Sam Adonis Comments On Transitioning From CMLL To AAA, Says It Cost Him An Opportunity With NJPW

Sam Adonis is happy to be with AAA, although it supposedly cost him a big opportunity within the wrestling world.

Sam Adonis is a big name in the sport of pro wrestling right now. Adonis has managed to create a good amount of buzz by wrestling for many big companies like MLW, the NWA, AAA, and Warrior Wrestling. 

Despite his current success, it’s unlikely that Adonis will be appearing for New Japan Pro Wrestling anytime in the near future. In a recent interview with Tru Heel Heat, Adonis talked about his transition from CMLL to AAA and how it cost him a chance on NJPW STRONG.

“It would be, so the best way to compare it would be CMLL would almost be considered a professional sport, whereas AAA is almost like a TV company, an entertainment group. They both have their benefits, I learned so much from CMLL. The only reason I’m in the position I am right now is because CMLL gave me credibility to be looked at by AAA as a legitimate luchador. You’d laugh because a lot of the matches I had there, my job was to be the American heel, you know, but I had to learn all the crazy lucha stuff that you see in all these matches that the cruiserweights are doing. There’s so many people who had no idea what I can do while I was there because I was just doing my job. Whereas now, those guys in Mexico see me as a CMLL wrestler and they say ‘come on well shit, he’s gotta be good. You cannot wrestle for CMLL without passing those tests and doing those workouts’. So that gave me the credibility with AAA and now I work with Konnan, he’s the booker. He’s fantastic, he’s such a genius on every level of wrestling. It’s just cool now to be in that position and have the credibility. But there’s tension and there’s always gonna be the CMLL fans hate the AAA fans. Most of the wrestlers could not care less, I’m still cool with a lot of the CMLL wrestlers. We would never get a picture together posted online, it’s not worth it. I think that’s more of a CMLL thing than a AAA thing. My bosses could care less, they’re chill. They know it’s apples and oranges, CMLL is so hard headed. But I actually lost out on an opportunity with New Japan STRONG because of CMLL. Apparently I’m on a black list because of the fact that two years after I left CMLL, I still have to pay my bills and started working for their competition. Now because I made the jump, oh nope New Japan won’t cut you because you work with AAA.”

Back in late 2021, Adonis explained why he signed a deal with Major League Wrestling, who often works with AAA. To learn more, click here.

Fans can find results from past MLW, AAA, and CMLL events in Fightful’s results section.

Special thanks to Tru Heel Heat for the quote(s).