Cain Velasquez may have already been back in a wrestling ring if WWE had not purchased AAA.
Velasquez was in attendance at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday night for the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Netflix MMA card. His appearance sparked a bigger conversation about where the former UFC Heavyweight Champion could fit next, especially after his past run in AAA and his short-lived time with WWE.
The discussion started after Junior dos Santos lost on the same Netflix card. Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that Junior’s decline made him sad because he always liked him, but he pointed to Junior’s wars with Cain Velasquez as a major turning point in his career.
“That first fight to Cain Velasquez was one of the most unbelievable beatings and Junior was never the same. I mean, I don’t think you could ever be the same after that war that he had. And, you know, I mean, like, yeah, he won fights afterwards and everything, but he just slowed him down. And, you know, you can’t recover, you know.”
Paul compared that damage to another brutal MMA rivalry and then noted that Cain was actually part of the Netflix broadcast. He brought up the idea that, had Junior won, maybe the promotion could have built toward another Cain vs. Junior fight.
“I mean that it’s like Rory and Robbie Lawler, same thing. Were never the same after that fight either. Yeah. And you know, the funny thing they had. I don’t know if you saw this, Dave, because I’m assuming he probably just mostly watched the fights, but they had Cain on the show talk to him before. Oh, yeah. And I mean, if Junior had somehow won, I mean, that’s the fight they could have probably made, you know. They could have done a rematch there.”
Meltzer did not seem convinced that fight was realistic now, but he did say there could still be something out there for Cain. He mentioned Real American Freestyle as one possible landing spot.
“I guess so, you know, but not now. I keep thinking that there’s something for Cain, you know, like, maybe Real American Freestyle or…”
That led to a quick mention of bare knuckle fighting, but Paul said he would not advise Cain to go that route.
“I mean, bare knuckle’s always there. But I wouldn’t do that if I was Cain.”
That is when the conversation shifted directly to AAA, and Meltzer put the focus on WWE’s purchase of the company. According to him, Cain would already be wrestling for AAA if WWE had not taken over.
“No, you know, I’m like, put it this way. I would say this because I know it. I know, actually, I know this one factually. If WWE had not bought Triple A, he would already be wrestling for Triple A.”
That is the key point. This is not being framed as Cain lacking interest or AAA’s old leadership being cold on him. Meltzer said the opposite. The obstacle appears to be WWE’s ownership and the company’s current direction for AAA. Paul then asked whether Cain did not want to go back to AAA, or whether the company did not want him.
“He doesn’t want to go back there or…”
Meltzer answered by pointing to Cain’s WWE exit and saying things did not end well between the two sides.
“They don’t want him, you know. They didn’t leave on the best of terms.”
Meltzer then explained why WWE may not be interested in bringing Cain back through AAA. In his view, WWE’s goals for AAA do not appear to include using Cain as a Mexican celebrity attraction.
“You know, and I don’t think WWE really wants him in the sense of what their goals are. Their goals aren’t, ‘Let’s bring in a Mexican celebrity.’”
That makes WWE’s purchase of AAA the biggest reason Cain may not be back there right now. Velasquez had already worked in AAA before, and the old leadership clearly saw value in him. WWE, however, may be looking at AAA through a completely different lens. Paul then brought up CMLL as another possible option.
“Could he do CMLL?”
Meltzer said Cain might actually enjoy CMLL because of his love for lucha libre, but he did not believe CMLL would spend the kind of money AAA would have spent to bring him in.
“They don’t pay enough to do that. And I mean, I think he might like it. I think he actually might love it because he actually loves lucha libre. But, you know, again, he was a AAA guy. I don’t think CMLL would pay for it like AAA would have.”
Meltzer then made it clear that the old AAA side was very high on Cain. He named Dorian Roldan and Konnan as people who loved Velasquez and would have likely used him for big shows.
“The AAA people, you know, Dorian Roldan, Konnan, those people that were involved, they loved Cain Velasquez.”
He added that he was told Cain would have been brought back if Dorian was still running things.
“I was pretty much told that if it was Dorian’s company, then they would have definitely brought Cain in for big shows because that’s how much they think of him.”
That makes WWE’s involvement stand out even more. Cain had support from the old AAA power structure, but Meltzer said the current company likely would not even consider using him because the goals are different now.
“But with this company, I don’t think it’s even in the — they wouldn’t even consider it because their goals are completely different right now.”
Velasquez’s wrestling future now feels like another casualty of WWE’s AAA takeover. The previous regime appeared ready to use him as a major attraction, especially because of his Mexican heritage, UFC fame, and connection to lucha libre. Now, with WWE steering AAA in a new direction, Cain’s path back to the company may have been shut down before it ever had a chance to happen.
Do you think WWE made the wrong call by not using Cain Velasquez in AAA, or is the company right to move in a different direction with the brand? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
