Andrade El Idolo has opened up about the circumstances that led to the end of his second WWE run, describing a combination of personal discomfort, uncertain creative direction and a disagreement over a proposed opportunity in AAA.
Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, the AEW wrestler reflected on a WWE return that lasted roughly a year and a half before his departure. Andrade said that working in the same company as his former wife, Charlotte Flair, felt awkward after their divorce. He also said he did not feel settled in the environment or confident that there was a clear long-term plan for him.
“I’m back to WWE, working with my ex-wife [was] feeling like little weird,” Andrade said. “Not feeling [at] home or not feeling like comfy, you know.”
Andrade’s comments offer his perspective on a return that carried significant expectations. His standing as an internationally established performer, coupled with the history he had built in WWE before first leaving the company, made his reappearance a notable development. But Andrade indicated that the experience did not provide the direction he had hoped to receive when he signed back with WWE.
For more background on this topic, read Jim Duggan Says Wrestling’s Success Stories Deserve More Attention Than ‘Crying And Whining’.
Andrade says WWE did not offer a clear direction
Beyond the personal dynamics that he said made the situation difficult, Andrade pointed to the stories and creative opportunities presented to him. He said WWE did not give him what he considered a strong, specific program or a defined direction to build toward.
“The story they give me, they did not give me a specific good story, [or] direction,” Andrade said.
For a wrestler with Andrade’s ambitions, clarity of purpose was central to the issue. He described wanting to work with the company’s biggest names and to be positioned in major programs that could elevate him before WWE’s global audience. Rather than seeing a route toward that goal, he said he was presented with the possibility of working in AAA.
Andrade made clear that he holds respect for AAA and for Mexican wrestling. However, he did not see a move to the promotion as matching the reason he had returned to WWE in the first place. His argument was rooted in reach and visibility: he believed he had already established himself in Mexico, while WWE’s worldwide platform represented an opportunity to expand his recognition in markets around the globe.
“I moved here to work with WWE. I know AAA, I respect AAA, I respect all the companies. But the WWE is worldwide and AAA is just in Mexico. People in Mexico know me, so why [should I] work in AAA.”
Andrade contrasted the audiences he could reach through WWE’s international television, streaming and event footprint with the profile he had already built in Mexico. He cited countries including Australia, Saudi Arabia and nations across Europe while explaining that he wanted to become more recognizable outside the territory where he had already made his name.
His comments were not framed as a dismissal of AAA’s place in wrestling. Instead, Andrade described a difference between respecting a promotion and believing that a particular assignment served his own career goals at that moment. From his perspective, he had come back to WWE to compete at the highest level within that system, not to return to a Mexican promotion where he felt audiences were already familiar with him.
The AAA proposal did not fit Andrade’s goal
The reported proposal became a key point in Andrade’s explanation because it highlighted the gap between what he wanted from WWE and what he felt was being offered. Andrade said he wanted the chance to work against top-level WWE talent and be part of programs with major stakes. A potential run in AAA did not represent that path in his view.
“I want people to know me around the world,” Andrade said, explaining his desire to be visible in the many international markets where WWE programming can be watched.
That ambition has been a consistent part of Andrade’s identity as a performer. He has long presented himself as a wrestler whose style and career can travel across borders and promotions. In discussing his WWE departure, he placed the emphasis on broadening that profile rather than revisiting a setting in which he believed he was already known.
It is also important that Andrade’s account centers on his own experience and priorities. He did not claim that AAA lacked value as a destination for other wrestlers. His objection was that the opportunity did not align with his personal objective after returning to WWE. He wanted to face major stars, work on a global stage and receive a storyline that established where he stood in the company.
When those elements did not materialize to his satisfaction, Andrade said he became eager to move on.
AEW return began with Kenny Omega attack
Andrade ultimately returned to AEW, where he said the initial response gave him the type of moment he had been seeking. He was pleased by the reaction from the audience and, crucially, by the fact that his return involved Kenny Omega.
“When I went back to AEW, people [gave me a] good reaction, and I attacked Kenny Omega,” Andrade said. “I attacked [one of] the big guys. I wanted that.”
For Andrade, the angle with Omega represented more than a surprise attack. It placed him immediately opposite one of AEW’s most prominent names. In Andrade’s telling, that was the level of presentation he had wanted: an immediate connection to a top wrestler and a clear indication that he intended to pursue significant matches and rivalries.
He also looked ahead after his victory over Omega, saying, “So now that I beat Kenny, I need to go for the big guys.” The statement establishes the target Andrade has set for his AEW tenure. He does not appear interested in easing back into the roster or spending an extended period away from the top of the card. He wants to continue engaging with the biggest available opponents.
That outlook gives added context to why the AAA discussion was so important to him. Andrade’s priority was not simply to have matches or remain active. He wanted the type of position that puts a wrestler in the orbit of elite opponents, major storylines and the largest possible audience. His AEW return, beginning with Omega, was presented by Andrade as closer to that vision.
A longer-than-expected wait before returning
Andrade also revealed that he did not initially realize the terms connected to his WWE release would keep him out of action longer than he expected. He said he believed the situation involved the more familiar three-month non-compete period, but he was unable to work for AEW until five months after his WWE exit.
The delay meant that Andrade had to wait longer than anticipated before making his AEW return. For a wrestler who had already decided he wanted to move forward and pursue major opponents, that additional time on the sidelines was clearly not what he expected.
Andrade did not provide further detail about why the restriction lasted five months or describe the specific terms beyond his surprise that it exceeded the usual three-month timeframe. What is clear from his comments is that the waiting period affected the timing of his return, but it did not change his desire to resume his career in AEW.
Now back in the promotion, Andrade has defined his goals in straightforward terms. He wants to be involved with AEW’s biggest names, he wants prominent matches and he wants to build on the momentum created by his confrontation with Omega. His remarks about WWE explain why he felt a change was necessary, while his comments about AEW underline what he believes the new chapter can offer.
The result is a candid account of a wrestler weighing personal circumstances, creative positioning and international ambition. Andrade says his second WWE run did not provide the comfort or direction he wanted. The suggestion of working in AAA did not match his plans to expand his global profile. In AEW, he believes he has returned to an environment where he can immediately pursue the high-level opponents and major moments he was seeking.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.