WWE Had “Buyer’s Remorse” After Bringing Back Former Star

WWE felt let down by a returning star.

At the 2024 Royal Rumble, Andrade made his long-awaited return to WWE after a two-year run with AEW. Despite many having high hopes for the former NXT Champion, Andrade’s 2nd spell with the company came to an underwhelming end on September 13, 2025.

This was quickly followed by a report that claimed his exit was due to disciplinary issues, and he’d even been sent home, something of a rarity in modern WWE. While this initial report was vague, the details were soon laid bare.

An updated report confirmed that Andrade had been removed from a SmackDown taping. Furthermore, he’d previously been suspended without pay for violating the company’s wellness policy.

WWE Was Hoping For More From Andrade

As reported by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, as well as the disciplinary issues, WWE quickly had a case of buyer’s remorse after Andrade returned. According to Meltzer, the company had hoped Andrade’s comeback would cause a big fan reaction and run of momentum as had been the case with CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. However, that never materialised.

This wasn’t helped by WWE not having a “focused direction” for the star.

Andrade’s in-ring performances were never in question, but there was said to be disappointment at his perceived lack of improvement in learning English. This is said to have put a limit on his progression. As a result, in the eyes of management, Penta and Rey Fenix quickly surpassed him in the pecking order.

Despite Andrade’s team with Fenix on SmackDown, the company felt the partnership had a very clear ceiling.