Andrade "Cien" Almas was one of NXT's biggest stars, but when he arrived on WWE's main roster...well, Vince McMahon dropped the ball on him. As time passed, Andrade (who later lost the rest of his name) slipped down the card and eventually decided to leave the company.
There was a huge amount of excitement when Andrade El Idolo was announced as being "All Elite," but AEW has similarly failed him. For a time, the plan had been to pair him with father-in-law Ric Flair, but that fell by the wayside when the Nature Boy found himself embroiled in the controversy caused by Dark Side of the Ring.
Last October, Andrade allegedly sucker punched Sammy Guevara following a backstage incident at AEW Dynamite, leading to him being sent home where he subsequently had surgery for a torn pectoral muscle.
The former NXT Champion returned in June but speculation has continued to run rampant that Andrade hopes to return to WWE where his wife, Charlotte Flair, is a top Superstar.
Talking on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that Andrade's AEW contract is expected to expire soon, opening the door to him signing with WWE...assuming they want him, of course.
"He’s going back to CMLL. I'm not sure exactly what week, but probably relatively soon," Meltzer explained, adding that he's also met with AAA. "It’s something he wants to do. His [AEW] deal is coming up relatively soon unless it's extended or something because of time off for injuries or whatever. But he thinks his deal's up pretty soon, so he wanted to go back [to CMLL] in case he ends up going to WWE."
"He's not made a decision [about] what he's doing next. He's not signed a new deal, but if he does go to WWE, he knows he can't go back to Arena Mexico."
Reflecting on leaving WWE in a 2021 interview, Andrade said, "To make the decision, the hardest part was not getting to be close to Charlotte and going to events with [Charlotte]."
"I’ve been with WWE. I had a great contract with WWE, a great contract. Three million per year. Several million dollars per year, a lot more than plenty of guys coming up from NXT. I heard about some of those contracts. I made a lot more than those guys."
Do you think Andrade should return to WWE? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!