In a significant development that highlights WWE’s growing partnership with Mexican wrestling giant AAA, WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield (JBL) has announced that he will join the commentary team for the upcoming TripleMania XXXIII event in Mexico City. JBL will be providing English commentary alongside WWE’s Raw lead announcer Corey Graves and lucha legend Konnan for the mega-event taking place on August 16, 2025, at the Arena Ciudad de México. The show will stream live and free worldwide on AAA’s official YouTube channel, with English and Spanish commentary options available[1][2][4].

JBL broke the news during a recent episode of the popular Something to Wrestle With podcast hosted by Conrad Thompson. Expressing his excitement, JBL described this opportunity as “groundbreaking” and made it clear that though it wasn’t a traditional WWE contract, the invitation to commentate at TripleMania was a special engagement. He said, “I just got the deal from WWE — not a deal. They asked me to come out to do commentary. Some of you call that a deal or not. It’s an engagement, it’s an appearance, whatever you want to call it. But I’m very excited to go be a part of TripleMania”[1][4][5].

The involvement of JBL adds significant star power to AAA’s biggest annual event and underscores the increasingly close relationship between WWE and AAA following WWE’s acquisition of a majority stake in AAA earlier this year. WWE’s Corey Graves, who was previously announced as the lead English commentator for the broadcast, will team with JBL and Konnan, a Mexican wrestling icon and former wrestler turned commentator. This trio aims to bring a new level of commentary excitement and insider expertise to the broadcast, appealing to both American and international wrestling audiences[2][3][4].

JBL’s ties with AAA run deep and date back to his wrestling career in the early 1990s when he first worked with the promotion. On the podcast, he reflected fondly on his personal connection to AAA and its history, sharing praise for current AAA executive Dorian Roldán and the late AAA founder Antonio Peña. JBL also spoke highly of Konnan, calling him a “legend of Lucha Libre” and signaling the mutual respect that will be evident in the commentary team’s chemistry during the show[2][3][4].

“This is going to be a lot of fun down there,” JBL said candidly. “I’ve been going down there ever since the early 90s. That’s where I first met Konnan right after the first TripleManía which he headlined by the way. I think it was the biggest crowd in AAA history down there… When they called last week to ask me, it didn’t take more than a nanosecond to say yes”[4].

Sources close to WWE revealed to Fightful that the decision to include JBL as a guest commentator was part of a broader strategy to elevate AAA’s profile in the North American market by leveraging familiar WWE personalities. This strategy coincides with WWE’s efforts to internationalize its content and attract diverse audiences in Latin America and beyond, especially with AAA’s historic TripleMania event now under WWE’s organizational umbrella[5].

The addition of JBL to the commentary booth at TripleMania XXXIII also marks a new chapter for the event itself, which has traditionally been a cornerstone of the Lucha Libre scene and a cultural phenomenon in Mexico. ASIC’s control and WWE’s infusion of resources and talent have enabled TripleMania to become more accessible to a global audience — a goal JBL and Graves both embrace.

WWE.com has highlighted TripleMania XXXIII as a major milestone for both companies, noting that WWE’s involvement brings broader exposure, including special English commentary tailored to WWE’s fanbase. WWE Hall of Famer JBL’s presence is expected to reinforce the event’s importance, blending American and Mexican wrestling storytelling in a unique broadcast offering[4].

Fans can tune in to AAA TripleMania XXXIII on August 16, 2025, with free streaming live on AAA’s YouTube channel featuring live English commentary from JBL, Corey Graves, and Konnan. This event is poised to be one of the most dynamic TripleMania broadcasts in recent memory thanks to this unprecedented collaboration.

Backstage Insight

According to a WWE insider who wished to remain anonymous, “JBL’s role at TripleMania is more than just commentary. It’s a bridge between WWE’s storytelling style and AAA’s lucha libre tradition. WWE is very deliberate in selecting personalities who understand both worlds, and JBL fits perfectly because of his historic ties and deep respect for Mexican wrestling culture. This is just the beginning of WWE’s plans for expanded cross-promotion with AAA.”

With such a star-studded commentary team and a collaboration between two wrestling powerhouses, TripleMania XXXIII is set to deliver a landmark experience for wrestling fans worldwide.

Keywords: WWE Hall of Famer, JBL commentary, AAA TripleMania XXXIII, Corey Graves, Konnan, WWE AAA partnership, wrestling commentary, TripleMania live stream