Backstage Update On Andrade's WWE Future
Why the former NXT went undrafted - and what might be next for him...
Andrade's immediate WWE future was thrown into question when the former NXT and United States Champion was one of only two wrestlers to go unpicked in the 2020 Draft despite being named in the pool beforehand, leaving him without a home.
Wrestling Inc.'s Raj Giri reports that Andrade was omitted as the 30-year-old has elected to undergo a minor surgical procedure, meaning he'll be off television for around a month. The other undrafted wrestler, Mickie James, recently confirmed she is recovering from a broken nose, though there's no word that this is why she wasn't picked by Raw or SmackDown.
Elsewhere, PWInsider's Mike Johnson has issued a report stating last week brought talk of sending Andrade back to NXT, where he was the brand's top champion between November 2017 and April 2018. If this happens, it will presumably be without Zelina Vega. She was sent to SmackDown as part of the 2020 Draft, having helped spark Andrade's initial NXT surge by connecting with him as a manager, prompting an immediate upturn for her Mexican charge.
Still only 30 years old, Andrade likely hasn't yet hit his wrestling prime. He has plenty of ground left to cover in WWE - wherever he lands.