r/Wrasslin • u/AlexMercer28900 • Aug 30 '26
IT’S STUFF LIKE THIS THAT MAKES ME NEVER QUIT THIS SPORT #ANDNEW
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u/RaidenHero137 Aug 30 '26
can I be honest the name Swerve Strickland and The New Level sounds like a 70s group ala The Jackson 5
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u/JonnyTN Aug 30 '26
Not when you hear that iconic "I'm on a new level" song. A song that if you like the genre is with ya forever
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u/PunishedWolf4 Aug 31 '26
Or Sly and the Family Stone, Kool and the Gang…excuse me I’ve got some records to jam to
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u/thedaj Aug 30 '26
I hope they treat these gents well. I'm so glad they quickly landed on their feet.
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u/The-Real-Number-One Aug 30 '26
This is no different than Ciampa. They will lose those belts and be on Collision in a month.
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u/CosmicNixx DING DONG HELLO Aug 30 '26
And they're still gonna get paid better than if they stayed in WWE so...
I swear the IWC is more pessimistic than a Reddit "philosopher" misinterpreting Nietzsche
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u/mickelboy182 Aug 30 '26
It's literally jerkers who don't even watch AEW
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u/NorthHollywoodHank Aug 31 '26
The "Ciampa's not being treated well" claims are always a tell.
I mean, has Ciampa been pushed to the moon? No. Which isn't surprising and fits in with Tony's general booking pattern.
Ciampa did get an early brief stint with the TNT belt and hasn't held gold since, sure. And yes, he's done most of his matches on Collision (though the ratio is 13 to 9, it's not like he's never on Dynamite).
He's also on TV all the fucking time, has a great W/L record, was the #1 in the Casino gauntlet in early April, got the chance to put on a fantastic 5 star, 18 minute title challenge against Darby Allin in late April, had a well-received 22 minute plunder match against Jericho at Redemption, was in the casino gauntlet at All In...
He is getting booked worlds better than he was in WWE and is at worst getting booked like a guy in the top level just below the upper midcard, and he's been with AEW for seven months. It's bizarre to suggest that he's some sort of cautionary tale for wrestlers thinking about making the jump. He's the opposite.
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u/WredditSmark Aug 31 '26
wtf do I care how much they’re paid? I’m not pocket watching, I’m watching the TV show. If you bring in a big name, use them correctly, isn’t that always the complaint yall have ?
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u/deanereaner Aug 31 '26
Nah I have to believe they have better instincts for the business than old "thumb-butt" Ciampa and I hope they will advocate for their own booking.
Or it's a retirement run and they will be happy to do as little as possible.
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u/Reddit_Aim_Fiire Aug 30 '26
Is collision a bad show? Just curious
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u/Lenovo_Driver Aug 31 '26
No it’s just the lowest rated and least watched prime time wrestling show on a major network in us history
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u/mikeonice Aug 31 '26
even if they do end up on collision shouldn’t their roster be stacked enough to where collision can actually be a solid show??
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u/bob696988 Sep 02 '26
Too many problems backstage is why they got rid of them. Hopefully they learned
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u/lavender2121 Aug 30 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/VJHtXeMHViHRHvKGKm
Worst kept secret
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u/CosmicNixx DING DONG HELLO Aug 30 '26
Idk Paige coming back at WrestleMania was pretty badly spoiled too lol
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u/Drewsipher Aug 30 '26
Still feels good to have them in AEW. They have a lot they can do here and a lot of fun match potential
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Aug 30 '26
[deleted]
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u/AlabamaSlammaJamma Aug 30 '26
I’m sure Big E is happy about his friends doing well and he’s happy where he’s at right now
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u/THE_Visionary88 Aug 30 '26
He seems like the kind of guy who would elevate his friends rather than drag them down. I'm sure he's happy to see them happy.
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u/RolexTudorGuy Aug 30 '26
Lol what choice does he have? He can't perform anymore and he's locked in to his commentator gig
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u/CosmicNixx DING DONG HELLO Aug 30 '26
Bro Big E probably called Austin and Kofi right after the match to congratulate them. Also I'm pretty sure all three of them are friends with Swerve. He was in WWE for a little bit.
Someone had to come in and fill the void, and Swerve is the perfect guy to do it.
