Experiencing a high run in AEW, Andrade El Idolo is also on a spree of appearances in the independent circuit, this time making an appearance for 1FW’s Rumble in Rome.
1FW recently announced via social media that current AEW and former WWE star, El Idolo, is confirmed to be in action at 1FW Rumble in Rome on March 21, 2026.
“As announced earlier today exclusively on the [Tappedout podcast] international [AEW] super star and member of the Don Callis Family [Andrade El Idolo] will be making his [1FW] debut at the Arn Anderson Homecoming, Rumble In Rome show 3/21 in Rome, GA!”
The 36-year-old will be making his debut at the Arn Anderson Homecoming, Rumble in Rome show, although his opponent has not yet been declared.
First official match for Arn Anderson Homecoming Rumble in Rome or whatever đ @orangecassidy in his 1FW debut! He teams with one half of the @aew Womenâs Tag Team Champions @harleycameron_ against the Boss of Il Cartello Grillo, Rosario Grillo and the Sauce Boss @MafiosaRossipic.twitter.com/AryCa6bohd
Andrade continues to win titles for promotions around the world.
He won the German Wrestling Federation World title at GWF Global Warning 2026 on Saturday in Berlin, Germany.
Andrade defeated Rambo for the title. Rambo had held the championship since winning it from Axel Tischer, the former Alexander Wolfe in NXT, and Metehan in a three-way match in November.
Andrade now holds top titles for The Crash in Mexico, World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, and GWF in Germany.
Heâll have a chance to qualify for a shot at the AEW World Championship next weekend in Australia at AEW Grand Slam, where he will wrestle Hangman Page. The winner of that match will advance to challenge for the AEW World Championship at Revolution on March 15.
Andrade is 4-0 in singles competition since returning to AEW. He defeated Angelico on the January 17 episode of Collision and Magnus on the January 24 episode of Collision. He then defeated Swerve Strickland on the January 28 episode of Dynamite and Kenny Omega on the February 4 episode of Dynamite to advance to Grand Slam.
As he pursues the AEW World Championship, Andrade El Idolo also has indie gold in his sights.
House of Glory Wrestling has announced that Andrade will challenge Charles Mason for the promotion’s World Championship at No Turning Back on Friday, February 20. The show is being held at NYC Arena in Queens, New York and will be broadcast on TrillerTV+.
đ¨ NEW YORK, GET READY đ¨
The World Championship is on the line. Andrade El Idolo goes one-on-one with the champion, Charles Mason@AndradeElIdolo đ@CharlesMas0n
The official announcement of the match comes after Mason attacked Andrade in an angle that took place for House of Glory last week. The attack happened after Andrade faced Amazing Red at House of Glory’s City of Angels show in Los Angeles.
In his return to AEW after being released from WWE in 2025, Andrade has earned praise from Tony Khan for being the “very best” version of himself that he’s ever been. Andrade has notched successive victories over Swerve Strickland and Kenny Omega and is now set to face Hangman Page at AEW Grand Slam Australia on February 14. The winner challenges MJF for the AEW World Championship at Revolution.
Mason has held House of Glory’s World Championship since June 2025, when he defeated former champion Mike Santana and Tomohiro Ishii in a three-way match.
Hangman Page will take on Andrade El Idolo for the first time ever at this month’s AEW Grand Slam Australia to determine who will earn a World title shot at next month’s Revolution.
In two matches that took place on Wednesday’s Dynamite, Page defeated Mark Davis while Andrade bested Kenny Omega to advance to the title eliminator in Sydney.
The Andrade-Omega match wasn’t without controversy as Don Callis threw a screwdriver to Andrade which brought out Swerve Strickland to prevent it. Referee Aubrey Edwards then got distracted by Strickland with the screwdriver which led to Andrade hitting a low blow and his finisher on Omega to get the pin.
Afterward, Omega and Strickland got into a shoving match about how things went down with security needing to separate them.
Page is looking to get into a position to regain the title he lost to Samoa Joe last fall while Andrade is gunning for his first AEW World title shot. The winner will face the AEW World Champion at the Los Angeles-based PPV on March 15.
Current AEW Grand Slam Australia card | February 14 | Sydney, Australia
Hangman Page vs. Andrade El Idolo World title eliminator
Toni Storm & Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir in a hair vs. hair tornado tag match
AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley defends against Konosuke Takeshita
Back after several months in AEW, Andrade El Idolo has made his choice about retiring in the future.
Recently on social media, during an exchange with a fan, Andrade joined a conversation regarding a joke about his AEW returns. Responding to the comment, El Idolo noted that he “would like to retire” in AEW.
