Dragon Lee, the real-life brother of AEW star RUSH, and one of the most talented luchadors
from the last ten years, has signed with WWE.
On its own, that sentence sounds like just the latest minor skirmish in the AEW vs WWE
war.
While Dragon Lee is an amazing high-flyer, who has been a mainstay of New Japan’s Super
Juniors division, his name value is far below some of the other free agents from the last
half of this year, like Bray Wyatt, William Regal and Sasha Banks.
But if you zoom out… quite a bit out… even more...
Dragon Lee to NXT could be one of the most significant signing of 2022.
Because WWE might not have actually signed an individual wrestler.
They might have just signed a whole promotion and tied up one of the biggest wrestling markets
in the world.
Let me explain…
First I’ll start with the story of Dragon Lee.
Somehow, this dude is only 27.
He made his debut in in 2014 for CMLL, which is either the number one or number two promotion
in all of Mexico depending on when you check in.
This was where he formed the famous Los Ingobernables with Andrade and his brother Rush, and because
of CMLL’s working relationship with New Japan and Ring of Honor, he quickly made an
international name wrestling for those top promotions around the world.
But in 2019, CMLL fired Dragon Lee when he worked PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament
after being told not to.
Lee went to the only other major promotion in Mexico, AAA, which meant New Japan could
also no longer use him due to their exclusive relationship with CMLL.
Chuck in a pandemic, and suddenly one of the best luchadors in the world lost his global
exposure.
Remember the wrestling geopolitics here.
CMLL works with New Japan.
AAA does not.
Fast forward to August 2022, where he debuted in AEW, reuniting Los Ingobernables with Rush
and Andrade for their Trios tournament.
They were defeated by the Young Bucks and a returning Kenny Omega.
Great for the Elite, but not so good for the debut of one of the great international factions.
Rush and Andrade weirdly beat up Lee afterwards and removed his mask, killing an AEW Ingobernables
on their first night.
It’s far better for Rush and Andrade’s faction to include Matt Hardy and Private
Party.
I’ve always thought that was a contributing factor for Andrade’s unprofessional behaviour
backstage in the weeks that followed.
From the moment Andrade debuted in AEW, he openly spoke how he wanted his whole family
to join him: Rush, Dragon Lee, Dralistico, even Ric and Charlotte Flair.
Tony Khan booking him and Rush to turn on Lee in their first night felt like the final
nail in that fantasy booking idea’s coffin lid.
Remember an unhappy Andrade.
That will also come back in this story.
(He actually told me he’s unhappy because you’re not subscribed, so subscribe and
enable notifications to always on for daily wrestling news videos.
Nobody wants a sad Andrade.)
—ADBREAK— At the same time Dragon Lee was trying to
get started in AEW, also having wrestled his brother Rush at ROH’s Death Before Dishonour
pay-per-view the month before - in what was seen as his AEW tryout - Fightful Select report
that this was when WWE entered the chat.
As soon as they found out Dragon Lee was wrestling for AEW without a contract, WWE, under the
new control of Triple H, jumped in and made an offer.
Wrestling Observer Radio has corroborated this, with Dave Meltzer saying: “that was
the catalyst of it…
[WWE] finding out that AEW had put a guy on television with no deal.”
Luchablog report that Dragon Lee and his other brother and AAA tag partner Dralistico were
“quickly” brought in for a tryout with WWE.
They decided to pass on Dralistico, who is rumoured to have since signed with AEW, but
brought back Dragon Lee for a second tryout, where WWE offered him a deal.
By then, AEW decided they wanted to sign him too, and apparently for more money.
WWE were only offering Dragon Lee “NXT money, he’s not getting main roster money.”
That’s supposedly significantly more than he can make in Mexico, but not as much as
AEW could offer.
It’s implied that he weighed up both choices, and also took advice from his friends and
family who have worked in both companies.
In the end, even though he could make more money in AEW, he chose NXT because “he could
be a focal point over there”.
In AEW, as we’ve seen with many other signings, you can get lost in the shuffle and “probably
not wrestle a lot.”
Luchablog, who has insider sources in Mexican wrestling, has tweeted: “Dragon Lee is also
very close to Andrade, who probably had a few thoughts.”