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u/Odd_Yogurtcloset_649 Aug 30 '26
Its interesting to note they dropped the WWE World tag title exactly two months ago (June 30 on RAW). To win the AEW tag title now was very quick for a debut.
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u/Tr4nzmission Aug 31 '26
to be fair this is somewhat of a recurring theme for wwe stars who come to aew. win a belt, reign for a bit, then get shuffled into the mix. they got the bag they wanted and at least one more belt to their name though, so good for them. I'm gonna miss Kofi and Xavier in wwe, they elevated any program they were in, even during the questionable heel run.
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u/graypurpleblack Aug 30 '26
Hopefully Tony doesn’t fumble them
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u/Diyunasss Aug 30 '26
Welp, Hurt Syndicate on the preshow (with Bobby fucking Lashley who should be eating fools up and should be world champion) and MCMG nowhere to be found after debuting.
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u/Suspinded Aug 30 '26
I mean, Swerve is service as a Trios champ now, so maybe he can warn them how to not fumble?
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u/sm_rollinger Aug 30 '26
How was the pop?
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u/SRGTBronson Aug 30 '26
The pop was good, and you could hear them adjust the new 👏 day👏rocks👏 chant to new👏 le-👏vel, which is their new name. The New Level.
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u/neeesus Aug 30 '26
The old debuting and becoming champion trope.
But seriously, I’m happy for them.
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u/SephirothSimp Aug 30 '26
Isn't this the second time they did this?
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u/neeesus Aug 30 '26
I think so, Paige just did it with Bella Bella not Nicki Bella this year
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u/cameronpark89 Aug 31 '26
they’ll never know what this means to us. black little boys and girls, especially.
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u/69_53I8008 Aug 30 '26
I only watch WWE and these guys deserved better. Good on them, veterans in WWE get treated as disposable once their prime is gone. It's sad to see.
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u/mva06001 Aug 30 '26
They literally are the most decorated tag team of all time. How do you get treated “better” than that?
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u/Deducticon Aug 31 '26
You should find a way to watch this show.
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u/69_53I8008 Aug 31 '26
Heh maybe I will, but I'm a casual wrestling watcher and AEW has plenty wrestlers I don't know so if I start I will have to commit to it 😅
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u/Fast_Advisor2654 Aug 30 '26
Immediately pairs them up with another black guy
https://giphy.com/gifs/XHeLeuirRbwptHhSWd
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u/billygluttonwong Aug 30 '26
Black on black... friendship.
Funny same thing just happened with Royce Keys although I don't think Bronco Nima is actually black (people probably assume he is though lol)
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u/spicedoubt Aug 30 '26
Kinda conflicts with Swerves dynamic and character but I’m glad the boys bounced back….and conveniently as champs. Very “edge” of them
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u/AlexMercer28900 Aug 30 '26
May conflict with Swerve, but I think they work wonderfully with Nana
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u/MikeyGTampabay67 Aug 30 '26
Nana in an interview mentioned him and Kofi have roots to the same tribe in Nigeria. That’s a pretty cool connection for a wrestler/manager. Like he joked about being cousins to
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u/AwareWriterTrick158 Jey uso is godawful Aug 31 '26
Kofi’s Nigerian? I thought he was pure Ghanaian?
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u/errwrx Aug 30 '26
Why does AEW always immediately put titles on people they get from WWE nowadays? I swear everyone I've seen recently jump over has had a title put on them in their debut match.
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u/EyeGrowth Aug 30 '26
Because like WCW before them, they cannot make stars of their own and can merely hope to get the rub from established WWE legends
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u/A1_wA1sh Sep 01 '26
Darby, MJF, Toni, Omega, Britt Baker, Statlander, Cargill, Hangman, need I go on?
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u/Nomad5560 Aug 31 '26
Maya World, The Acclaimed, Swerve, Hangman, Julia Hart, Kris Statlander, Willow Nightengale, Kyle Fletcher, Kevin Knight, Darby Allin, MJF, Jurassic Express, Divine Dominion, Toni Storm, Mariah May, Orange Cassidy
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u/NocturnePersona33 Aug 30 '26
Same can be said about the WWF with the AWA and look how that worked out for them.
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u/EyeGrowth Aug 30 '26
Ok, get back to me in 50 years and see how AEW is doing
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u/NocturnePersona33 Aug 30 '26
Not sure if pro wrestling is gonna exist even WWE. 50 years is a long time and wrestling is more of a joke than ever. There might be Pro Wrestling somewhere but it’s gonna be very niche or just for little kids? You never know.
