Backstage News On New Level’s AEW Contracts

New backstage details have emerged regarding New Level’s arrival in AEW, including the length of their contracts, original creative plans and Swerve Strickland’s involvement in bringing them to the company.

Austin Creed and Kofi Kingston reportedly signed five-year contracts with AEW, committing the former WWE stars to the promotion for the foreseeable future.

The duo finalized their agreements one day before AEW All In, although discussions regarding their creative direction had been underway well before the contracts were officially signed.

One of the earliest ideas presented to Creed and Kingston involved aligning with Swerve Strickland, who reportedly played a significant role in establishing the relationship between New Level and AEW.

Strickland is said to have helped facilitate the initial connection, as AEW President Tony Khan was unwilling to speak directly with the duo until they were contractually free from WWE.

Additional details have also surfaced regarding New Level’s entrance music. AEW licensed the song “New Level” for the team, although the arrangement reportedly wasn’t finalized until the day of All In due to the need for clearance from Sony.

Such last-minute approvals are said to be fairly common when dealing with music licensing rights.

Meanwhile, New Level’s recent AEW World Trios Championship loss was reportedly part of the original creative direction for the group.

The team, alongside Strickland, dropped the titles to Hangman Page and Brodido at AEW WrestleDream on October 17, ending their championship reign after 48 days.

According to the report, the title reign was never intended to be a long-term arrangement, with New Level’s association with Strickland serving as a central part of the company’s plans from the beginning.

Despite the recent championship loss, Creed and Kingston’s reported five-year agreements indicate that both performers are expected to remain fixtures on AEW programming for years to come.

(H/T: Fightful Select)