In a major international expansion move, WWE has officially acquired Mexican wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA. The news was unveiled during WrestleMania weekend, along with the announcement of the upcoming “Worlds Collide” event scheduled for June, which will likely serve as the first major crossover initiative under this new partnership.
Sources close to the situation have indicated that talks of AAA aligning with a new partner have circulated for several years, with conversations around upgraded equipment and expanded partnerships regularly coming up. However, momentum reportedly picked up significantly after the WWE-TKO merger was finalized, with insiders suggesting WWE had been in long-term discussions with AAA that only recently accelerated.
While WWE kept the acquisition tightly under wraps, several within the company believe the deal may have been finalized shortly after AEW and CMLL made headlines with their announcement of a joint event at Arena Mexico—a possible motivator for WWE to close the deal.
Questions have also emerged regarding the future involvement of Alberto Del Rio, AAA’s reigning top champion. WWE had previously taken a firm stance against working with Del Rio, despite the former world champion often claiming the door was still open. While Del Rio has at times stated he would never return to WWE, those close to him now suggest the relationship has softened and that informal talks regarding appearances may have taken place. The tone between both sides is said to be far less combative than in previous years.
Internally, not everyone in AAA is convinced about the news. Some talent have reportedly expressed doubts over whether the Roldan family—who have led AAA for decades—would fully step away from power. At this time, official details regarding the nature and terms of the acquisition remain scarce.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
