JBL Says WWE Is Using AAA To Build Global Stars – WWE’s working relationship with AAA was on full display at this past weekend’s TripleManiaXXXIII, where Omos and Otis made appearances that immediately sparked speculation about what role they could play in the promotion moving forward. WWE Hall of Famer JBL, who was on commentary for the event, believes the strategy is deliberate. During and interview on “Something to Wrestle With podcast,” he explained that WWE is now using AAA not as a platform for dominance, but as a way to help its talent grow into global stars without taking up valuable main roster television time.
In the past, WWE’s developmental system was entirely internal, with prospects working only within the company’s ecosystem. Under the TKO-led era, that approach has shifted dramatically, as WWE has opened the doors to partnerships with TNA, GCW, and most recently, AAA. According to JBL, this signals a fundamental change in philosophy.
“WWE didn’t come down there to have WWE vs. AAA. They came down there to have AAA. And that’s a big freaking difference… It was just AAA, and that’s incredibly important. That’s terrific foresight by these guys to come down there and maintain the culture and the heritage. And it’s not about WWE talent that’s coming down to show that they’re better. It’s WWE talent coming down to be part of AAA. And that’s a huge paradigm than what has happened so many times when you have companies working with other companies… This is the WWE guys that are down there now as part of AAA trying to make a name for themselves in AAA as a AAA combatant, not as a WWE person coming down there to fight AAA people. It’s a huge difference.”
JBL pointed to Omos as an example of how this approach could pay off in the long term. He noted that Omos went to Japan and lived in the dojo, not as a ready-made star, but as a trainee willing to learn. “What he did in Japan, and he made a huge name for himself… I think it’s gonna be the same in Mexico. That man is a massive star, but that, to me, is one of the appeals of WWE getting AAA because now you don’t have to just stick them on a loaded roster. You can stick them in Mexico, not stick them there, put them there, and they can become huge global stars now. And now, when you bring them back, they’ve already… you don’t have to build put equity into them. They’ve already got it.”
This partnership with AAA highlights WWE’s evolving global strategy—expanding its footprint while creating international credibility for its performers. If successful, it could redefine how WWE develops and presents future stars.
JBL Says WWE Is Using AAA To Build Global Stars
