Backstage News On WWE Signing Dragon Lee – As noted, top international star Dragon Lee has signed with WWE and will be moving to Orlando to begin at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando next month.
Lee announced the signing after he and brother Dralistico defeated FTR to capture the AAA World Tag Team Titles at last night’s AAA Noche de Campeones event.
Lee finished up with AAA last night but the company wanted to book him on top on his way out, and there’s still no word yet on what will happen to the titles but Lee did relinquish after the match.
While speaking on today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed the signing. Lee and Dralistico beat AEW’s FTR at Wednesday’s show to win the AAA Tag Team Championships only to vacate them right after the match.
“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. Tony Khan was aware of it. I am sure if this was reversed that it would have never happened.”
Meltzer continued, “He was working in Mexico, and there is not a lot of money in Mexico. He and Dralisico had a tryout with WWE, and they wanted him. AEW wanted him as well. He was talking to various people.”
Meltzer noted that Lee didn’t sign with WWE for big money as he’s under an NXT deal. Meltzer noted that WWE became interested in him when AEW put him on television without any contract.
“Like with Bandido, WWE’s interest in Dragon Lee came when they found out that AEW put this guy on television with no contract. So it was kind of like, ‘We can swoop in.’ That was one of the things. They came after him after that deal, and right after that, he was signed, but he was signed a couple of weeks back. That was the catalyst of it was them finding out that AEW put a guy on television with no deal.”
WWE’s Head of Talent Strategy & Operations James Kimball told ESPN that Lee’s signing will immediately add value to NXT.
“Dragon Lee is a tremendous talent that will immediately add value to the NXT roster,” Kimball said. “This signing is reflective of WWE’s renewed emphasis on globalizing our talent pipeline with Latin America positioned as a focal market.”
Lee said being in WW was always the “dream” as he wants to follow in the footsteps of wrestlers he watched growing up, such as Michaels, Batista, and Rey Mysterio.
“I think I can become the new Rey Mysterio in WWE,” Lee said. “I just need the opportunity.”
Lee noted that in the past he previously spoke with former WWE Senior Director of Talent Development Canyon Ceman, but he got the ball rolling again a few months back after a talk with Finn Balor. Lee then worked with Kimball and Trent Wilfinger, who works as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development.
“[Balor] told me, ‘Would you like to be in WWE?’” Lee said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Yeah, sure. Why not?’ … It was something special for me.”
Lee said one of his goals is to work on becoming a more well-rounded performer. He noted that he has been diligently working on his English and his ability to connect with fans on the mic.
“It’s my challenge to learn more about promos,” Lee said. “You will never finish learning in pro wrestling. But every time you wrestle, you learn. But about promos, it’s something new for me. I would like to learn something new, how to become not just a wrestler — an artist.”
Triple H took to Twitter overnight to re-tweet footage from the official NXT Twitter account, of Lee announcing his signing at the AAA event. Triple H responded and said Lee’s next chapter begins with NXT.
“An unbelievable athlete who has collected accolades and held championships across the globe… and he’s just getting started. The next chapter of @dragonlee95’s career begins with @WWENXT!,” he wrote.
Lee wrote back and thanked Triple H.
“Thank you for the opportunity [folded hands emoji],” he wrote.
Backstage News On WWE Signing Dragon Lee
