Does WWE Plan On Using Andrade During Lengthy Non-Compete Period? (AEW News)

Could Andrade make a shock WWE return?

by Andrew Pollard
AEW Dynamite Andrade El Idolo Don Callis
AEW

With Andrade El Idolo returning to AEW for a cup of coffee at the start of the month, there's now a little more detail on the chances of the former La Sombra being used on WWE TV at some point.

For those who may have missed it, Andrade was released by WWE in mid-September, with the following weeks seeing reports of multiple wellness policy violations being the reason for this firing. To the surprise of many, he then turned up on the 1 October edition of AEW Dynamite, attacking Kenny Omega and joining the Don Callis Family. However, El Idolo hasn't been seen or even mentioned in the time since, with it now known that, because he was fired for those violations, TKO policies mean he has a one-year non-compete clause. Previously, it was thought that WWE had cut him with no non-compete in place.

With Andrade El Idolo prohibited from working anywhere else for that one-year period, that's led to fan speculation that WWE could possibly bring him back to TV at some point during that time. When asked about that on the latest Fightful Select Answers Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp reiterated that WWE had no intent to use Andrade again, which is why they fired him, and that he's heard directly from people in WWE that the company has zero plans to use him in the future.

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So, as it stands, that means El Idolo has to wait out his one-year non-compete, although many have questioned the validity of that non-compete should the former WWE United States Champion look to challenge that in court.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.