More Details On WWE Buying AAA, Including Timeline & Status Of El Hijo Del Vikingo

WWE made the shocking announcement that it acquired Lucha Libre promotion AAA on Saturday. The sudden acquisition throws the wrestling landscape into chaos, especially in North America, where AAA had maintained a sizeable presence. On "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer broke down the deal and how it will affect things going forward.

"AAA has been wanting this for 18 years. They've always been wanting someone with money to come in and put money in," Meltzer said, noting that the deal will allow the company to expand in ways they've not yet been able. Meltzer also said that there have been deals in the past that never came together. "There have been talks that would've involved WWE in control of AAA for a while."

Meltzer points out that WWE clearly had a hand in Dragon Lee's controversial AAA departure, where he vacated the AAA Tag Team Titles right after winning them from AEW stars Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. AEW management was not happy with Dragon Lee making the moment about his WWE signing.

"I'm sure AAA wanted to make a deal; they were obviously kissing up to WWE [with the Dragon Lee situation]," Meltzer explained. "[A sale has] been brewing for well over a year."

AAA was initially reluctant to WWE having control over the company, which is why the deal did not come together sooner. Meltzer also derided Paul Levesque's comments about keeping the promotion a "traditional" lucha libre promotion, as there hasn't been anything "traditional" about the promotion in his eyes since 2000.

"As far as what WWE's gonna want to do...remains to be seen," Meltzer said, guessing that WWE is also going to look for other companies to buy. "There's so many questions...Are they going to keep Alberto [Del Rio] as World Champion...Is Dorian gonna be running it with new money or are they going to send their own people? Which inevitably [WWE] will...Obviously Vikingo is going to be doing something because of [his participation at WrestleMania 41]."

AAA's chief rival CMLL, now finds themselves competing against a WWE-backed entity. Meltzer thinks that AAA will now have a much bigger bargaining chip in negotiating with Mexican stars.

"Obviously, I think that Rey [Fenix] and Penta will do shows for AAA. Penta's very over, Rey is like a god there...The question is will they try to raid CMLL? With WWE money -the CMLL guys don't make giant money...Will they try to raid those guys? I think in time they probably will. Especially when they see the business CMLL is doing...That's going to change the dynamic in Mexico greatly."

Meltzer also wonders if AAA will remain in Mexico or if the company will expand to the United States as well, or if it will force CMLL's hand to do similar. As it stands, CMLL has partnerships with NJPW and AEW, but not to a level where they could receive similar funding to what AAA could possibly receive under WWE. AAA currently has a partnership with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan, which has also hosted WWE stars in the past.

AAA and WWE will present Worlds Collide during Money In The Bank weekend in June, with the show happening at the Kia Forum the afternoon before Money In The Bank.