Andrade makes blockbuster return outside AEW; aligns with top faction

Andrade El Idolo made his return to a major wrestling promotion following his WWE departure and one-off AEW appearance. The former United States Champion also joined a popular faction upon his return.

Andrade El Idolo returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling after years. El Idolo departed from the WWE a few months back following a second run in the company. He also made his return to AEW on an episode of Dynamite in October. However, he later disappeared, as it was revealed that he had a one-year non-compete clause.

Meanwhile, Andrade returned to NJPW for the first time since 2015. The popular faction, United Empire, announced El Idolo as their first X before he appeared on the big screen at the Road to TokyoDome and announced that he would be teaming with United Empire at the upcoming WrestleKingdom 2026 event.

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El Idolo will team with Great-O-Khan, Henare, Callum Newman, and another United Empire member to take on the Bullet Club War Dogs in a 5-on-5 match at WrestleKingdom.

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Andrade on whether he signed a contract with AEW

While reacting to a report by Dave Meltzer on X recently, Andrade El Idolo revealed that he didn't sign a contract with AEW despite showing up there in October. El Idolo also disclosed that he got the non-compete clause from the WWE after he showed up on Tony Khan's promotion:

"@davemeltzerWON I didn't sign any contract! Sir, you say it with such certainty, that I signed a contract, when that's just another one of your lies. Do some more research, Sir. I was in negotiations to sign because Mr. Tony Khan and the AEW team were having good discussions, and we came to an excellent agreement. I'm especially grateful to TK and AEW in general. Then, I received a non-compete clause after my AEW debut and my first match in Tijuana (The Crash)"

Fans will have to wait and see what the future has in store for the former United States Champion after he returned to NJPW.

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Edited by Gaurav Singh