Those few thoughts being ‘f*** AEW’, with Andrade reportedly under suspension following
a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevarra in September, and trying to get out of his
contract to return to Triple H and WWE.
That’s the story of how WWE swiped Dragon Lee away from AEW.
Now here’s how WWE are doing that for Mexican wrestling in general.
Meltzer reports that Dragon Lee’s deal was made in early December, “but they were told
to keep it quiet.”
Instead, WWE wanted to announce his signing after Dragon Lee and Dralistico won the AAA
tag team titles at AAA’s biggest show of the year, TripleMania, on the 28th December
- the same night as AEW’s New Year’s Smash Dynamite special.
But WWE weren’t just trying to show AEW up in the ratings.
They literally did it in a wrestling ring.
Because Dragon Lee and Dralistico won those AAA tag team titles from AEW stars FTR, and
Dragon Lee revealed he’s signed with WWE immediately after, and then vacated the belt.
Meaning FTR didn’t have to be pinned if the belts were going to be vacated anyway.
They could’ve retained and vacated themselves!
The real-life fact now is that, for the first
time ever, a WWE signed guy beat an AEW signed guy for a title.
This is a classic way old school promoters used to undermine their rival promotions,
and is why companies are so protective of their guys losing to other wrestling promotions’
talent to this day.
Rather shockingly, Meltzer reveals this didn’t catch AEW by surprise.
“Tony Khan was aware…
it was part of the deal…
I’m sure that if this was reversed, that that never would have happened.”
This wasn’t just a case of one lone wrestler going into business for themselves, though.
It’s the entire AAA promotion.
WWE cameras were at TripleMania to film Dragon Lee’s announcement, which they shared on
their official NXT page, which Triple H himself retweeted - his latest bit of subtle mindf******,
like how he tweeted about William Regal after he’d got him to leave AEW behind-the-scenes.
And then Dorian Pena, the director general of AAA, posted a WWE-gushing tweet.
“You deserve it!
@dragonlee95 has signed with @WWE!
Make us proud!”
Meltzer believes this is a sign of AAA ditching their relationship with AEW in favour of WWE,
tweeting: “I don't want that to mean they are done
working together but it's clear AAA is trying to build a relationship with WWE, so the dynamic
does change.”
If you just look at the talent that lost on Wednesday night, TripleMania appears to be
the end of the AEW chapter.
FTR lost their tag team belts, which they held for 438 days.
And AAA’s Head of Talent Relations Konnan announced Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo were
stripped of their Mixed Tag Titles after “they cancelled three times.”
Which is actually a bit of a shoot, as AEW pulled Tay Mela from TripleMania when they
needed her to wrestle a previously postponed tag match on the same night’s episode of
Dynamite.
Fightful report that it was FTR who requested to lose their tag titles, as they wanted to
end their AAA run before 2023, where they are expected to take time off.
Regardless, this is a sizeable shift in wrestling geopolitics.
As I said in my video essay WWE is Screwing With AEW, link in the video description below,
I believe Triple H is trying to forge working relationships with major promotions to squeeze
Tony Khan out, and remove one of AEW’s unique selling points - that it’s the company that
works well with others.
It appears WWE now has its first full defection in AAA.
And with WWE’s Karl Anderson working WrestleKingdom and Kairi Sane rumoured for a Royal Rumble
surprise, perhaps New Japan is next.
ESPN is reporting Dragon Lee will debut in NXT in January, while LuchaBlog writes they’ve
heard it will be February.
And in another potentially huge detail, the press release from Dragon Lee’s manager
at Lucha Libre Agency reveals he’ll “continue with his contracted Legends of Lucha Libre®
officially licensed products" and "continue with entertainment projects.”
The entertainment project is a series of children’s books.
If it lasts, that is far more in line with an actual independent contractor status, where
WWE would have exclusivity over wrestling appearances, but Dragon Lee is freely able
to continue other projects.
This could be another WWE tactic against AEW, making them just as good a place to work.
Because expect this trend to continue.
WrestleVotes have tweeted: “I’m told WWE is hopeful the signing of
Dragon Lee is just the start of “standout” talent agreeing to terms w/ the company.
Hearing Triple H & crew have expectations to land other high quality names early in
2023.”
Which sounds an awful lot like how Triple H ran NXT in its glory days.
Now watch my full video essay on all the ways WWE is screwing with AEW…