Andrade Comments On Potential AEW Match With Kenny Omega

Andrade El Idolo seemed poised for a huge return match with Kenny Omega when he appeared on the sixth anniversary episode of AEW Dynamite on October 1 of this year. However, a protracted non-compete saga with WWE has since left any further developments in limbo.

Andrade, who originally worked for All Elite between 2021 and 2023, returned to resume hostilities with Omega after being released by WWE in September. After laying out the former AEW Champion, it appeared El Idolo had joined forces with the Don Callis family.

Only El Idolo has been unable to appear on AEW television since to further the feud after WWE's non-compete clause intervened.

And the former NXT Champion is keen to avenge his previous loss to Omega, while also giving fans a better match than the pair's previous effort at AAA TripleMania, in August of 2021.

Andrade El Idolo | All Elite Wrestling - Lee South

Andrade Felt His TripleMania Match With Kenny Omega Could Have Been Better

In a new interview with Eduardo Bates, Andrade explained that his AAA Mega Championship loss in the main event of TripleMania four years ago was not a match that lived up to expectations. And now he wants to give fans an improved offering when the pair eventually go one-on-one again.

“It was difficult. I want to fight Kenny Omega again. I hope the future allows me to, and of course, if it allows him. I met Kenny on my first tour in Japan. I was 19 when I went to Best of the Super Junior, and in that group there is Group A and Group B. I remember Finn Balor, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, KUSHIDA, (Koji) Kanemoto, they were all there. Kenny was in the other group, and I never got to fight Kenny Omega, which is what I was hoping for. "
Andrade El Idolo [via Eduardo Bates]

Andrade continued, "My first match was going to be in AAA, for the Mega Championship, but the day before, we wrestled in the southern United States. Kenny wrestled for one of his championships, and we finished the event at midnight and had to be there at 2 p.m.

"I hired a driver because I had heard things about AAA, and it was my first time competing at that time, and it’s still the same (AAA). I’ve heard that they haven’t changed and now they go and complain to WWE, I’m not lying to you. But that’s how it is, and it has to change."

The former WWE United States Champion went onto explain that fatigue played a role in the match not being of the standard that he wanted, citing in the interview that AAA didn't handle the pre-match travel arrangements for him, Ric and Charlotte Flair (Andrade's father-in-law and wife at the time) particularly well.

"I had to check-in, I was carrying a suit, my gear, and my ex-wife also brought her bags, and then they sent me messages from AAA. I left in about 40-50 minutes and Kenny was still outside, they hadn’t picked him up (from the airport). He came with us, we arrived at the hotel, they were waiting for us in the lobby. We received the rooms until 4, and then they told us that we were leaving in half an hour. I told them Kenny arrived at 2pm and it’s 4:30pm. He could have rested for two hours.

"The event starts at 8 and we are one of the last matches, at least let us leave at 5:30pm so that there is no issues, and my father-in-law until 7 because he will not be there from early.Well, they picked Kenny and me at about 5:30pm, we arrived at 6. They passed at 6 to my ex-partner and father-in-law.

"We arrived and I felt tired and sleep-deprived. In that match it felt like we needed more time, we were tired because Kenny had consecutive matches (and very good ones), he was champion of everything and was wrestling every week.

"The match was not too bad, but I hope that the next time I have to fight with Kenny we will give them the best match possible. I imagined winning that championship, I couldn’t do it that night, but it did open many doors for me in AEW and I was able to get a lot of feuds. It’s great to face Kenny, I got to face him in several matches, but only once in singles action.”

Andrade's Future Remains Uncertain

At the time of writing, there is no date or rumored return pencilled in for Andrade with AEW. With WWE's non-compete clause being for 12 months, there is a chance the 36-year-old has to play the long game to make his second run in the Jacksonville territory a reality.

In the meantime, Andrade has appeared for The Crash in Mexico, defeating DMT Azul to lift the Crash Heavyweight Championship. During his first time in AEW, El Idolo feuded with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Sammy Guevara, The House of Black and Miro, finishing up with the company in December 2023, before rejoining WWE in 2024, re-debuting at that year's Royal Rumble.

Andrade's second spell in WWE was relatively uneventful. He would team with Rey Mysterio to defeat Dominik Mysterio and Santos Escobar at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. He would also engage in a thrilling best-of-seven series with Carmelo Hayes on SmackDown.

Andrade's final match for the company would come at this year's SummerSlam, where he teamed with Rey Fenix in a six-pack tag team TLC match for the WWE Tag Team titles. Andrade and Fenix were unsuccessful as the Wyatt Sicks emerged victorious. El Idolo was released from the company a little over a month later.

(H/T Fightful for the transcription)

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