Andrade reflects on sacrifices he’s made for the wrestling industry
Amid uncertainty concerning his WWE and AEW contractual status, Andrade recently posted a video reflecting on the sacrifices he’s made for professional wrestling.
In his post, Andrade revealed that his mother died while he was wrestling in Saudi Arabia and that he didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. He also shared that he nearly lost his father earlier this year while wrestling in Europe.
Andrade captioned his video:
“On October 18, 2003, My debut as a professional wrestler. My first paycheck was $4 dls. 80 pesos Mexicanos I was only 13 years old. All I cared about was wrestling and enjoying the business. I invested so much of my time in the business. When I was in Saudi Arabia, my mother passed away, and I didn’t get back in time to say goodbye. Championship match vs Finn Balor. This year 2025 something similar happened to me in Europe: my father almost died, and I wasn’t there anyway, and more. These are things you do because l love the business and this happens in many companies.”
In the attached video, Andrade speaks to the camera from his hometown of Gomez Palacio, Durango. His father, Brillante, and grandfather, El Moro, trained wrestlers and promoted shows there, often out of the Arena Azteca Budokan. El Moro is often credited with being the first person to establish a fund to assist injured luchadores.
Andrade says in the video (translated):
“This is Gomez Palacio, Durango, where I was raised. I open up to the public so you can see where I started. Things like, where I was born, my parents’ home, my first match. In the place where I made my debut. I used to come here to run, to do my physical fitness. I feel proud to be from Gomez Palacio, Durango. I hope you enjoyed this video.”
Andrade was released from WWE last month, reportedly due to multiple Wellness Policy violations. He returned to AEW on the October 1 episode of Dynamite, aligning with the Don Callis Family, but hasn’t been back since. It’s believed WWE is looking to hold Andrade to a non-compete clause due to his release having been “with cause.”
Andrade’s post is below:
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.