The WWE alumni’s contract with All Elite Wrestling has come to an end. Anyone who’s paid attention to the backstage drama with the former NXT Champion knows that Andrade leaving the company is not a shocking prospect. Andrade has just never clicked in the AEW setting. Though to be fair, the 34-year-old has never really been given the tools to be elevated beyond mid-card status.
Dave Meltzer states that Andrade will end up back in CMLL. However, there is mention that there’s a possibility that he could make his way into WWE again. Given that his wife, Charlotte Flair, is in the company, it is logical why he would want to return to the huge promotion. Is it the best idea for the former United States Champion to head back to a company that didn’t truly appreciate him the first time around?
All Elite Wrestling Was A Dead End For Andrade
It would’ve been a huge mistake for Andrade to remain in AEW. Sure, he was getting a nice paycheck every week, but his stint in the promotion was average at best. That’s not his fault since he continues to prove his worth inside the ring by having excellent matches against names such as Bryan Danielson or the recent ladder match against Buddy Matthews.
The WWE alumni did shoot himself in the foot by purposely trying to get himself fired in late 2022, with his actions in the reported backstage brawl against Sammy Guevara locking him out of the ring for a good portion of 2023. Even then, Andrade wasn’t particularly doing much before the controversial incident. There was a storyline going about him with different managers each week, but that was ultimately dropped. Other than that, he’s done nothing else of note in terms of story. It didn’t help that bigger names came into the company around this time. Andrade’s curse was that the roster became too big for Tony Khan to handle.
He’s one of the victims of being misused because there’s simply not enough television time for everyone on the AEW roster. It’s possible that things could get better if he did re-sign, but the stories for Andrade didn’t get any better since his return. The House of Black arc was fine for what it was, but he’s been directionless ever since.
He Didn’t Fare All To Better In WWE
However, he came out of WWE as a hot commodity. When Andrade arrived in NXT, he was a bland “happy-go-lucky” babyface who could go in the ring. But there was no substance to his character. He floundered until Triple H paired him with Zelina Vega. Their pairing was a match made in heaven. Vega took care of all the mic work, and she genuinely felt like the female version of Paul Heyman. All Andrade had to do was perform in the ring. And he did.
But it wasn’t just his in-ring skills that made him come across as a star; Andrade’s demeanor and confidence helped solidify him as one of the top acts on the developmental brand. He carried himself as a main event star, so it wasn’t a surprise that he was called up to the main roster a short time later.
Sadly, it was all downhill from there. However, that had nothing to do with Triple H, as Vince McMahon seemed clueless on how to properly book Andrade. He had a solid United States title reign and his series of matches against Rey Mysterio reminded audiences of his best days down in NXT, but his time on the main roster was mostly a flop.
So Why Should He Go Back To The WWE?
It seems obvious that Andrade should go back to WWE, but it isn’t that simple. His time in AEW has put some damage on his name. It isn’t due to the lack of screen time or controversies that took place within the company. Instead, it felt that Andrade had relied on his WWE gimmick minus Zelina Vega. He’s a bland imitation of the guy with a match-of-the-year candidate against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.
Going back to WWE right now won’t help either. The former NXT Champion needs to find a gimmick that can elevate him into main event status. Pull a Drew McIntyre or Bobby Lashley by finding success in a different promotion that allows him to showcase his personality, screen presence, and of course, in-ring ability.
Granted, he can do that in WWE, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Triple H tried to pair him and Zelina Vega again. But Andrade needs to prove that he can be a star without Vega. At least in the North American market. He’s a talented guy who desperately needs to find something that makes him stand out.