“I would like to retire here! Iâm not kidding. I’m here to contribute to the company, and I’m here to become one of the greats of AEW.”
A part of AEW from 2021 to 2023, El Idolo returned to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Following a series of small feuds and a brief run, the 36-year-old returned to AEW in October, 2025.
However, he was immediately taken off television due to his situation with WWE’s non-compete clause. Following a lengthy legal battle and after things cleared up, he returned to AEW. The former NXT Champion now finds himself in the World title picture against MJF and former rival Kenny Omega.
Tony Khan believes the current version of Andrade El Idolo is the best he’s ever seen.
After an issue with his WWE non-compete clause delayed things, Andrade officially returned to AEW in January. He’s coming off a victory over Swerve Strickland last week and is now set to face Kenny Omega on Dynamite this Wednesday night. Both Andrade and Omega are among the challengers looking to earn a title shot against AEW World Champion MJF.
Khan hyped Wednesday’s Dynamite card during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show today, including heaping praise on both Andrade and Omega.
“There’s top stars lining up to challenge the new champion MJF, including we’ve got Kenny Omega coming up to challenge him. We’ve got Kenny Omega taking on Andrade El Idolo,” Khan said. “Kenny Omega is one of the top challengers and certainly one of the top champions we’ve ever had in AEW. One of the greatest wrestlers ever in AEW, and he’s back at his very best. And then we have Andrade El Idolo, who’s returned very recently to AEW. And he is truly, I think, at his very best right now I’ve ever seen him. That’s a huge match.”
Andrade was originally with AEW from 2021-2023. Between his two runs with the company, Andrade went back to WWE for a stint that ended when he was released in September 2025. He returned to AEW soon after, but things then had to be paused as Andrade worked to get his WWE non-compete clause waived.
Dynamite is taking place in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, and the card also includes a singles match between MJF and Brody King. It’s an eliminator bout where the stipulation is that King will earn a title shot if he’s able to defeat the champion. MJF has vowed to defeat King in under two minutes.
The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now available and covers the following topics:
Polls on Worlds End plus Continental Classic MVP and best match polls.
The story of the WWE/UFC merger and Vince McMahon’s resignation, how real was it, the big unanswered question about the WWE Board of Directors, lots of Discovery information in the shareholders lawsuit against WWE, McMahon, TKO, Nick Khan and others, things behind the scenes about the merger, and the change in plans prior to the 2023 WrestleMania in more detail than ever before.
Full coverage of AEW Worlds End and business notes on the show
The retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi and the Tokyo Dome show
The record setting 2025 at Arena Mexico and biggest attendance week in the 92 years of CMLL, a look at the last week as well as how many Americans are at the shows.
The few times in history that a company sold out a major arena three times in the same week.
A look at the Stardom Dream Queendom show
Pro Wrestling NOAH hosts the first major show of 2026
Weekly odds
2026 Observer award ballot
Most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week.
Weddings and engagements in pro wrestling this past week
All Japan has its best match of 2025
William Regal and others talk about neck injuries in pro wrestling and our thoughts on it as well as the reaction of some
Who had the most great matches in 2025
How Eric Bischoff’s new promotion is similar to Sam Muchnick starting out as a promoter
Company does a Vince McMahon/Janel Grant angle on its TV show
On No-Contest Wrestling, Kelani Jordan opened up about how proud she is of her fiance Carmelo Hayes for becoming United States Champion:
Oh, I’m so proud of him. Not only because, of course, you know, I don’t want to say, like, I’m biased, but really, honestly, like, he’s such a great person. He works really hard. I’ve never seen someone more passionate about this business and what he does. He studies all the time. He works hard.
He’s in the gym. He sometimes even does extra ring [work] with me, not only to help me, but just to make sure he’s in shape for his matches when he doesn’t really need to be. Like, he’s in great shape.
So I’m just super proud of him because I want to say he never, like â it wasn’t handed to him. He definitely earned it. And I feel like he definitely paid his dues. And of course, his talent speaks for himself, but he has a genuine heart. And so I’m super proud of him.
I mean that it seems like thatâs always their job, theyâre over obligated, they got so much TV time and they gotta figure out how to use everybody. Nobody really comes to mind. I feel like I prefer watching the ladies actually a lot more because theyâve really stepped it up.
