Dragon Lee recently announced he was signed with WWE after Lee and Dralistico’s match at AAA Noche De Campeones.
As previously reported, he is slated to start training at the Performance Center in January and work in NXT. This is after WWE wasn’t interested in him until they realized he was working on AEW television without a contract, so they invited him to a tryout, and signed him to an NXT deal.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that AEW also made him an offer to sign a full-time deal with them.
Regarding his contract with WWE, it’s more than he was making in Mexico, but “the WWE offer was above the standard NXT-level money, but not main roster money.”
WWE contracts have a confidentiality clause in that the talent and their representatives are not allowed to reveal the dollar amount. Should he get called up to the main roster then the bottom number for the main roster is $250,000 per year.
“The belief is that he would be the highest-paid NXT wrestler now that Mandy Rose is no longer working with the brand. It’s a three-year deal and does call for pay increases with each year, but the hope and certainly the feeling he was given is he would have a main roster contract and be brought up in 2024.”
Meltzer also reported why Lee signed a full-time deal with WWE instead of AEW. It’s a big signing for WWE as they hope he can be their next big Hispanic star, in addition to WWE hoping to hire other “standout” talent in early 2023.
