SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS MARCH 4: Andrade returned to AEW on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. (Photo by Cooper Neill/ WWE via Getty Images.)
WWE via Getty Images
It didn’t take Andrade long to land back with All-Elite Wrestling.
Just weeks after WWE released the Mexican star, he shockingly returned to AEW, attacking Kenny Omega and aligning with Don Callis during the promotion’s sixth anniversary episode of Dynamite.
While many fans expected Andrade’s return to AEW eventually, the speed of his comeback—mere weeks after his WWE departure—caught many off guard. Clearly, there was no non-compete clause in his contract.
Usually, a wrestler who is released or walks away from one promotion has to wait 90 days or so before he or she can appear on programming for another promotion. That wasn’t the case with Andrade.
The segment itself was a powder keg, with Andrade unmasking and landing a vicious DDT on Omega, then shaking hands with Callis, igniting a firestorm of reactions across X.
The fallout was immediate and divisive. On one hand, a significant portion of the wrestling community hailed Andrade’s heel turn as a masterstroke, painting him as a potential “heel GOAT” ready to elevate Don Callis’ already formidable faction.
On the other hand, skepticism loomed large, with many fearing that Andrade might once again get lost in AEW’s crowded mid-card, a fate that has befallen other talented performers in the past on the promotion’s crowded roster.
With many fans happy to see Omega back, some wondered if this would bury the legend’s comeback or spark a marquee feud at Full Gear in November. Bet on the latter.
Andrade himself leaned into the drama, posting “Back where I belong” on X, further stoking the flames of speculation and excitement. He also called his move “business.”
The question on everyone’s mind is whether this potential feud will reignite Omega’s career or signal its decline. AEW has struggled to prominently feature more than a handful of top stars at once, and Omega, once considered the greatest in-ring performer in the industry, is showing signs of wear.
His character work, often seen as his weakest link, now bears the brunt of carrying any feud, especially against a performer like Andrade, whose strengths lie in superlative matches. That said, the potential is there for something strong, but like many storylines in AEW, things are a little convoluted.
It isn’t just about Omega—it’s about propelling Callis’ faction to the apex of AEW’s hierarchy, with Andrade playing a pivotal role. Is that a premature move and do they actually need Omega to put them over?
The match results from that night’s Dynamite—Omega and tag champions Brody King and Bandido defeating Josh Alexander and The Young Bucks, Kyle Fletcher retaining the TNT title against Orange Cassidy, and other key wins—set the stage for what could be a noticeable shift in AEW’s landscape.
Whether this leads to a classic Omega-Andrade showdown at Full Gear or another muffled mid-card misfire, fans will wait for the other shoe to drop.
Here are the match results from the historic episode of AEW Dynamite.
- Kenny Omega, Brody King, and Bandido defeated Josh Alexander and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson).
- “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher retained the TNT Championship against Orange Cassidy.
- “Hangman” Adam Page, Samoa Joe, and Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Daniel Garcia).
- “Timeless” Toni Storm defeated Tay Melo.
- GOA (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) defeated The Swirl.
- AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander and Darby Allin defeated Marina Shafir and Wheeler Yuta of the Death Riders in a mixed tornado tag match.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmazique/2025/10/02/why-andrade-was-able-to-return-to-aew-tv-so-quickly-after-wwe-release/
