AEW has been able to foster relationships with multiple promotions in its relatively young lifespan, and it appears another one could be forming with the world’s oldest active promotion, CMLL, based on a new statement from the company.

The original impetus for this was the announcement that CMLL star Mistico would be wrestling New Japan’s Rocky Romero on the October 20 edition of AEW Rampage. Romero has been competing regularly in CMLL over the last two years and is currently the NWA World Historic Welterweight Champion for the promotion, while Mistico is the current NWA World Historic Middleweight Champion. While the match is billed as determining “Mexico’s pound-for-pound crown,” it is not clear if either title is being defended.

Following the announcement, CMLL issued a statement on X sharing its excitement about the match and the possible doors it could open with AEW. The statement said CMLL hopes this will be “the exciting start of a new era,” according to a translation from Fightful. It added “both companies share a common vision in taking the sport to new horizon” and it looking forward “to explore future opportunities together.”

AEW CEO and President Tony Khan followed up on this, sharing his own excitement about what a potential relationship with CMLL could bring.

The precedent is there for a potential partnership between AEW and CMLL thanks to their mutual partner, New Japan Pro-Wrestling. New Japan and CMLL have been partners for several years, with both companies sharing talent and two running several co-promoted shows.

A long-term CMLL/AEW partnership could face one notable hurdle, though, in the form of CMLL’s rival promotion – AAA. The two Mexican promotions have a very contentious history rooted in a very bitter split between CMLL and booker Antonio Pena, who would help found AAA in 1992 alongside former-CMLL stars such as Rey Mysterio and Konnan. In turn, CMLL refused to book any AAA-associated talent or work with companies partnered with AAA, which AEW has been since its inception in 2019.

That being said, CMLL talent appearing on AEW Rampage could be the first sign of the proverbial ice-thawing between CMLL and AAA.