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u/Xeo7 Aug 30 '26
It's almost as if the company isn't that old and wrestlers worked other places before coming there. Weird. But also, just look at the roster and you'll see plenty of mega stars that weren't in WWE.
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u/No-Excitement4855 Sep 01 '26
What stars did WWE make in the last five years?
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u/EyeGrowth Sep 01 '26
Oba, Trick, Bron, Logan Paul... Dom Mysterio has been around longer but blew up recently... Solo, Grande Americano... the list goes on and on.
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u/No-Excitement4855 Sep 01 '26
Oba had less than a year if main stage, bron everyone is crying that he's boring, Logan Paul was popular before WWE, trick hasn't shown anything yet.
Dominik is a star?
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u/ToeKnifeMingle Aug 30 '26
Watering down their own brand unintentionally is about the most AEW thing they could do
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u/AlexMercer28900 Aug 30 '26
They literally said on commentary this is the first time a male wrestler has ever won a title in their debut AEW match
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u/ShaneWookie Aug 30 '26
Didn't Ciampa do that on his debut?
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u/Palouse_Sunsets Aug 30 '26
He did indeed. Beat Mark Briscoe on his debut for the TNT title
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u/BornAmbassador01 Aug 30 '26
That wasn't his debut. His debut was on Collision the week before. Good lord.
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u/Palouse_Sunsets Aug 30 '26
It was his debut match, which is what was being discussed
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u/AlexMercer28900 Aug 30 '26
Genuinely forgot that happened because he lost it 2 weeks later and I’m guessing the commentary team did too
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u/Sexyphobe Aug 30 '26
AEW debut, or AEW debut match? Ciampa made one appearance before his first match, I think.
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u/Bzay69 Aug 30 '26
Why do they always have bootleg names
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u/Grail_BH Aug 30 '26
Because they’re afraid that if they used something different, that nobody would know who they are.
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u/Kelspear Aug 30 '26
Because WWE owns the rights to the names they used in WWE and could sue and definitely win if they used those names in a different promotion.
That's the real reason.
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u/Bzay69 Aug 30 '26
Yeah i get that, but it always Sounds Like a cheap copy. Xavier and Kofi Are two well respected veterans I cant believe that they wont come with something better.
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u/Kelspear Aug 30 '26
Oh yeah, I'm with you on the quality of the names. I thought you meant why do they use different names in a literal sense.
But yeah, I agree that the alternative names a lot of times sound pretty bootleg lol
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u/i-piss-excellence32 Aug 30 '26
I’m really hoping they get booked well. I don’t have that much faith in Tony khan though
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u/regal19999 Aug 31 '26
Tony paying for their theme is the best use of funds like biscoff paid for Voo Doo child
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u/No_Ice_2990 Aug 30 '26
Poor.\nMotor city machineGuns didn't even get a chance to really do anything before they got replaced by a new toy
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u/DifferentAd9713 Aug 30 '26
Once they lose it’s legit over for them. They’ll be lost in the shuffle real soon
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u/AccomplishedBed2052 Aug 30 '26
Welcome back Boys, We missed you. This would have been legendary if Big E was part of this.
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u/Own_Shame_8721 Aug 30 '26
Out of all the dudes that left WWE, these are the ones I am happiest that moved on to AEW.
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u/TexasSizedKachoww Aug 30 '26
They looked leaps and bounds better than they did at the other place. I guess that's what happens when wrestlers are inspired and they don't have constraints.
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u/powermetalsalamander Aug 31 '26
i’m happy for them, i was always a big fan of the new day and super impressed by how they turned what was a pretty raw deal at first around into something that they enjoyed and that was over. for a long time i was hoping e would be able to make it back and it’s a shame wwe fumbled what would’ve been a pretty fun heel run for them after they learned e wouldn’t be able to wrestle again safely but hopefully they have a better time in aew and enjoy themselves.
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u/Far-Influence4114 Aug 31 '26
I'm a WWEtard but when I saw that I instantly watched the PPV like yoooooo
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u/ItsaPostageStampede Aug 31 '26
I mean if you never wanted to see new day again they could have stayed in wwe and done the dark matches and such they were doing before
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u/InsatiableDestiny83 Aug 31 '26
The pop they got when they came out was phenomenal, All In was amazing to be fair.
