WWE Only Planning to Keep a Handful of AAA Talents After Replacing Current Contracts

WWE’s developing deal with AAA just got even more complicated—and controversial. After initial reports suggested Alberto El Patron (formerly Alberto Del Rio) was among several names signed through WWE’s partnership with AAA, new statements from Super Luchas Editor-in-Chief Ernesto Ocampo are turning that narrative on its head.

The original report stated that WWE had locked in multiple standout names from AAA, including Hijo del Vikingo, Hijo de Dr. Wagner, La Parka, La Hiedra, Lady Flammer, Lady Maravilla, and Niño Hamburguesa. But with El Patron’s inclusion—given his troubling past—fans were outraged.

Lucha Blog tried to clarify things, reporting: “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, Ocampo is setting the record straight—and taking shots in the process. On Twitter, he wrote: “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. Their idea is to sign only around 10 to 12 wrestlers from AAA’s current roster. Obviously, this doesn’t mean all of them will wrestle in U.S. shows. It would be difficult for La Hiedra to appear at the same event as Stephanie Vaquer.”

He also added a key update about WWE’s recruitment plans, stating: “Those on the list have already signed. Some from AAA are still pending, along with the ones they hope to bring in from CMLL.” This indicates that WWE isn’t just pulling from AAA—they’re looking at talent from CMLL as well, potentially changing the landscape of lucha libre representation on a global stage.

While El Patron may technically be under contract with AAA, that doesn’t mean WWE has any intention of showcasing him, especially in the U.S. His track record with WWE—releases in 2014 and 2016, legal trouble in 2020, and a battered reputation—make his future unclear.

What’s clear is that WWE is handpicking who they want from AAA, and those decisions go far beyond simply inheriting contracts. With possible CMLL names in play, WWE appears to be strategically reshaping its approach to Latin American wrestling.