Andrade didn’t return to WWE just to make another run on his own. His original plan was to reunite with Charlotte Flair and turn their real-life marriage into a storyline on WWE television.
During an interview with Latin Lover on Luchando Por Tus Sueños, Andrade explained that Charlotte supported him when he asked for his first WWE release. He was unhappy with his position in the company and felt his career had stopped moving forward. Andrade said Charlotte understood why he wanted out and even helped him deal with the lawyers involved in his departure.
“During my first WWE departure, I spoke with her and said, ‘You know I’m not happy with WWE. I want to leave because I can see that I’m not growing here.’ We were together at the time, and she said, ‘Yes, I support you.’ She supported me with everything, including the lawyers. Everything was good.”
Andrade spent the next two years working for AEW, wrestling in Mexico and taking independent bookings. However, the long-term goal was to get back to WWE and finally work with Charlotte as an on-screen couple.
“Two years passed. I went to AEW, worked a little in Mexico and did independent shows. The idea was to return to WWE and do a storyline with her. That was the plan.”
That plan was crushed when Charlotte suffered a serious knee injury in December 2023. She underwent surgery and spent more than a year away from WWE television, leaving Andrade without the storyline that had factored into his return.
“She got injured and was out for a year. When I returned, everything we had planned was cut off. She was out for a year, so it was like I had returned and was alone again.”
Andrade said he had started receiving better treatment and stronger exposure during his final months with AEW. He had returned from a five-month suspension and pectoral surgery, but Charlotte’s injury changed what awaited him in WWE.
“During my final three or four months, they were giving me good exposure and treating me well. I was feeling a little happier. I had gotten into a fight with another wrestler backstage, they suspended me for five months, and that was when I had surgery on my pectoral. When I returned, there were no more problems.”
Charlotte eventually returned after being sidelined for roughly a year and a half, but Andrade said problems had already developed between them. The couple ultimately decided to divorce. Despite how things ended, Andrade refused to trash Charlotte. He called her an incredible woman and made it clear that he still respects her.
“She returned after about a year or a year and a half, but that was when the problems started. We started having problems until we made the decision to divorce.”
“We made the decision to divorce, but I handled it in the best way. She is an incredible woman. I respect her, and I have nothing bad to say about her.”
Andrade also admitted that seeing Charlotte at work after their divorce became uncomfortable. He said that was only one of several issues that eventually made him unhappy in WWE again.
“We were divorced, and seeing each other was no longer like seeing my wife. Running into each other was a little uncomfortable. About three or four months later, I asked to leave because I wasn’t happy. There were several factors involved.”
Andrade’s WWE comeback was supposed to open the door to a major storyline with Charlotte Flair, but her injury wiped those plans off the board before they ever reached television. By the time she returned, their marriage was over and Andrade’s second WWE run was already falling apart.
What do you think WWE could have done with Andrade and Charlotte Flair as an on-screen couple? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
