Andrade El Idolo appeared on AEW television on October 1st after being let go by WWE. However, according to Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer reported that Andrade had a one year non-compete agreement which prevents him from appearing on a competing company.
Lance Storm, a former WWE pro wrestler that co-hosts with Alvarez, noted that the non-compete was standard with WWE contracts at the time that he was employed with the company.
Andrade was “fired for cause” which triggered the one year non-compete in his contract. Multiple wrestling outlets note that Andrade was fired due to multiple violations of the WWE wellness policy. As a result, WWE sent a “cease and desist” to AEW to prevent Andrade from further appearing on the show.
The one-year non-compete seems unenforceable in court due to the length of the non-compete. While being fired for a reason which likely violated the contract he signed, it is hard to fathom that WWE would enforce it for the full 12 months.
Regardless, Andrade would have to retain a lawyer to fight the terms or file a lawsuit against WWE to get him out of the contract. The contract term seems unconscionable meaning that it is so one-sided and unfair that a court would deem it unenforceable. While Andrade may have “breached” his contract for being fired with cause, the punitive measure of having him sit out for a year would seem too long in duration. More likely, Andrade may negotiate a shorter time frame (e.g., 90 days) so that he can return and earn a paycheck.
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