As previously reported, Lucha libre star Dragon Lee signed a contract with WWE earlier this month and will start with the NXT brand in January. During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer commented on the big signing for WWE:

“The deal was made a couple of weeks ago…but they were told to keep it quiet, and they won’t make the announcement until they won the tag team titles which is very interesting because….he pinned an AEW star which was part of the deal and …. Tony Khan was aware of it … I am sure if this was reversed that it would have never happened. They not gonna have let one of their guys get pinned by somebody from another company. But, the gist of the deal was…it was time for him to make a move. He could not go back to New Japan Pro Wrestling which was his home and where he wanted to work originally and where he would be working for years along with CMLL …. got rid of him because he worked the PWG Battle of Los Angeles couple of years ago, so they wanted nothing to do with him because it was unsanctioned with AAA talent.”

“He was working in Mexico…there is really not a lot money in Mexico … He had a tryout with WWE…AEW wanted him as well, and he was talking to various people, and it’s not … it’s funny because I always see people going for big money, and he is where the money is, and his deal was not … I mean its a bigger money deal than Mexico, but it is not any kind of big money deal. I mean he is getting NXT money… he is not getting main roster money…the situation is that he talked to several people…he was asking several people … a lot of different people that what’s better for me…AEW or WWE, and it’s funny a year ago most of the people would have said AEW for sure…but in fact they said WWE and I don’t if they are wrong….the one thing is that if you look at the current scene now … if he went to AEW…he would probably would go in with probably more money … not appreciably more…but more money…he would probably be used less he probably get frustrated … you know as we said I mean look at all the people on that roster, and they don’t have enough television time, they don’t do enough angles or angles on the streaming stuff.”

WOR: Dave Meltzer discusses WWE's interest in Dragon Lee and how he was on AEW t.v. without a contract.https://t.co/mYdKSjV7fm pic.twitter.com/Wa0gSgZXni

, Wrestling Observer (@WONF4W) December 29, 2022