A Complete Timeline of Andrade El Idolo's Bizarre Journey With AEW and WWE
Andrade El Idolo is back, leaving many fans wondering if AEW can actually capitalize on one of the most gifted luchadors in the world this time around.
The Mexican wrestler formerly known as La Sombra has sparked headlines since his latest post-WWE run began in October. His storied tenure with CMLL and appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling put him on the map, but his career has taken some odd twists and turns over the last six years.
The 36-year-old is undeniably talented, but he hasn't had a remarkable stint in the U.S. like most would've expected by now. Still, his journey is fascinating because he has been able to parlay his options into multiple opportunities at the top two wrestling companies in the industry.
El Idolo remains a viable asset at a time when pro wrestling is more accessible than ever, and there are more alternatives for viewers and wrestlers. Just when we thought his fortunes might run out, he reemerged in 2026 alongside the United Empire during their 10-man tag team match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 and re-debuted on AEW Dynamite days later.
As he embarks on his second run with All Elite Wrestling, let's go over the timeline of the wild chain of events that led to it.
Andrade 'Cien' Almas Finds Brief Success With WWE
1 of 5El Idolo initially signed with WWE on Nov. 19, 2015, and joined NXT as Andrade "Cien" Almas. However, he didn't strike gold until he brought on Zelina Vega as his manager and feuded with Johnny Gargano in 2017.
Vega was the perfect mouthpiece for him because she enhanced his character and obscured his struggles with English. She was the missing piece that would allow him to translate to a mainstream audience.
The duo was so hot that Almas eventually gained a shot at Drew McIntyre at TakeOver: WarGames, where he defeated the Scot to win the NXT Championship. In the following year, he and Gargano produced a critically acclaimed title match at TakeOver: Philadelphia during Royal Rumble weekend.
As the reigning champion debuted at the event as a surprise entrant in the men's Rumble match, it became clear he and Vega were heading to the main roster. In April 2018, Almas dropped the NXT title to Aleister Black and got drafted to SmackDown during the Superstar Shake-Up.
Still, most of his memorable moments with WWE from then on came as a Superstar on Raw in 2019. On Dec. 26, Andrade won the United States Championship during a house show at Madison Square Garden and held it for 151 days.
The Beginning of The End
2 of 5Things started to go awry when WWE reportedly wrote him off television to serve a suspension for an undisclosed wellness violation. In his absence, Vega began to manage Angel Garza, and they eventually formed a faction with Austin Theory when Andrade returned.
However, the group never took off because they kicked Theory out about a month later, and tensions grew between Garza and Andrade. The two attempted a short run as a tag team, but they couldn't get on the same page.
Vega eventually parted ways with them on the Sept. 14, 2020 episode of Raw. This was such a baffling creative decision because the pairing was so integral to Andrade's success with NXT that it allowed him to transition to a bigger stage.
Splitting them up immediately was a calamity because so much of his presentation since the move to the main roster relied on their partnership. Even worse, WWE didn't end their relationship interestingly or set him up for anything new.
In 2021, Andrade requested his release, and it was granted by WWE on March 21.
The First Jump To AEW
3 of 5In May 2021, Andrade unsuccessfully challenged Kenny Omega for the AAA Mega Championship at Triplemanía XXIX. AAA took part in a partnership with AEW from 2019 to 2022, which led many fans to believe the Mexican's next destination was set.
On June 4, 2021, he made his debut on AEW Dynamite as Andrade El Idolo. Although he initially came in with much fanfare, he stumbled out of the blocks because he couldn't figure out his management situation.
El Idolo aligned with Vickie Guerrero early on. He later employed her nephew, Chavo Guerrero, as a consultant, but that arrangement was short-lived, too. Surely, most of us would like to forget his acquisition of the Hardy Family Office and subsequent rivalry with Matt Hardy.
When AEW signed Rush, it found the right direction for him, thanks to his time as Los Ingobernables with CMLL. La Faccion Ingobernable should've been a home run, but El Idolo became embroiled in an incident with Sammy Guevara.
The situation arose from an argument on Twitter, but it reportedly led to a physical altercation, per TMZ Sports. As a result, El Idolo was sent home and remained off television for months. To make matters worse, he had sustained a torn pectoral, which would require surgery.
Once he returned to Collision in 2023, he had regained some momentum as a babyface during his feud with Buddy Matthews and the inaugural Continental Classic. In fact, it seemed things were finally turning around for him, but he abruptly left the company after his match with Miro at Worlds End.
Back to WWE
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Apparently, AEW expected El Idolo to re-sign in 2023, but he decided to leave when his contract expired.
During the Worlds End media scrum, Tony Khan revealed his contract would be up at the end of the year, but he was "very happy with Andrade's performance."
It was jarring because we rarely find out a wrestler is leaving a company right after their match at a pay-per-view. Even more, everyone expected him to head to its biggest competitor because WWE was hot again and he was married to Charlotte Flair at the time.
On Jan. 27, 2024, Andrade did indeed return as the fourth entrant in the men's Royal Rumble match. This was the best time to come back, but it didn't lead to much of note.
His best-of-seven series with Carmelo Hayes on SmackDown was the highlight of his second stint with WWE, but there wasn't much to write home about after that. The two faced LA Knight in a Triple Threat match at Crown Jewel for the United States Championship, but the rivalry didn't raise Andrade's standing as it should have.
The Mexican also briefly teamed with Rey Fenix last year. During night two of SummerSlam, they competed in the six-pack tag team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, which was Andrade's last match with the company.
Andrade El Idolo is All Elite…Again
5 of 5On Oct. 1, 2025, Andrade El Idolo re-debuted on AEW Dynamite during the flagship series' sixth anniversary episode.
As the latest addition to The Don Callis Family, he attacked Kenny Omega, seemingly setting up a rematch to their encounter with AAA in 2021. However, El Idolo completely disappeared from AEW programming in the weeks that followed.
WWE sent All Elite Wrestling a cease-and-desist letter claiming El Idolo had violated a non-compete clause following his termination in September. AEW reportedly thought he was in the clear to make appearances elsewhere.
On Dec. 22, Fightful Select reported his WWE contract had officially ended and El Idolo would be free to sign with AEW. On the same day, NJPW aired a vignette to promote his appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
At the event on Jan. 4, 2026, New Japan announced him as an AEW wrestler during his entrance. Three days later, El Idolo returned to the company for a second time, technically a third, during the Jan. 7 episode of Dynamite to rejoin The Don Callis Family.
It's been a long and winding road back here, but one would have to assume a match with Omega is still in the cards. Hopefully, this run is different because it seemed like Andrade had finally found his footing before his abrupt exit, but time will tell.
