WWE non-compete clause potentially causing Andrade’s AEW absence

We now have a bit more information regarding Andrade and why he hasn’t been back on AEW TV since his return.

On the October 1 edition of Dynamite, Andrade made his return to AEW less than a month after being released from his WWE contract. He joined the Don Callis Family on the episode and started a feud with Kenny Omega. Since then, though, there has been little follow-up with fans wondering where Andrade has been.

“Regarding Andrade, all I know is that he’s not injured, and something is holding him up regarding his non-compete with WWE,” our Bryan Alvarez reports.

WWE main roster wrestlers traditionally have 90-day non-compete clauses after being released. A report from PWInsider said that Andrade’s WWE departure was due to multiple wellness policy failures, and WWE made the decision to cut him outright rather than continuing to pay him during a non-compete period.

Andrade did wrestle for The Crash in Mexico on October 3, winning the promotion’s Heavyweight Championship. He is scheduled to compete for WWC in Puerto Rico this weekend on the same day as AEW WrestleDream.

An Andrade vs. LA Park indie match was supposed to take place for Mucha Lucha Atlanta in Norcross, Georgia on October 26 but is no longer being advertised.

Andrade’s first AEW stint lasted from 2021-2023. His return has made him the first wrestler to go from WWE to AEW to WWE to AEW again.