Last month, I had the chance to speak with pro wrestling legend Konnan for Inside The Ropes. During our conversation, we discussed a potential run in AEW for his infamous faction, the Latin American Xchange, or LAX. Initially founded in TNA circa 2005, the group has been brought back several times over the years, often with different members but almost always fronted by Konnan. When the group disbanded in Impact in 2019, some of the final members were Homicide, Hernandez, Diamante, Santana, and Ortiz.
Santana and Ortiz, better known as Proud & Powerful, have become staples for All Elite Wrestling in the years since, and the former seems poised for a big return soon. At the moment, outside the ring, the two men appear to be at odds for personal reasons, but Konnan believes that it’s possible they bury the hatchet. If they are able to work together again, an LAX reunion would seem more feasible, and a new contract update could open the door even further.
Fightful reports that Diamante has officially signed a full-time contract with AEW, being bumped up from the company’s “tier zero” deal. Diamante made her AEW debut on an episode of Dark in 2020, and now she finds herself on the official AEW roster page. Outside of AEW appearances, she has also been competing for Ring of Honor, where, just last week, she picked up a victory over Vanessa Kraven.
Diamante’s full-time role helps to expand further the AEW women’s division which includes top names like AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter, TBS Champion Kris Statlander, Saraya, Dr. Britt Baker DMD, Jade Cargill, and more.
It will be interesting to see if AEW’s two flagship shows, Dynamite and Collision, begin to feature women exclusively on each. Tony Khan has played down the idea of a hard brand split but has noted that some stars will be more strongly featured on one show or the other. Reportedly, AEW is hesitant to split the women’s division in two because of fears that there isn’t enough star power depth.