As noted, top international star Dragon Lee has signed with WWE and will be moving to Orlando to begin at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando next month. Lee announced the signing after he and brother Dralistico defeated FTR to capture the AAA World Tag Team Titles at last night’s AAA Noche de Campeones event. You can
click here for details on the title change, along with photos and video. Lee finished up with AAA last night but the company wanted to book him on top on his way out, and there’s still no word yet on what will happen to the titles.
In an update, ESPN’s
Marc Raimondi notes that Lee signed his contract with WWE earlier this month. He will begin with WWE NXT in January.
WWE signing Lee is notable as the company continues to expand globally with a push towards developmental territories in other countries next year. Raimondi noted that Latin America is a priority for WWE, which is in line with recent comments made by WWE Hall of Famer & Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels, who recently mentioned how WWE is looking at a NXT Mexico brand.
WWE’s Head of Talent Strategy & Operations James Kimball told ESPN that Lee’s signing will immediately add value to NXT.
“Dragon Lee is a tremendous talent that will immediately add value to the NXT roster,” Kimball said. “This signing is reflective of WWE’s renewed emphasis on globalizing our talent pipeline with Latin America positioned as a focal market.”
Lee said being in WW was always the “dream” as he wants to follow in the footsteps of wrestlers he watched growing up, such as Michaels, Batista, and Rey Mysterio.
“I think I can become the new Rey Mysterio in WWE,” Lee said. “I just need the opportunity.”
Lee noted that in the past he previously spoke with former WWE Senior Director of Talent Development Canyon Ceman, but he got the ball rolling again a few months back after a talk with Finn Balor. Lee then worked with Kimball and Trent Wilfinger, who works as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development.
“[Balor] told me, ‘Would you like to be in WWE?'” Lee said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Yeah, sure. Why not?’ … It was something special for me.”
Lee said one of his goals is to work on becoming a more well-rounded performer. He noted that he has been diligently working on his English and his ability to connect with fans on the mic.
“It’s my challenge to learn more about promos,” Lee said. “You will never finish learning in pro wrestling. But every time you wrestle, you learn. But about promos, it’s something new for me. I would like to learn something new, how to become not just a wrestler — an artist.”
