Behind the scenes of Dragon Lee's WWE deal

Lee wished to work in Japan's wrestling promotion, NJPW, but following his firing by CMLL back in 2019, he had no option but to continue wrestling in Mexico. Both WWE and AEW showed interest in signing Lee, and since a move to the United States meant more money, Lee's decision was pretty easy, a notion Meltzer commented on as well. Him and Dralistico had a tryout with WWE. And they wanted him. AEW wanted him as well...it's a bigger money deal than Mexico, but it is not any kind of a big money deal. He's getting NXT money, he's not getting main roster money.

...so he could make a little bit more money [in AEW] and probably not wrestle a lot, or he could go to NXT. He is a super talented guy, and he could be a focal point over there.

In NXT is probably, for right now, for him as far as being able to wrestle, being able to get a push and things like that, it is the best place for him in the United States right now, and it's the place that he chose. Ultimately, AEW have only themselves to blame for not getting Lee's signature. WWE's interest in Dragon Lee came when they found out that AEW put this guy on television with no contract. So it was kind of like, we can swoop in....that was the catalyst of it, was them finding out that AEW had put a guy on television with no deal. https://twitter.com/TripleH/status/1608324049628807168

Regardless of how the deal went down, several people, including his brother Rush and WWE's chief content officer, Triple H, were quick to congratulate him on the move. WWE fans will also be looking forward to watching the Mexican wrestler make his debut in the ring.

Speaking of masked wrestlers in the WWE, the wrestling promotion is setting up what could be Rey Mysterio's retirement match against his son, Dominic, at WrestleMania 39.