Andrade’s confusing WWE and AEW status continues to be one of the top talking points in the pro wrestling community.
During a recent Eduardo Bates interview, Andrade El Idolo attempted to shed some light on the situation.
While talking in an extended interview that was released this week via YouTube, the pro wrestling veteran spoke about the truth behind his abrupt WWE departure and why he doesn’t feel bad about it, how he understands the non-compete clause situation and speculating that his immediate AEW appearance may have ‘annoyed’ WWE,
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where he touches on these topics with his thoughts. Also embedded below is a complete video archive of the discussion.
On the truth behind his abrupt WWE departure and why he doesn’t feel bad about it: “The truth is a long story. I don’t feel bad about my WWE exit. I am very grateful for how much, or little, I did in that year and a half. I never missed dates and never stopped answering the cell phone as many gossipy people who broke the news said. Yes, I was traveling and they called me. What happened was that I had a day trip because I was not scheduled and they called me to me. I returned the call at about one or two hours, but nothing to do with the fact that I didn’t want to answer or that I disappeared. It was one, two, three hours that I didn’t answer and it was just the company sending me a message that ‘where are you?’, and things like that. I don’t know who got that story that I didn’t want to answer. I was out of the country, I explained to them that it was because of the time difference, the internet, no signal, many things, but nothing to do with me never answering them or anything like that.”
On how he understands the WWE non-compete clause and speculating that his immediate AEW appearance may have ‘annoyed’ WWE: “The current situation was that after my appearance in AEW and that I was in The Crash and won the Heavyweight Championship in Tijuana, on that Monday, I received a letter from the WWE company, where it said that it had a 12-month non-compete clause. My lawyers are currently in talks with WWE to reach the best deal. At first, it was a little closed and difficult on both sides because I was disoriented and a little upset about the clause. By WWE, I understand it of course, after my appearance in AEW. I don’t know if that was what annoyed WWE, I’m not sure.”
On original plans for his involvement in the WWE-AAA crossover shows before his departure from the company: “With the purchase of AAA, it was like ‘now there will be more opportunity for all Mexicans’. Well, yes, but (Angel) Garza was already a star in AAA, (Santos) Escobar already headlined a TripleMania, Penta was already a star in AAA. Will there be more stories in AAA? Yes, but you join WWE because you want to be a star in WWE, you don’t want to be a star in AAA. It’s good for El Grande Americano, because he’s always been in Germany and now he’s coming to the United States. AAA is something new for him, and that’s fine. When the American goes to CMLL, it’s always ends well. To add, AAA doesn’t have its own arena like CMLL, or an identifiable “home” like Madison Square Garden. I never had any legal problems with them (AAA), i do have my qualms with them, but that’s just me. I don’t know how you (Eduardo) see it, but that Penta and Fenix return to AAA after joining WWE so that they could do something different. I didn’t see it in a good way, but I didn’t see it in a bad way either. I was going to be at the first AAA event. He told me that he was going to be (Hijo del) Vikingo, Fenix and I believe the NXT Champion Oba (Femi), I’m not good with the NXT names, in a four way. It was going to take place in the first Worlds Collide. They told me that ‘we want you in this because we know that you can work with Fenix, and also with Vikingo so that he doesn’t look so small compared to Oba.’bThen everything was changed and I entered Money in The Bank and never returned to AAA. Then it was Dominik’s turn and Dominik has been wonderful. His dad was part of AAA, but he had never stepped on AAA. How long did it take for Dragon Lee? I had barely left, and he had just become a champion. In AAA, he had already competed for the Mega Championship against Kenny Omega, among other things. He is an incredible wrestler, he has everything, and after three years he finally won the championship, which is great… but he was already in AAA and then he returned to AAA and goes there every week when he came here to be a global star. No offense to AAA, Mexicans already know the AAA people, but many foreigners don’t know the AAA people. If you go to Saudi Arabia and ask them about AAA, they only know about the Main Roster. That’s what I was meaning.”
Watch the complete Andrade interview with Eduardo Bates via the YouTube player embedded below.
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