WWE just dropped a stunner during WrestleMania 41 weekend, officially announcing its acquisition of Mexican lucha libre giant AAAbut the talent inside AAA was just as shocked as everyone else.
According to Sean Ross Sapp, who spoke about the deal on the post-WrestleMania show, several AAA wrestlers had been hearing whispers for monthsbut most of them never thought WWE would actually pull the trigger. I talked to some AAA talent and theyre like, Well, we had kind of heard stuff for a while, Sapp said. Theyre like, But we didnt think it was a reality. We didnt think it was really going to happen.
Sapp added that once the TKO merger finalized, talk of WWE getting involved picked up steam. They said since the TKO merger, that stuff really started to pick up, but it had been like rumored.
The question now is whether WWE actually owns the company outrightor just holds a piece of it. Sapp asked around and said he spoke to three AAA wrestlers right after the news broke. Their response was the same: They thought they would be shocked if total control was relinquished.
So while the paperwork says WWE owns AAA, many inside the lucha promotion arent convinced the Roldan family has truly stepped aside just yet.
As rumors continue to swirl, one name keeps popping upAlberto Del Rio. WWE had previously maintained a hard no on bringing back the controversial former champ, but that tone has reportedly changed. Its no longer contentious, one source said, adding that real discussions have taken place.
NXT Worlds Collide is set for June 7th at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, and will now feature talent from AAA under the WWE banner. Whether this will reshape the lucha scene or just serve as WWEs next global expansion project remains to be seen.
Do you think WWE will take full control of AAAor will the original leadership still call the shots? Let us know what you think in the comments and who youd like to see make the jump at Worlds Collide.
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