Andrade Talks McIntyre, Storyline with Charlotte; Titus Set for WWE HOF Honor

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Andrade Reveals Conversation with McIntyre

For the first time since being released by WWE last week, former WWE Superstar Andrade spoke publicly Monday about his departure and time with the company.

In an interview with Lucha Libre Online (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Andrade discussed several subjects, including a conversation he had with then-WWE champion Drew McIntyre.

Andrade noted that he was supposed to put McIntyre over strong in a match, but McIntyre wanted him to come out looking good as well:

"When the pandemic started, they put me with Drew McIntyre. Drew was great with me and behaved well with me in NXT and on the main roster. We had the matches and a producer came to me and said, 'Make sure Drew looks like a monster, because he's the champ.' Drew came to me and told me to wrestle how I know to wrestle, saying that he doesn’t need me to make him look good, but to wrestle how I wrestle best."

Andrade said "a lot of people" treated him well in WWE, including McIntyre and Randy Orton, the latter of whom would ask why WWE wasn't utilizing him.

El Idolo seemed to be in a good spot coming out of WrestleMania last year, as he was in a stable with Angel Garza and Zelina Vega and in a rivalry with McIntyre.

Drew mowed through the stable, however, and Andrade dropped the United States Championship to Apollo Crews shortly thereafter. From that point forward, Andrade lost the vast majority of his matches and wasn't being put in positions to succeed.

His last match was a loss to Garza on the Oct. 12 episode of Raw, which signaled the official end of his working relationship with Garza and Vega.

Andrade wasn't seen again on WWE programming after that, and he was ultimately granted his release.

Given his immense in-ring talent and the fact that he held both the NXT and United States Championships, one can't help but think that WWE missed out on an opportunity to make Andrade a key player within the company.

Based on Andrade's comments, McIntyre and Orton may have been among those who felt the same way.

Andrade Talks Charlotte's Storyline Proposal Involving Him

In another portion of Andrade's interview with Lucha Libre Online (h/t Upton), he talked about an idea that was pitched to make him part of a storyline involving Charlotte Flair.

Andrade and Charlotte are engaged in real life, but it was never acknowledged on WWE programming nor was it incorporated into any storylines.

Andrade said Charlotte pitched to WWE Creative to make Andrade part of her rivalry with Lacey Evans and her father, WWE Hall of Famer "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

The angle saw Flair turn on his daughter and align with Evans, but it came to an abrupt end in February when Evans announced she was pregnant. It was initially thought to be part of the storyline, but it turns out Evans is pregnant in real life.

As a result, the story never progressed enough to bring Andrade in, so the Mexican star was left without a spot on the card, and he was ultimately released.

It is difficult to say if being part of that angle would have saved Andrade's career in WWE and satisfied him to the point that he'd have wanted to stay, but it at least would have gotten him back on television and in the spotlight again.

Instead, Andrade is now a free agent, and one can only assume that he will have no shortage of options at his disposal.

Returning to wrestle in his home country of Mexico is a possibility, as is joining AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Impact Wrestling or Ring of Honor.

Regardless of where Andrade goes, the promotion that signs him will be getting one of the best in-ring workers in the world and someone capable of being a top star in their company.

Titus O'Neil to Reportedly Receive 2021 WWE Warrior Award

WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil is reportedly set to receive a huge honor as part of the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), O'Neil will be the recipient of the 2021 Warrior Award.

The Warrior Award was established in 2015 after The Ultimate Warrior mentioned in his WWE Hall of Fame speech in 2014 that WWE should establish an award for the unsung heroes within the company.

Warrior died just days after his Hall of Fame induction, and WWE created the Warrior Award the following year to honor those who have "exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who live life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior."

The award is presented annually by Warrior's wife, Dana Warrior, and thus far it has been given to Connor "The Crusher" Michalek, Joan Lunden, Eric LeGrand, Jarrius "JJ" Robertson and Sue Aitchison.

If O'Neil receives the Warrior Award, he will be the first active WWE Superstar to ever secure that honor.

O'Neil doesn't wrestle often anymore, but he is a fantastic ambassador for WWE and does a ton of charity work, especially in the Tampa, Florida, area, which is where WrestleMania 37 is being held this year.

It has already been announced that O'Neil is co-hosting WrestleMania 37 with Hulk Hogan, and if he receives the Warrior Award as well, it will cap perhaps the most significant week of his career.

The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place April 6 and stream on Peacock.

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