In a surprising development, Tony Khan, president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), reportedly did not know that Andrade El Idolo was planning to leave the promotion when his contract ended in December 2023. Andrade quietly departed AEW and resurfaced in WWE by entering the 2024 Royal Rumble just one month later. Despite Andrade’s contract expiring, he continued wrestling with AEW until the final day, including a December 30 match against former AEW talent Miro, now known as Rusev in WWE.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed that Khan had believed Andrade intended to renew his contract. He explained that Khan was under the impression there was an agreement in place, just not yet formalized. According to Meltzer:
“Andrade gave (Tony) Khan the belief he was staying, Khan believed they had an agreement for a renewal that wasn’t yet signed, he pushed him until the end, even though those in wrestling who knew him said he was going to WWE. Then his contract expired and he left. He is talented in the ring, but geez, everyone is. Even five years ago, he was a very unique talent but now there are so many guys at his level, better speaking ability and charisma.” – Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer
AEW’s Strategy to Expand in Mexico Through Andrade
One key reason AEW signed Andrade was to strengthen its foothold in Mexico, where Andrade is a major star. The company aimed to increase its presence on Fox Sports Mexico by leveraging his popularity. Meltzer highlighted the importance of this move for AEW, stating:
“A big part of bringing Andrade to AEW is wanting another Hispanic star to help build the company up in Mexico and on Fox Sports Mexico, since he has a big name in that country.” – Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer
When Andrade returned to AEW for his second stint, he made an immediate impact by attacking Kenny Omega and joining the faction led by Don Callis. This aggressive reintroduction was designed to reestablish his relevance in AEW’s competitive landscape.
Controversy Surrounding Andrade’s WWE Release
Following his WWE departure earlier in the previous year, Andrade bypassed the usual 90-day non-compete clause because WWE released him outright, eliminating the need for continued payment. This enabled him to sign full-time with AEW and begin scheduling independent wrestling appearances, including a House of Glory debut planned for the coming month.
Andrade’s sudden firing by WWE on September 13, 2023, was officially attributed to multiple violations of WWE’s Wellness Policy over the preceding year. The wrestler confirmed his release just two days later. However, many fans believe the Wellness Policy violations were a pretext and that WWE simply wanted to part ways with him. During his final WWE run, Andrade was a tag partner with Rey Fenix and competed as recently as WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
Impact and Future Prospects for Andrade and AEW
Andrade’s departure and return have created significant ripples in the wrestling industry, particularly for Tony Khan and AEW’s expansion plans. His popularity in Mexico still offers AEW valuable market potential, but the unexpected loss and rapid return have raised questions about contract negotiations and talent retention. Going forward, both AEW and Andrade will likely focus on leveraging his talents, wrestling skills, and fan base to build momentum domestically and internationally.
With Andrade now fully committed to AEW and branching out into independent circuits, fans can expect to see him both on AEW programming and at various live wrestling events. The dynamics between AEW and WWE remain tense as top talents like Andrade continue to navigate shifting allegiances and contract arrangements within the competitive professional wrestling landscape.
Dave Meltzer on Tony Khan re-signing Andrade after making him believe he was staying last time:
“Andrade gave (Tony) Khan the belief he was staying, Khan believed they had an agreement for a renewal that wasn’t yet signed, he pushed him until the end, even though those in… pic.twitter.com/VGj953HD11
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) October 3, 2025
