Professional wrestling fans around the world were disheartened when WWE released a large number of talent from its roster, including former world champion Braun Strowman, former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, and fan-favorite Dakota Kai.
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Now, WWE is in the news once again, this time for allegedly signing multiple talent. However, that remains in question.
According to a report from Ernesto Ocampo of Super Luchas, eight fighters from AAA have already signed a WWE contract: current AAA Mega Champion Alberto El Patron, El Hijo Del Vikingo, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner, La Parka, La Hiedra, Lady Flammer, Lady Maravilla, and Niño Hamburguesa.
Los luchadores de #AAA que ya firmaron contrato con #WWE son
— Alberto del Río
— Hijo de Dr. Wagner
— Hijo del Vikingo
— La Parka
— La Hiedra
— Lady Flammer
— Lady Maravilla
— Niño Hamburguesa— Ernesto Ocampo (@ocampoxlaw) May 5, 2025
Of these names, the two most significant are Vikingo and Patron.
El Hijo Del Vikingo is a former AAA Mega Champion and one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. He held the title for 833 days until he had to vacate it due to injury. He was named the fifth-best wrestler in the world by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2023.
Known as Alberto Del Rio in WWE, Patron took home the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, and the United States Championship twice. He also won Money in the Bank in 2011 and the Royal Rumble in 2011.
Patron is considered widely controversial among pro wrestling fans, having been charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault in October 2020. The trial was delayed multiple times. The charges were eventually dropped in December 2021.
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While these reports are interesting, their validity has come into question, with Luchablog saying that Patron was not “given” a contract by WWE, but was carried over from AAA.
“To my knowledge, WWE did not ‘give’ Alberto a contract,” Luchablog said on social media. “AAA signed Alberto to a contract when they decided to build the promotion around him for the last year, and WWE will assume that contract when they take over the company. I don’t think decisions have been made past that.”
to my knowledge, WWE did not “give” Alberto a contract. AAA signed Alberto to a contract when they decided to build the promotion around him for the last year, and WWE will assume that contract when they take over the company. I don’t think decisions have been made past that.
— luchablog (@luchablog) May 5, 2025
“Ernesto [Ocampo] knows a lot I don’t know, but there are people on that list I was previously specifically told did not have a contract, and there are people who I’m fairly certain are signed who are not on that list. It’s also a deal that’s 3 weeks old, a lot still being figured out,” Luchablog concluded.
Ocampo later explained that, because the sale hasn’t been finalized and WWE’s contracts are legally distinct, new contracts were necessary.
“Many fans, especially in the U.S., are assuming that by buying AAA, WWE is also acquiring the contracts. But aside from the fact that the sale hasn’t been finalized, those contracts are of no use to WWE, as WWE’s contracts are legally distinct and include multiple provisions and clauses—such as exclusivity, intellectual property rights, and termination conditions—that AAA’s do not address or enforce. That’s why new contracts are replacing the existing ones.”
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