Former WWE tag team partners Austin Creed and Kofi, who were previously known as The New Day, recently made their high-profile debut in AEW at the All In event.
The duo quickly captured gold in their new home by winning the AEW World Trios Championship alongside Swerve Strickland.
Their exit from WWE came after the company requested they take a massive reduction in pay, which was reportedly more than a fifty percent cut.
Reflecting on the emotional weight of their decision, Kofi described the transition as both easy and daunting due to the sudden financial uncertainty.
When discussing the frightening nature of starting over after two decades, Kofi explained that “having that uncertainty of what’s next was very, very daunting,” per CBS Sports.
Regarding the specific contract details, Kofi confirmed the rumors of a massive pay reduction by stating that “I will say it was more than 50%,” Ariel Helwani and Sports Illustrated reported.
Beyond the monetary aspects, the performers felt the overall terms of the offer failed to recognize their historical achievements and contributions to the industry.
Commenting on the perceived unfairness of the proposal, Kofi noted that “We just thought that the terms that they wanted us to perform under were not fair based on what we brought to the table,” per Sports Illustrated.
The duo also consulted with their long-time partner Big E, whose own wrestling career was cut short due to a neck injury.
Reflecting on the intense call they shared with their former partner, Creed expressed that “being able to express it through the animation was really cool,” per CBS Sports.
Meanwhile, Austin Creed recalled facing skepticism throughout his career and how that fueled his drive to succeed in professional wrestling.
Detailing his persistent motivation to grow, Creed stated that “it’s only going to happen if I make it happen.”