Over the weekend, WWE Superstar Andrade was released once again from the company after making his return at the 2024 Royal Rumble.
The news was initially reported by Fightful Select. However, more details have emerged in a report from Sports Illustrated's Jon Alba. It sounds like the release was done as a “disciplinary” measure, per a report from Dave Meltzer that Alba references, as it was “not related to budget moves.”
Now, it sounds like Andrade violated the company's wellness policy. He allegedly “had at least one wellness policy violation during his most recent WWE run.”
They did not specify what the violation was, but it was enough to get him fired. “It is not known how exactly he was in violation of the policy, or whether or not he in fact tested positive for a banned substance,” the report read, then pointing out that WWE can “suspend talent for failing to produce a test.”
Sports Illustrated also notes that it is unclear if it “directly led to his release.” But he was” suspended without pay as a result of” the violation.
When did Andrade's WWE release happen?
Andrade's WWE release has been brewing for a while. Sports Illustrated notes that he was asked to leave a taping last month, and he was “escorted out of the building.” A source added that this was related to his recent suspension.
This caused a shake-up to Friday Night SmackDown‘s creative plans. He was in a tag team with Rey Fénix before his release, but that is no longer the case.
According to Cory Hays of Bodyslam.net, Andrade was “unreachable” for “several weeks.” He dodged WWE employees who tried to contact him.
As Sports Illustrated notes, Andrade was previously suspended for a wellness violation policy in January 2020. It was a 30-day suspension, and he would leave WWE in 2021.
Nearly three years later, he returned at the 2024 Royal Rumble. During his latest run, he crossed paths with Dominik Mysterio, Carmelo Hayes, and LA Knight. In between his WWE stints, Andrade had runs in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
During his WWE career, Andrade won the NXT Championship, Speed Championship, and United States Championship once. His NXT Championship reign lasted 140 days, and his United States Championship run lasted 151 days.
