Corey Graves On How AAA Has Provided a ‘Different Avenue’ For WWE Talent To Shine

Corey Graves says that AAA has been a great way for WWE talent to find a different road within WWE and hone their craft. Graves leads the English commentary for AAA and during WWE’s tenure over the lucha libre promotion, several WWE talent from Dominik Mysterio and Lola Vice to El Grande Americano, Karmen Petrovic, Dragon Lee and more have come across to make appearances.

Corey Graves spoke on Mark Hoke Show ahead of TripleMania 34 about Dominik’s match with Americano at the show, and was asked about how Mysterio has seemed a bit lost on WWE TV. He pointed out that the continuity “doesn’t always line up” between the two and that has allowed talent to do different things. He also noted how coming to AAA has allowed people like Vice to learn a different style, while others like Dragon Lee have been able to showcase what they can do and reap the benefits on WWE TV as well. You can see the highlights below:

On Dominik’s Match & The Continuity Disconnect Between WWE & AAA:

“It’s going to be the — I would dare say at this juncture in his career, probably the biggest match of Dom’s career. And this is a guy who now we’ve watched grow up before our very eyes. But make no mistake, Dominik is a full-grown man. Dom has learned his craft. Dom has become excellent inside the ring. And you have to understand, when it comes to Raw and Smackdown versus AAA, sometimes the continuity doesn’t always line up. Sometimes you’re playing different roles.

“Case in point, myself. On Monday Night Raw or Smackdown with Michael Cole, I’m the color analyst. I get to make jokes; I get to be a little snarky. I get to have a little more fun from that perspective. But in AAA, I’m the play-by-play guy. I’m the one responsible for explaining the stories and who these characters are and conveying the importance of these moments to an English-speaking audience, which generally is not AAA’s wheelhouse.”

On WWE Talent Being Able To Expand Their Presence Via AAA:

“For a guy like Dom, he’s got the same opportunity that so many have had. And I could name Dom off the top of my head. Dragon Lee, Lola Vice, several WWE superstars who have gone to AAA and sort of had the chance to kind of reinvent themselves or really get comfortable in a more familiar setting — that being the world of lucha libre and take their game to the next level.

“Lola Vice is due to arrive on Raw, I believe, in the imminent future. Maybe Monday in Mexico City, as a matter of fact. We’ve been seeing the teasers all over. And she really — as successful as she was in NXT, it was when she went to AAA that she really cut her teeth and got her feet wet in a different style, and got to learn a different style of WWE, of sports entertainment. And again, Dragon Lee’s another guy who went to AAA. They weren’t really doing much with him; he wasn’t getting the opportunities he wanted on Raw and Smackdown. [He] went to AAA — pun heavily intended — set the world on fire, and the WWE officials went, ‘Hey, maybe we can put that guy in the Intercontinental Championship picture,’ or ‘Let’s give Dragon Lee a bit more of a showcase.’ And it’s worked.”

On AAA Being an Attractive Option For WWE Stars:

“That’s kind of the beauty of having these different avenues for our superstars — and all talent, really — to explore is, it’s no longer linear. You have to go to NXT, then you go to one, then you go to the next. Now you can kind of shuffle around. We just saw Damen Priest, the former World Heavyweight Champion, showed up in AAA a few weeks ago. And he couldn’t say enough good about how passionate the fans were, how excited he was for the opportunity.

“Because as amazing as life within WWE can be, it’s a grind. You know, every week — no matter who you are, no matter what you do — you go to the airport, you get to the next town. You go to the hotel, hope you can get some food, lather, rinse, repeat over and over, 52 weeks a year. And arguably right now our schedule’s as busy as it’s ever been. So to have a change of scenery in a sense like AAA has been able to provide has been invaluable for a lot of the talent, and myself included.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Mark Hoke Show with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.