If you go back to like 2001, when I came into WWE, the girls werenât the best workers and a lot of wrestling fans would say that when the girls are on, that was their break to run to the kitchen or whatever, watching it. I didnât know that girls could even move like they were fighting because they seemed so unnatural before, but they were hot, they get really hot girls. Thatâs not the same thing as someone thatâs a tomboy that fought with their brothers and grew up that way. So now they have so many girls that qualify that I donât see how theyâre gonna use all of them because they gotta beat each other. And the NXT too, watching the girls that are coming up, Iâm so impressed with them and they seem like theyâve closed the gap and lady wrestling might be just as popular as men wrestling someday.
The two sides have teamed up to create a custom WWE x ESPN CFP National Championship Title Belt, a one-of-one piece inspired by host city Miami and featuring the outline of Hard Rock Stadium, palm trees, and College Footballâinspired design elements, including 136 diamonds representing each Division I FBS program. The belt will be on display for fans to take photos and interact with at the ESPN CFP x WWE activation at Playoff Fan Central in Miami from January 16â18, and one lucky fan will also have the chance to win it through an official ESPN sweepstakes.
The title belt will make its first public appearance with WWE Superstar Nikki Bella on the sideline of the CFP Semifinals on Jan. 8 at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Bellaâs home state.
The WWE Vault YouTube account asked fans for 2026 content suggestions: âYou have Vault requests⌠we want âem! Letâs start 2026 right. Lay your WWE Vault suggestions on us in the comments below!â
House of Glory announced that Amazing Red will be Andradeâs opponent at their City of Angels show in Los Angeles on January 30. Itâs a first-time-ever matchup.
They should have pushed me. They didnât really push me at all. I should have been used, at least as a strong mid-carder, if not a main eventer. But thatâs me. I mean, I could be biased, and Iâm sure I am, but looking at it objectively, I think I could have drawn money for them.
Reality of Wrestling proudly introduces PROSPE-X â a brand-new, high-stakes competition series searching for the next breakout star in professional wrestling.
Created by Booker T and Sharmell Huffman, PROSPE-X will spotlight 10 of the top independent prospects from across the U.S. (9 singles competitors + 1 tag team), selected through an open nationwide submission process.
Whatâs on the line? One standout competitor will earn an official ROW roster spot and compete at a major ROW âBig Fourâ event: Last Stand Rumble ⢠Summer of Champions ⢠SubZero ⢠Battle to the Bell
Andrade appeared alongside the Don Callis Family after a trios match that saw Jack Perry and The Young Bucks against The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona). He didn’t get physical and initially appeared in his mask before taking it off as the DCF attacked the Bucks and Perry.
Later on, Tony Khan took to X to announce that Andrade was officially #AllElite.
Andrade made his initial surprise return on the October 1, 2025, Dynamite, attacking Kenny Omega and aligning with Callis. However, that storyline was not further developed on television due to him violating WWE’s non-compete clause which AEW head Tony Khan apparently wasn’t aware of.
El Idolo was part of this past weekend’s Wrestle Kingdom 20 as well as the follow-up New Year’s Dash against Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd of the Bullet Club War Dogs. It was previously noted that the 36-year-old was available to sign a new deal with AEW after his lawyers negotiated an early exit from the non-compete clause.
Andrade El Idolo is returning to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
He appeared via video on Mondayâs Road to Tokyo Dome show at Korakuen Hall, revealing himself as the âbusiness backerâ of the United Empire. Andrade will also be one of the mystery members on the United Empire side of a 10-man tag at Wrestle Kingdom 20 against David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, Hiromu Takahashi, and Shingo Takagi.
“My name is Andrade El Idolo. La Sombra is back in Japan,” Andrade said in the video. “I have business all over the world, but in Japan I have a very good business with my friends.”
Andrade has not wrestled for NJPW since the promotionâs Fantasticamania tour with CMLL in January 2015. He previously held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in the company, defeating Shinsuke Nakamura for the title at Arena Mexico in 2013 before losing it back to him at NJPW Kizuna Road 2013 less than two months later.
Andrade is believed to be under a 12-month no-compete clause with WWE stemming from his release from the company in September. He announced recently that WWE granted him permission to appear on a WWC show in Puerto Rico, and he also recently appeared at a House of Glory event earlier this month.
The updated Wrestle Kingdom 20 lineup is below:
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 (Sunday, January 4, 2026 on NJPW World) â
Hiroshi Tanahashâs retirement match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
Winner-take-all match: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji
NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL defends against Aaron Wolf
IWGP Junior Heavyweight title number one contenderâs match: El Desperado vs. SHO vs. Kosei Fujita vs. Taiji Ishiimori
David Finlay, Shingo Takagi, Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, Henare, Andrade El Idolo & A Mystery Partner
Andrade says he is set to return to the ring tonight.
