The appearances of WWE Superstars Omos and Otis at this past weekend’s AAA TripleMania event sparked plenty of speculation about their future involvement in the promotion.
According to WWE Hall of Famer JBL, the partnership is part of WWE’s new strategy to create “huge global stars” without having to use up valuable main roster television time.
For years, WWE’s developmental system functioned as a closed circuit, with talent working exclusively within the company’s ecosystem. In the new TKO-led era, that approach has shifted dramatically, with WWE partnering with promotions like TNA, GCW, and now, the newly acquired AAA.
JBL, who was on commentary for TripleMania, discussed this new philosophy on his Something to Wrestle With podcast. He made it clear that WWE is not sending its talent to simply dominate, but to integrate into the fabric of those promotions.
He said, “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.”
JBL singled out Omos as someone who could benefit enormously from this strategy, recalling his time training in Japan before stepping onto the main roster. “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 continued, “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 put equity into them. They’ve already got it.”
With WWE’s new partnerships, JBL sees this as a win-win for the company and its stars: respecting international wrestling cultures while building performers into global attractions who return to WWE with established credibility and equity.
