Dave Meltzer Sounds Off on WWE’s Strategic Moves with AAA and TNA: Control, Cash, and a Jab at AEW
Los Angeles, September 16, 2025 — In the ever-shifting sands of pro wrestling’s corporate battlefield, few voices carry more weight than Dave Meltzer’s. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder has long been the industry’s unofficial scorekeeper, dissecting deals and drama with a mix of insider scoops and sharp skepticism. Lately, he’s turned his lens on WWE’s aggressive plays with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and TNA Wrestling—acquisitions and partnerships that smell like a masterclass in consolidation to him. Speaking on “Wrestling Observer Radio” and in his newsletter, Meltzer paints WWE as a chess player aiming to lock down talent pipelines, boost rivals-turned-allies, and maybe even squeeze out competition like AEW in the process. It’s classic TKO-era WWE: less about the mat, more about the money.
Locking Down Lucha: WWE’s AAA Buyout and the Contract Clampdown
Meltzer’s take on WWE’s May acquisition of AAA is equal parts admiration and cautionary tale. The deal, announced just before WrestleMania 41, turned heads by folding Mexico’s flashy lucha promotion into the WWE fold, giving the U.S. giant a direct line to high-flying talent and international markets. But Meltzer, chatting about the Worlds Collide event on his radio show, zeroed in on the fine print: WWE didn’t just buy the brand—they went on a signing spree to secure every key performer before the curtain even rose.
“All the people that they’re using, they signed a lot of them to contracts, including people who are not even on this show,” Meltzer explained, noting the preemptive strikes on stars like Iguana and Yezka, who stole the spotlight at Money in the Bank. “The last thing they want is somebody’s on this show, and Tony Khan goes and signs them because they’re not under contract.” It’s a savvy hedge against poaching, especially with AEW’s history of snapping up lucha libre gems like Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix. Meltzer sees it as WWE flexing its muscle to control the narrative—and the roster—in a genre where crossovers can make or break buzz.
The ripple effects? CMLL, Mexico’s traditional powerhouse, hasn’t said a peep publicly, but Meltzer caught the shade: subtle broadcast plugs for being “100% Mexicana” in Guadalajara, a not-so-veiled dig at WWE’s new toy. AAA’s CEO Dorian Roldan, meanwhile, is all in, eyeing WWE stars like the Mysterios to juice TV ratings and ticket sales. Meltzer buys the optimism but warns of cultural clashes: “CMLL’s sticking to their guns on booking philosophy because they see AAA as sold out now.” It’s a divide that could leave lucha fans picking sides, with WWE potentially turning AAA into a feeder system rather than a standalone force.
TNA’s Glow-Up: From Partner to Potential Pawn?
If AAA’s story is about acquisition, TNA’s is a slow-burn alliance that’s got Meltzer eyeing the endgame. The working relationship, kicked off in early 2024 with crossovers on NXT and TNA Impact, has been a boon for the smaller promotion—Meltzer credits it for spiking TNA’s PPV buys and live gates from 500-800 to sold-out 2,000 crowds. “The WWE stuff with TNA has definitely helped them,” he noted, pointing to how developmental talent jobs cleanly to TNA stars, letting folks like Jordynne Grace shine without burying WWE’s future.
But here’s where Meltzer gets spicy: The pact isn’t just friendly fire—it’s a power play. In his August newsletter, he revealed WWE built in an option to buy TNA outright or match any bids, amid rumors of interest from ex-UFC boss Lorenzo Fertitta. “WWE really want TNA to become the other promotion because they can control TNA,” Meltzer said on radio, framing it as a “full-court press” to kneecap AEW. With TNA’s media rights up for grabs—potentially pitting Impact against Dynamite on Wednesdays—Meltzer speculates WWE could prop TNA as No. 2, using it for international TV leverage and talent scouting.
He doesn’t see a full buyout happening—”It wouldn’t make business sense”—but a friendly owner under WWE’s thumb? That’s gold for TKO execs dreaming of AEW as a distant third. Recent TNA exits—like Josh Alexander, AJ Francis, and Speedball Mike Bailey—have Meltzer pondering if stars are jumping ship amid uncertainty, though he ties some to expiring deals and AEW/WWE poaching. On TV deals, he’s blunt: TNA topping AEW’s numbers? Only on USA or Fox, not A&E’s docu-series graveyard.
The Bigger Bout: WWE’s Squeeze on the Indie Scene
Meltzer’s overarching read? WWE’s handling of AAA and TNA is less about nostalgia and more about monopoly vibes. By snapping up AAA, they neutralize a lucha rival and plug talent gaps; with TNA, it’s elevation with strings attached, all while chipping at AEW’s aura. “You can see the podcasters already declaring TNA as number two,” he quipped, warning of perception wars that hurt AEW’s global push. Fans on Reddit echo the cynicism—some call Meltzer biased against TNA for its ROH rivalry days, but his track record on deals like this holds water.
In a landscape where WWE’s TV dominance is locked through 2031, these moves feel like empire-building. Meltzer’s not predicting doom for indies, but he is saying: Watch the board. As TNA’s Genesis PPV looms and AAA integrates deeper, will this “handling” spark a renaissance or just more WWE fingerprints? One thing’s clear—Meltzer’s got the popcorn ready.