WWE fans were caught off guard this weekend when Andrade quietly disappeared from the company’s active roster and reappeared in the alumni section of its website.
The move confirmed that the former United States Champion had been released, ending his second run with WWE in an abrupt fashion.
Reports quickly surfaced clarifying that this exit wasn’t a mutual decision. According to The Takedown on SI, Andrade did not ask to be let go, and the release was made strictly at WWE’s discretion.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio explained to the outlet, “I don’t know the whole story, but I do know it was a discipline thing. It was not his doing at all. It wasn’t like, oh, he’s not being used well, so he’s unhappy. I’m positive he’s unhappy, but it wasn’t him asking out.”
Insiders point to disciplinary action as the reason behind his departure. Sources revealed to the outlet that Andrade had at least one violation of WWE’s wellness policy during this recent stint. However, it’s unclear whether that meant failing a test, refusing one, or another technical breach.
What is clear is that he was suspended without pay and eventually told to leave a SmackDown taping in mid-August, where he was escorted out of the building. That incident reportedly forced WWE to scrap ongoing storyline plans, including his partnership with Rey Fenix.
Bodyslam’s Cory Hays reported that officials had been unable to reach Andrade for several weeks leading up to the release, though other outlets haven’t confirmed that detail. What’s certain is that he hadn’t been backstage at recent SmackDown events and was removed from internal rosters before the decision was finalized.
This isn’t the first time Andrade has run into issues tied to WWE’s wellness policy. In 2020, he served a 30-day suspension following his first violation.
He left the company in 2021 and spent time in AEW, where he also faced disciplinary fallout after a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara.
His WWE return came during the 2024 Royal Rumble, with his last televised match being a SmackDown loss to Angel on July 19.
As of this writing, WWE has not made any public comment about the nature of Andrade’s release.