The appearances of WWE Superstars like Omos and Otis at this past weekend’s AAA TripleMania event has fans speculating about their roles in the promotion going forward. According to WWE Hall of Famer JBL, he thinks the company is now using AAA as a way to build talent into “huge global stars” without utilizing valuable main roster television time.
For years, WWE’s developmental system was a closed circuit, with talent working exclusively within the company’s ecosystem. The new TKO-led era has seen a dramatic change, with WWE forming partnerships with promotions like TNA, GCW, and now, the newly acquired AAA.
A “Huge Difference” in Approach
JBL, who was on commentary for TripleMania, explained this new paradigm on his Something to Wrestle With podcast. He said that WWE is not sending its talent to these promotions to simply dominate the local stars, but rather to become a part of that promotion’s world.
“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.”
Creating “Huge Global Stars”
JBL sees this new strategy as a brilliant way to build the equity of performers like Omos. By having him become a star in international promotions like Japan and Mexico, he can return to WWE’s main roster as a much bigger attraction.
“Omos went to Japan. He lived in the dojo… Omos went over there and actually trained. He didn’t go over there as a superstar. He went over there as one of the young guys learning. I mean, it’s pretty cool. What he did in Japan, and he made a huge name for himself… I think it’s gonna be the same in Mexico. I mean, 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.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
