Austin Creed opened up about the emotional fallout of The New Day’s split with Big E, saying the WWE storyline eventually affected his family in a way he could not ignore. One moment away from the ring made Creed realize how difficult the situation had become.
The New Day marked their 10‑year WWE anniversary in December 2024 by turning on Big E, who had been sidelined by a neck injury. Kofi Kingston and Creed embraced a heel turn, but the group’s momentum faded as tag‑team storylines waned on Raw.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Creed reflected on the audience reaction to the segment involving Big E. He recalled seeing a fan in an old New Day shirt with tears after the broadcast. “It felt like we had a really cool opportunity to tell that story with E,” he said. “This is wrestling. This level of emotion.”
Austin Creed says Big E split changed his family’s relationship
The storyline also spilled over into Creed’s personal life. At a WrestleMania red‑carpet event he avoided Big E to maintain kayfabe. Later, his three‑year‑old son recalled the encounter and asked why Big E hadn’t spoken to them. The child’s question was, “Does Kofi like to get hit hard? E? E is not wrestling. Why didn’t E talk to us?” Creed said. That moment struck him deeply. “I cannot do that. We cannot do that. We have to go. We… That’s not okay,” he recalled. Recognizing that Big E is his brother, Creed said he did not want to teach his son that brothers should ignore each other.
Kofi Kingston described their relationship as a “slow diversion,” noting they still speak daily despite their separate career paths. “We’re always going to be together,” he said. “We’ve had that conversation in real life, you know. And it’s okay.”
Austin Creed shares an emotional story about the moment he knew leaving WWE was inevitable:
After his 3-year-old son remembered an awkward interaction at WrestleMania and asked why Big E “didn’t talk to us,” Creed knew a change had to be made.
“We cannot do that. We have to… pic.twitter.com/56bfsJV949— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 1, 2026
Creed and Kofi later departed WWE and debuted as The New Level in AEW, where they captured the Trios Titles alongside Swerve Strickland. While the name changed, the underlying brotherhood endured.

