Connections with reportedly unhappy AEW star, famous wrestling brother - Dragon Lee: 5 things you need to know about WWE's new major signing
The wrestling world has been buzzing for the past day or two following the news of WWE's latest acquisition. Lucha Libre star Dragon Lee revealed to the world that he was signing with the sports entertainment giant and did it in spectacular fashion.
He, alongside his brother Dralistico, defeated All Elite Wrestling stars Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, collectively known as FTR, to win the AAA Tag Team Titles. Immediately after the bout, Dragon Lee took the microphone to thank the fans and then reveal the news: he's joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
WWE surprisingly shared the footage of AAA and in turn the Mexican promotion shared multiple posts from the American-based company. ESPN and Sports Illustrated immediately posted further details on the signing and Triple H publicly welcomed the new signing on Twitter.
Needless to say, there's a lot of hype surrounding Dragon Lee's impending arrival. While fans will get to witness him in action sooner rather than later, there are a handful of interesting things to learn about the Mexican star ahead of his official arrival at the promotion.
Below are five things you need to know about Dragon Lee, WWE's newest major signing.
#5. Dragon Lee is reporting to WWE NXT
Many fans were curious as to where Dragon Lee would appear. WWE has three major brands as of the end of 2022. Monday Night RAW, which airs on USA Network, NXT, which also airs on USA, and Friday Night SmackDown which airs on FOX.
The blue brand has a significant amount of lucha influence. The legendary Rey Mysterio is part of the brand, as is the Legado del Fantasma faction, Angel Garza, and Humberto Carrillo. While the blue brand would seem like the right fit for Lee, he'll actually be debuting as part of NXT.
The developmental brand may prove to be beneficial for Lee. While he's an extraordinary performer, he is working on improving his English and interview skills. He may also need to adjust to WWE's rings and cameras. A run on NXT will make it so he's fully prepared for the main roster.
#4. He comes from a wrestling family and has a famous brother
Dragon Lee is part of a sensational wrestling family. As noted, he was part of a tag team with his brother Dralistico in AAA. Dralistico isn't the only family that Lee has in professional wrestling, however.
His father is a legend in Lucha Libre, best known to fans as La Bestia del Ring. He's also competed under the ring name Pierroth. Yet somehow, there's an even bigger connection for pro wrestling fans in the United States than the legendary Lucha star.
Dragon Lee has another brother who is active in professional wrestling. This, of course, is former Ring of Honor World Champion and current All Elite Wrestling star Rush. Needless to say, Lee's family is filled with incredible stars and talented wrestlers.
#3. Dragon Lee is a former champion in Ring of Honor
Rush isn't the only member of the family to hold gold in Ring of Honor. Dragon Lee wrestled for the popular independent wrestling promotion throughout much of 2019 through 2021 prior to Tony Khan purchasing the company.
While in Ring of Honor, Dragon Lee managed to find quite a bit of success. He captured the ROH World Tag Team Titles on two occasions, with both reigns being alongside Kenny King.
He also managed to win the ROH World Television Championship twice. He first defeated Shane Taylor for the title in 2019. Lee later defeated Tony Deppen to regain the belt in 2021. Despite no longer being a part of the promotion, he'll go down as one of the many key figures in the company's history.
#2. He is closely linked to Andrade El Idolo, formerly known as Andrade "Cien" Almas in WWE
Aside from his family bond with top names, Dragon Lee also has a close association with several pro wrestling stars. Much of this comes from the La Faccion Ingobernable faction, which was an off-shoot of the Los Ingobernable stable.
The group has been seen in several promotions throughout the world, including Ring of Honor, All Elite Wrestling, and AAA. While the group has had several members, some of the most notable include Dragon Lee's family members already mentioned on this list as well as Andrade El Idolo, known as Andrade "Cien" Almas in WWE.
Andrade is considered by many to be one of the best in-ring stars in pro wrestling. He had an incredible run on the NXT brand and even managed to win the United States Championship on the main roster. He's currently part of AEW, but is reportedly unhappy with being part of the promotion and many believe he wants to return to WWE in the future.
#1. Dragon Lee wrestled for All Elite Wrestling earlier this year
Dragon Lee has competed in dozens of wrestling promotions in his career. He spent a long time in AAA and CMLL. He's also spent time wrestling for promotions such as Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Major League Wrestling.
Perhaps his biggest exposure came with his appearances in All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. He appeared on television alongside the likes of Rush and Andrade El Idolo, but his time with the company was short-lived.
Lee only had one major match in AEW, which came on an episode of Dynamite in August. He, alongside Rush and Andrade, battled The Elite. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega ultimately walked out of the bout the victors. Lee quickly left the company to pursue greener pastures in WWE.