During a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Andrade said WWE sent a signed letter to his lawyer allowing him to participate in World Wrestling Councilâs show in Puerto Rico on Saturday December 13, where he will challenge Xavant for the WWC Universal Championship.
Andrade said:
âI want to say thank you to my lawyer because my lawyer now has a letter from WWE. Because we had some little problems because I have the no-compete for 12 months.”
“Today my lawyer texted me and told me that Andrade, I have a letter signed that you can participate tonight in Puerto Rico in the company WWC.”
Andrade clarified that the letter only clears him to work this specific show.
“I hope back soon to AEW. I don’t know when I’m back. For now, the letter is for just this show for Puerto Rico.”
Andrade had previously been scheduled to wrestle for WWC in October, but was later pulled from the event due to his contractual situation with WWE.
WWC Lockout: The Closing of the Season 2025 is scheduled for the Cancha PepĂn Cestero in BayamĂłn, Puerto Rico, and is the promotionâs final event of the year.
An update is available regarding Andradeâs contractual status.
During an interview with Deportes published on Wednesday, Andrade said he is working with WWE on an agreement to get out of his one-year non-compete clause with the company. He also said WWE only activated the clause after he appeared on AEW programming. Before then, Andrade believed he was completely free of his deal.
“My lawyers are already talking with WWEâs lawyers, and theyâre reaching an agreement. I donât know the exact date,” Andrade said during the interview (translated from Spanish).
He also addressed his Wellness policy violation in WWE that ultimately led to his departure.
“I got a warning because there are many medicines or supplements in Mexico that you can use, but over there you canât,” he said (translated from Spanish).
Andrade’s comments to Deportes were addressed on Thursday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio with our own Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez, who mentioned that he’d been told WWE felt activating Andrade’s non-compete clause was up to their discretion.
“I would be very skeptical of some of it,” Meltzer said about Andrade’s interview. “He basically said that his non-compete is worldwide and that he expects it to be settled in less than three months. And I was kind of told when this thing went down that they had the one year non-compete but they probably weren’t going to enforce it for the full year. They might. I think they felt it was up to their discretion.”
Meltzer added that he believes a WWE non-compete of this length would not hold up if Andrade took the matter to court.
“If there was a court fight that was threatened, they would probably have to stop, because there’s no way that they could keep him from wrestling for a year and not pay him. And have the thing be worldwide, it could never hold up in court. But there’s no indication he’s taking them to court but he is saying that they are in talks.”
“His claim is that he didn’t know that there was a non-compete when he went to AEW, that he was under the impression that there wasn’t. And then when he went on, then WWE contacted him and said hey, you’re on a non-compete.”
Alvarez asked Meltzer if Tony Khan put Andrade on AEW programming without having him under contract.
“He may have signed a contract for all we know without the knowledge that he couldn’t sign a contract. He obviously told Tony that there was no non-compete,” Meltzer answered.
The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio with Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez is available for subscribers here. Andrade’s interview with Deportes is available below.
Dave Meltzer and I are back with the Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about some of the major stories from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We discussed the following:
WWE having to redo creative after the Seth Rollins injury
WWE & AI
Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi originally having a match on the WrestleDream card
The Andrade contract situation
Then, James Dixon joined us to talk about his brand new book on WWF in 1992, Titan Shrinking.
Andrade El Idolo had a big win in his first match following his WWE exit last month.
He defeated DMT Azul on Friday night in Tijuana to win The Crash Heavyweight Championship, ending Azulâs record-long 883-day reign. The match came just two days after Andrade returned to AEW on the sixth anniversary of Dynamite and confronted Kenny Omega.
In his first Post WWE match, Andrade has just won the Crash Heavyweight Championship in Tijuana, MĂŠxico.
Andrade defeated DMT Azul and ending his almost 900 day reign.
Andradeâs AEW return drew some skepticism over issues from his first run with the company, including a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara, and reportedly insinuating to the company he would re-sign, only to later leave for WWE. Dave Meltzer addressed the situation in Fridayâs edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, noting that he was told AEW sees Andrade as someone who can help build the company in Mexico.
“As for Andrade, a big part of bringing him in is wanting another Hispanic star to help build the company up in Mexico and on Fox Sports Mexico, since he has a big name in that country,” Meltzer wrote.
The issue was also discussed by Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“He’s coming off of a run that wasn’t good in WWE. Then he was fired over disciplinary reasons. He had lots of problems in AEW over disciplinary reasons. I always think burn me once, learn a lesson. This was not a lesson learned,” Meltzer said on the show.
