WWE Almost Purchased Mexican CMLL Promotion A Few Years Ago

WWE almost purchased the CMLL promotion a few years ago.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed WWE wanted to get in on the Mexican wrestling scene but the deal ultimately fell apart over arenas, which WWE wasn't prepared to buy.

"While not known about, there were talks a few years back of WWE buying CMLL. WWE wanted to run Mexico with the idea it could get the cream of the cream talent in Mexico and then groom some of them for the U.S. market. The belief was that if they owned CMLL and got all the top talent, that AAA wouldn’t be able to keep its talent and they’d have the best of both. Where the deal fell apart was for CMLL to sell, they wanted selling the arenas as part of the deal and WWE didn’t want to own so many older arenas."

Founded in 1933, CMLL is the oldest professional wrestling promotion still in existence.