6 hours ago 1

WWE's expanded wrestling universe is suddenly making its product much more interesting

So in the end it was the boys from Los Garza who did what "The Master" Chad Gable couldn't: Triumph over the luchadores and bring an AAA championship back to WWE.

Anyone who missed this weekend's AAA Triplemanía (don't worry, it's currently available free on YouTube) might not have seen the "WWE SmackDown" boys leave Mexico with the luchador promotion's world tag-team titles. It's true that Los Garza's victory is hardly the biggest story in professional wrestling. But it is an interesting example of how WWE's bold strategy of working with other promotions is slowly beginning to take shape.

Who would have guessed two years ago that we'd be in a world where the notoriously territorial WWE was partnering with the likes of TNA, AAA, Pro Wrestling Noah and even GCW to create an extended universe of pro-wrestling? As unlikely outcomes go, it blows the John Cena heel turn out the water. What I wouldn’t give to know what old Vinnie Mac thinks of it all.

In truth, it's still far too early to pass any kind of big-picture judgment on this whole experiment. But six months since WWE surprised us all by announcing a formal partnership with TNA, we're starting to get a picture of what it might mean for the average wrestling fan. And so far? I like what I see.

Just look at what we’ve had over the past two months. Chad Gable delivering the match of a lifetime in an unsuccessful bid to become AAA world champion. TNA's Joe Hendry getting a huge moment at WrestleMania before losing his promotion's biggest prize to NXT's Trick Williams. Nattie Neidhart getting a Rage Against the Machine ring walk at GCW Bloodsport before slapping the crap out of Miyu Yamashita.

Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise these partnerships are creating some fun moments. But what's interesting from this past weekend's Triplemanía event is how they're also opening up genuine opportunities for WWE mid-carders who might otherwise suffer from the wrestling behemoth's pivot away from house shows and general squeeze on getting decent TV time.

It isn't just that there are more chances to get booked and more titles to chase. It's the fact that the WWE working with promotions like GCW and AAA hugely expands the different ways you can build a name for yourself in the promotion.

Take Bloodsport, for example. How many times has WWE toyed with the idea of some kind of combat sports/wrestling fusion only to end with egg on their face? Now they've taken the much smarter move of partnering with someone who actually knows how to do it.

From a star-making perspective that's a serious benefit for someone like Charlie Dempsey in NXT, who can go throw hands in Bloodsport (as he did back in Las Vegas in April) and come away with an amazing package video that will make him look fearsome as hell when he goes to the WWE main roster. Not least since the average WWE casual fan probably hasn't seen a single Bloodsport match.

It also opens the door for wrestlers who might not fit the typical WWE mold. Look at the positive backstage reaction to TNA's Mike Santana after his NXT appearance, for example. The heavy-set brawler is exactly the sort of rough-diamond type who wouldn't have gotten near Titan Towers a few years ago. Under this new working arrangement with TNA, he can prove himself on his own terms and end up with WWE interested in signing him.

The same goes for those former WWE names who have gone on to have decent runs in TNA. We've already seen Elias/Elijah and Top Dolla/AJ Francis pop up in NXT, less than two years after being let go from the company. Hopefully that will open the door for someone like Mustafa Ali, who most people think should never have been released in the first place, or Matt Cardona, who has been tipped for a WWE return for ages now.

Again, it’s still too early to judge what this all means for pro-wrestling in the long run. If WWE's long game is to turn the partner promotions into glorified developmental programs and snatch up all the best talent ... well, that sounds less positive.

We'll also need to see how well the whole development path works out in practice. We saw how adept Karrion Kross was in terms of turning his Bloodsport match into a massive promotional boost earlier this year. But has it gotten him more TV time now he's back to the grind in WWE? Not yet.

And what about those names who WWE was glad to see the back of but who might end up making a comeback elsewhere? Already there are reports that WWE wants nothing to do with Alberto del Rio/Alberto El Patrón, who has been working with AAA and appeared on this weekend’s Triplemanía. If that’s the case, does that mean TNA wouldn't sign someone like Matt Riddle, who Triple H regards as a troublemaker?

All questions to keep in mind. But right now things are looking good for this whole extended universe thing. If it means more shows like Worlds Collide, we're all winners, right?