Jim Ross On The New Day: ‘They Need To Come’ Into AEW ‘As A Team’

Jim Ross believes the primary hurdle for The New Day joining AEW is whether the promotion can allocate a suitable spot for a tag team rather than two individual competitors.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods—now known as Kofi and Austin Creed—departed WWE on May 2 after turning down revised contracts that included substantial pay reductions, concluding their 20‑year and 16‑year tenures. Their 90‑day non‑compete periods expired at the beginning of August, and no official announcement has been made.

When asked on Grilling JR if he anticipates their arrival in AEW, Ross responded from a roster perspective.

He emphasized that securing a roster spot for a team is fundamentally different from signing a single talent, and that the group must have a designated position.

He added that for the group to reach its full potential, they would need to enter as a cohesive unit, though its feasibility hinges on current roster dynamics and Tony Khan’s discerning eye; the duo’s charisma makes the prospect intriguing.

He reiterated uncertainty, stating that the key factor may be whether AEW can provide a high‑level roster spot for a team rather than for two separate singles.

When separately asked whether he ever signed tag teams as cohesive units rather than as two prospective singles, Ross was blunt about WWE’s historical approach under his talent‑relations leadership.

He noted that WWE typically booked a slot for tag teams, but the primary goal was to discover at least one—if not two—outstanding singles, since those drove revenue more than tag teams, which historically sold fewer tickets.

He explained that hiring tag teams was a strategy to cultivate standout singles talent, citing the Hardys as a team less prone to dissolution, whereas the Dudleys surprised by splitting, with Bubba proving to be a savvy heel with a strong singles career.

He observed that Edge and Christian were clearly destined to become singles despite their success as a team, noting they generated strong pay‑per‑view revenue, yet their combined potential as singles exceeded the benefit of staying together.

On July 29, Kofi and Creed released an animated short titled Daybreak by Jonathan Davenport, depicting two unicorns escaping a circus and shedding their horns—a visual widely interpreted as signaling the end of the New Day brand. Big E, the third member, has not competed since suffering a neck injury.

The Motor City Machine Guns, having signed with AEW during the same period, made their debut on Collision in Detroit on July 30, while AEW’s All In event is scheduled for August 30 at Wembley Stadium.

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