Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 21, 2025
Andrade El Idolo’s post-AEW future might be tangled in legal red tape—but that’s not stopping him from stepping back in the ring.
The former WWE star has just been announced for Big Time Wrestling’s November 1 return to Augusta, Maine, despite reports that he’s currently under a 90-day non-compete clause which could actually end up being as long as a year. BTW officially confirmed Andrade’s involvement in the stacked lineup, which also features Kurt Angle, Matt Riddle, and PCO. Andrade will go head-to-head with Donovan Dijak in what’s being promoted as his BTW debut.
“Finally! Big Time Wrestling returns to the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, November 1… ANDRADE makes his BTW debut to battle DONOVAN DIJAK.”
This comes after Lucha Libre Online’s Michael Morales raised legal concerns about WWE’s evolving non-compete clause policy. Morales warned that if Andrade was being forced to sit out without compensation, that could cross legal lines in the U.S.
“If it’s a full year without pay, that’s illegal. This isn’t Central Africa, where weird laws exist—this is the United States, and that’s illegal. You must pay for that one-year non-compete period.”
He clarified that the issue boils down to whether Andrade is suspended under contract or operating under a non-compete clause with no paycheck attached.
“If there’s a non-compete clause, you’re no longer under contract—just bound by that penalty… So, if you’re suspended 90 days without pay, you’re still employed—you come back after.”
With Andrade now openly advertised for an indie appearance just days after Halloween, it may signal that his alleged non-compete clause has either ended or can’t legally be enforced in its rumored unpaid state.
Either way, fans in Maine are getting a big-time match—and Andrade’s legal status could end up testing WWE’s non-compete policy in real-time.
October 21, 2025 12:41 pm
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