Andrade’s first AEW exit was not about some explosive fallout with Tony Khan or a backstage war. The AEW star says his decision came down to choosing between his career and his personal life, and at that point, he felt he had to put the latter first.
During an appearance on Close Up with Renee Paquette, Andrade looked back at the end of his original AEW run and admitted things were tough professionally because his contract was expiring while he was dealing with major decisions away from wrestling. Andrade explained that he was married at the time and felt like he had reached a point where he had to choose which part of his life needed his attention.
“Professionally is a little sad because one, my contract was expired in this moment, so I need to pick a decision. Like I need to go for my personal life because I was married in this moment, or my professional life.”
In the end, Andrade said he chose his personal life. He also made it clear there was no ugly breakup with AEW on his way out. Andrade said he went directly to Tony Khan, thanked him for the opportunity and left the door open for them to cross paths again.
“So I pick my personal life and need to make a decision, but I went with Tony and say thank you for the opportunity. The contract expire and I hope see you in the future.”
That door eventually opened again. Andrade later returned to AEW and quickly started rebuilding his place on the roster. His second AEW run eventually saw him introduce a new finisher as he settled back into the company and started carving out a fresh direction for himself.
Andrade also stressed that he always maintained a good relationship with AEW, which makes his eventual return a lot easier to understand. There was no scorched-earth goodbye here. Andrade says he made a personal decision, thanked Tony Khan before leaving and eventually came back when the timing made sense for him.
What do you make of Andrade saying he chose his personal life over his AEW career the first time around? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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