Andrade On Why He Wanted To Leave WWE - And When He Decided

Former NXT and US Champion Andrade speaks on how he made the decision to leave WWE.

Andrade WWE
WWE

Andrade has revealed that conversations with big names like Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton helped him make the decision to leave WWE earlier this month.

Speaking with Lucha Libre Online, the former NXT and United States Champion recalled working with McIntyre at the onset of the global health crisis, and Orton openly asking why Andrade wasn't being booked (h/t Fightful for the transcription, Carlos Toro for the translation):-

“When the pandemic started, they put me with Drew McIntyre. Drew was great with me and behaved well with me in NXT and on the main roster. We had the matches and a producer came to me and said, ‘Make sure Drew looks like a monster, because he’s the champ.’ Drew came to me and told me to wrestle how I know to wrestle, saying that he doesn’t need me to make him look good, but to wrestle how I wrestle best. A lot of people treated me well, Drew too and Randy Orton. [Randy] would ask me, ‘Why aren’t they using you?’ I didn’t know what to say and didn’t know what was going on. After that, I made the decision [to leave]."

The interview also saw Andrade reveal his hefty WWE salary, amongst other things.

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Andrade was cut loose from WWE without the standard 90-day non-compete clause last week. The promotion had previously denied his request to leave, as is common practice in situations like this.

The former La Sombra is yet to make his next major move in professional wrestling. He had been with WWE since November 2015.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.