Andrade El Idolo’s AEW Disappearance Linked to WWE Non-Compete Drama

Andrade El Idolo shocked AEW fans with his return earlier this month, aligning himself with the Don Callis Family and laying out Kenny Omega in a moment that felt like a major turning point. But almost as quickly as he showed up, he vanished—and now we may finally have an answer.

On the October 16, 2025 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that the belief within wrestling circles is that Andrade’s sudden absence could be tied to a WWE non-compete clause. According to Meltzer, while most believed that Andrade had no restrictions preventing him from appearing for AEW due to the nature of his WWE exit, WWE reportedly believes otherwise.

“What I’ve been hearing was WWE sent a letter. AEW obviously believed that there was no non-compete. There were people who talked to people in WWE who also believed there was no non-compete. But WWE apparently… that’s the story. They said that he can’t do (AEW) for 90 days.”

This revelation casts new light on Andrade’s vanishing act. Just last week, Fightful Select reported that those who had spoken to Andrade said he was in good spirits but offered no explanation for why he was pulled from TV or upcoming matches. AEW sources also didn’t point the finger at Andrade or the company itself.

“We spoke to sources that spoke to Andrade in the last week, who said he seemed in good spirits, but didn’t indicate why he’d pulled from recent shows and hadn’t been on AEW TV since reappearing.”

“The little bit of response we got was that Andrade is in fact signed, but that the absence was something that at least one person didn’t see as AEW or Andrade’s specific fault.”

Wrestling Observer’s update now suggests WWE may have taken legal action to enforce a clause they believe still applies, despite previous assumptions. Andrade’s return was reportedly not supposed to violate any terms, but WWE allegedly believes he is still within the 90-day window common to main roster releases.

As it stands, Andrade’s AEW future may be temporarily paused—not due to creative, injury, or backstage issues, but possibly because of WWE red tape. And while AEW hasn’t publicly commented, the silence surrounding his status suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Should AEW have waited longer to bring Andrade back, or is WWE just playing legal hardball? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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