WWE is heading into 2023 with some momentum regarding talent acquisition as they’ve signed Dragon Lee to a deal that will see him start training at the Performance Center in January and work in NXT.
As previously reported, WWE was not interested in Dragon Lee until AEW put him on television without a contract. He later had a tryout with WWE, and they signed him to an NXT deal.
Lee got over with the fans in AEW when he was part of Los Ingobernables a few months ago. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer provided insight into why Lee signed with WWE over AEW.
Meltzer explained that it “came down to the idea that right now AEW is so loaded with talent, and as talented as he is, there are so many people who would be ahead of him” that the promotion could push.
AEW already has wrestlers such as Rey Fenix, Penta, Rush, and Bandido under contract. Meltzer added, “as talented as he is, he’d almost surely be lost in the mix in AEW or at least, that was what people who gave him advice believed.”
As previously reported, WWE is hoping to hire other “standout” talent in early 2023 following this signing
