Mexican lucha libre star Dragon Lee signs deal with WWE - ESPN

WWE has landed 1 of the apical names successful Mexican lucha libre.

Dragon Lee, an elite in-ring worker, signed a woody with WWE earlier this period and volition commencement with the promotion successful January, helium told ESPN.

Lee finished up Wednesday with Mexico's Lucha Libre AAA promotion, a tag squad lucifer with his member Dralistico against FTR for AAA's tag titles. The plan, helium said, was to statesman with WWE successful January, starting with developmental marque NXT.

Lee, a 27-year-old who wrestles nether a mask, has been a champion successful New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, AAA and CMLL, Mexico's oldest promotion. He comes from a wrestling family. Lee's begetter is simply a luchador named La Bestia del Ring. Lee has been teaming with his member Dralistico successful Mexico precocious and different brother, Rush, performs for AEW. He volition determination with his household to Orlando successful the adjacent aboriginal for the accidental with WWE.

The signing of Lee is notable arsenic WWE continues to grow globally with a propulsion toward developmental territories successful respective different countries successful 2023. Latin America is simply a precedence for the promotion, sources said. Shawn Michaels, the legendary erstwhile champion and present WWE's elder vice president of endowment improvement originative moving NXT, mentioned precocious that the promotion is looking astatine an NXT Mexico branch.

"Dragon Lee is simply a tremendous endowment that volition instantly adhd worth to the NXT roster," James Kimball, WWE's caput of endowment strategy and operations, said. "This signing is reflective of WWE's renewed accent connected globalizing our endowment pipeline with Latin America positioned arsenic a focal market."

Though helium had a lucifer teaming with Rush and adjacent person Andrade successful AEW backmost successful August, Lee said being successful WWE was ever the "dream" and helium wants to travel successful the footsteps of legends helium watched increasing up, similar Michaels, Batista and, of course, Rey Mysterio Jr., the astir celebrated masked luchador of each time.

"I deliberation I tin go the caller Rey Mysterio successful WWE," Lee said. "I conscionable request the opportunity."

Lee said helium spoke successful the past with erstwhile WWE endowment relations exec Canyon Ceman, but the shot got rolling again aft a speech with WWE prima Finn Balor a fewer months ago. Lee past worked with James Kimball and Trent Wilfinger, WWE endowment strategy and improvement mavens, en way to signing a declaration successful aboriginal December.

"[Balor] told me, 'Would you similar to beryllium successful WWE?'" Lee said with a laugh. "I said, 'Yeah, sure. Why not?' ... It was thing peculiar for me."

One of Lee's goals, helium said, was to enactment connected becoming a much well-rounded performer. In the ring, helium is 1 of the apical wrestlers successful the satellite with the quality to enactment antithetic styles from lucha libre to striking-heavy beardown benignant to a technical, mat-based match. Lee said helium has been diligently moving connected his English and his quality to link with fans connected the microphone.

"It's my situation to larn much astir promos," Lee said. "You volition ne'er decorativeness learning successful pro wrestling. But each clip you wrestle, you learn. But astir promos, it's thing caller for me. I would similar to larn thing new, however to go not conscionable a wrestler -- an artist."