So that’s really our mentality, figuring out what is next, because what’s next is coming regardless of the reason. We were never given that explanation, but we weren’t really looking for it. We didn’t really care to find out. We didn’t cry. It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day,” he said.
New Level debuted at AEW All In, aligning with Swerve Strickland to win the AEW Trios Championships.
While making the media rounds, the duo gave even more insight into their decision to leave WWE. You can find their full comments here.
