Andrade El Idolo has revealed new details about his WWE situation and confirmed that lawyers from both sides are now in active negotiations.
In October, Andrade returned to AEW at Dynamite’s Sixth Anniversary show. However, Andrade has been off television amid reports WWE might block him from competing for up to a year.
After weeks of speculation, Andrade El Idolo has now shared his side of the story. In an interview with DeporTV, he stated that things became complicated after his return to WWE. He left AEW to be with Charlotte Flair, but their marriage fell apart, leaving him unhappy.
“I returned to WWE a year and a half ago,” Andrade began. “I was in AEW, and at that time, I was happy earning millions, but I was married. My ex-wife’s name is Charlotte Flair, and the idea was to return to WWE, to be with her, and many things happened.
“We got divorced, and I was not comfortable in some things. I had a warning call because many medicines and supplements that in Mexico can be consumed but not there. We have certain restrictions on recipes that we cannot consume as athletes because of doping and things like that. I was also a little annoyed.”
He was officially released by WWE back in September. Andrade said he left WWE on good terms initially, but issues began once he returned to AEW. He explained that his lawyer at the time, who also represented Charlotte Flair, didn’t notice a 12-month non-compete clause in his contract.
Following this, WWE later activated that clause after seeing him appear in AEW. According to him, negotiations are underway to reduce the non-compete, saying, “Right now we are in that phase. It wouldn’t be a year; we’re negotiating. I’m going to be 3 months inactive, and I can’t compete worldwide.”
Andrade claims WWE activated a non-compete following his AEW return
Andrade stated that he originally had no clause preventing him from wrestling after leaving WWE, but the company enforced it only after his AEW return. “At first I didn’t have a clause… Then the clause came when they saw me debut in AEW.”
Despite the complications, Andrade is staying patient and focusing on training while the lawyers work behind the scenes. He confirmed, “My lawyers are already talking to the WWE lawyers… let’s hope it’s in a month, a week, or before.”
When asked if he would challenge WWE legally, Andrade said that while he could take the case to court, the process would be expensive and time-consuming. Both sides prefer to negotiate a settlement. “They have reached a good arrangement and are doing things better… it remains for WWE to officially sign it to say, ‘Okay, this is the day Andrade returns to the ring.'” [H/T: Fightful]
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