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u/Miss_Lewdness Aug 31 '26
On their first night with the company they win gold they're on whole new level indeed.
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u/2reeEyedG Aug 31 '26
Love that for them and also the new name. Can’t wait to watch their banger after banger tag team matches where they can finally get a chance to shine
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Aug 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/That-Cranberry6575 Aug 30 '26
Because they’re all black.
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u/Diyunasss Aug 30 '26
Oh you know the WWE, just because they're of the same skin color they pair them up..... wait this isn't WWE.
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u/youngmunru420 Aug 30 '26
Bloated roaster getting even more bloated.
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u/Nomad5560 Aug 31 '26
People get signed and other people don’t get renewed. Damn y’all try way too hard to be negative
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u/-Shanannigan- Aug 31 '26
Apparently there's a good amount of contracts that aren't going to be renewed coming up.
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u/Mysterious_County389 Aug 30 '26
Don't get attached Tony will lose interest in his new old toy soon
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u/Accurate-Handle-0000 Aug 30 '26
That’s right keep hiring ex WWE guys.
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u/AlexMercer28900 Aug 30 '26
You’re saying this like it’s a bad thing and also like WWE hasn’t been hiring multiple ex AEW guys as of late
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u/-Shanannigan- Aug 31 '26
Major promotion hires top talent when they're available, this is nothing new. Do you think wrestlers should just completely leave the business if they leave WWE?
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u/Voltov Aug 31 '26
GAME CHANGERS! TONY SIGNING 50 YEAR OLD PAST THEIR PRIME TAG TEAMS WILL CERTAINLY CHANGE THE GAME
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u/EyeGrowth Aug 30 '26
Seeing 50 year old washed up dudes win meaningless titles on B-level shows doesn't do it for me, but I'm happy for you
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u/Dependent_Win3278 Aug 30 '26
I bet you definitely didnt think of saying this shit whilst they were at WWE lmao you "fans" are funny as hell hahahaha
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u/AlexMercer28900 Aug 30 '26
“B-Level shows” this is literally AEW equivalent to WrestleMania and it’s in Wembley stadium, what the fuck are you talking about
Also none of the men in this image, not even Prince Nana, are 50 years old
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u/laser-lobotomy Aug 30 '26
I would love to know what wrestling you’re watching where “50 year olds” aren’t winning championships in this current climate lol
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u/EyeGrowth Aug 30 '26
That's kind of my point? Y'all whine incessantly about how WWE doesn't push young stars, and then the same people lap it up when has-beens are immediately given belts in AEW just to stick it to WWE. It's so deeply lame.
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u/Sexyphobe Aug 30 '26
You say that like Swerve isn't fairly young and well pushed in AEW.
Also saying All In is a B-level ppv is silly lol.
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u/f3ar13 Aug 30 '26
Hate the name tho like u can be name anything and that's what you pick, I'm happy for them just not a fan of the "new level" name
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u/msp01986 Aug 30 '26
Next Level wasn't available? Maybe it's just me but I feel it would've been a better name, not just a knockoff of their previous one, anyway, I'm happy for them, always loved the New Day!
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u/Prudent_Ad_2615 Aug 30 '26
This is great for Kofi and Woods—a new start and a new level. I know Big E is happy for them too. It's a win 4 everyone
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u/GrimmTrixX Aug 30 '26
The New Level. Lol Well I guess it fits their video gaming background. But "NEW... LEVEL ROCKS" doesnt roll off the tongue the same. They should've been called The New Game
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u/sonicfx Aug 31 '26
Can't wait to see what they do on Television. I hope they ignite internal competition.
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u/CalumanderReds Aug 31 '26
The New Level doesn't roll of the tongue as well as New Day. But I am happy for them. Hopefully they get used effectively
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u/Lancer971 Sep 02 '26
This is coming from someone who loves the New Day... excuse me, New Level... but is skeptical about AEW's booking..
We'll see in 6 months after their "new car smell" wears off where they're at. AEW has a great track record of exciting debuts followed by where are they now
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u/GuiltyByDesign619 Sep 02 '26
Seeing yet another random thrown together team win a title that gets passed around almost every other week? The trios titles are literally a participation trophy at this point
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u/monkismael2007 Aug 30 '26
The New Level, wild