Why WWE Isn’t Keeping AAA’s Original Talent Contracts

WWE’s developing deal with AAA is getting more complicated by the day—and now we know why the company isn’t sticking with the existing talent contracts.

After early reports claimed Alberto El Patron (formerly Alberto Del Rio) was signed as part of WWE’s pending AAA acquisition, fans lit up social media with outrage. The former WWE Champion’s troubled past—including two WWE releases and serious legal issues—made his name a lightning rod. But that may not even matter, because WWE might not honor most of AAA’s existing deals anyway.

Lucha Blog tried to cool things off, noting: “To my knowledge, WWE did not ‘give’ Alberto a contract. AAA signed Alberto to a contract when they decided to build the promotion around him for the last year, and WWE will assume that contract when they take over the company. I don’t think decisions have been made past that.”

Now, Super Luchas Editor-in-Chief Ernesto Ocampo is pushing back hard—and dropping major behind-the-scenes details about why those contracts are being tossed.

On May 5, Ocampo wrote on Twitter: “Many fans, especially in the U.S., are assuming that by buying AAA, WWE is also acquiring the contracts. But aside from the fact that the sale hasn’t been finalized, those contracts are of no use to WWE, as WWE’s contracts are legally distinct and include multiple provisions and clauses—such as exclusivity, intellectual property rights, and termination conditions—that AAA’s do not address or enforce. That’s why new contracts are replacing the existing ones.”

In short, WWE doesn’t just want better deals—they need them. AAA’s current contracts reportedly don’t hold up under WWE’s legal standards or TKO’s corporate infrastructure. WWE is now crafting its own paperwork from scratch, which includes tighter controls over talent appearances, branding, and termination protections.

Ocampo had already dropped hints about this, tweeting days earlier: “The AAA contracts are a joke. Any lawyer could invalidate them. WWE is offering contracts backed by TKO and including many clauses that AAA’s don’t account for.” He also added that WWE plans to “sign only around 10 to 12 wrestlers from AAA’s current roster,” and that “those on the list have already signed,” with others still pending—including talents from rival promotion CMLL.

While Alberto El Patron may be under an AAA deal, WWE’s updated approach suggests they’re not obligated to use him—or anyone else—unless new contracts are in place.