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The WWE Draft has concluded and the rosters are now set in stone. We saw the SmackDown season premiere last week, and now, the WWE RAW season premiere is on the horizon, scheduled for Monday night with a packed lineup. However, one of the most notable omissions from the Draft was a top star, in Andrade, who was a very important component of the WWE RAW. Why was such a key Superstar left out of the proceedings?
Here are five theories for the same, and one of them must be the reason why Andrade was left out of the proceedings and remained undrafted. Would you like to see him return on the WWE RAW or SmackDown brand?
#5 A potential change in character for Andrade after the attack from The Fiend on WWE RAW?
Last week on WWE RAW, the lights dimmed and then the ring was bathed in red light, as The Fiend and Alexa Bliss showed up to make WWE RAW their new home, where nobody is safe from their seemingly dangerous ways. What we do know is that everyone who comes into contact with The Fiend invariably changes and Andrade too is likely to change after being hit with Sister Abigail. And so, the time away may actually be time for him to be repackaged before he is ready to make a return to WWE RAW or SmackDown.
As gifted as Andrade is between the ropes, if you look at his WWE RAW run thus far, the central issue with him has been the fact that he is little more than a wrestler, and you need more than that to truly 'get over'. Hulk Hogan wasn't really Andrade in the ring, but he had a compelling character. Andrade could reset his character before making his return.
#4 Andrade chose to undergo an elective procedure, meaning he has to take time off
Wrestling Inc. recently reported that Andrade was not drafted to either WWE RAW or SmackDown because he chose to undergo a minor elective procedure. The report goes on to mention that he is expected to get a pretty major push once he returns to action.
Obviously, this is the best-case scenario for the talented young man who can return into the thick of things at 100% and then take a call on whether he wants to be allied with Zelina Vega, or make a fresh start altogether, based on the landscape of the company when he makes his big return to action.
Andrade has been a very integral part of the tag team division over the last few months and it is very clear that there has been a little wear and tear based on the bumps and bruises that he has suffered.
As for his push, there are differing opinions about Andrade on the internet (as this very article will prove).
#3 Could Andrade make a return to the NXT brand?
Shortly after the conclusion of the Draft, Andrade put up this post, from his time in NXT when he was the face of the brand. As we are well aware now, NXT is no longer a developmental brand, but it is the third WWE show, aired across two hours on the USA Network every single week, and Andrade could definitely return to the brand to make quite a splash indeed.
As we know already, Charlotte Flair and Finn Balor have had great stints in NXT even though both of them were Superstars that had earned quite a reputation for themselves in the 'big leagues'. If Andrade does go to NXT, it will certainly not be a downgrade, and truth be told, it may allow him to reinvent himself by mixing it up with the wealth of talent in the brand.
What a great feud Andrade vs. Finn Balor could be if both men are allowed to battle and slug it out in a match without restrictions.
#2 Exploring the possibility of an Andrade and Charlotte Flair tandem?
It is a well-known fact that Andrade and Charlotte Flair are in a relationship, but this fact is hardly ever addressed on WWE television. Recently, Andrade sent out a message thanking Zelina Vega for being his manager and Charlotte Flair sent out a very interesting message. It was soon deleted, but internet sleuths managed to take a screenshot of what Flair said regarding Andrade.
Could Andrade and Charlotte Flair become an on-screen power couple in the same way that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were, or even Rusev and Lana were, during their initial run?
We've seen how Alexa Bliss has reinvented herself and we've also seen how successful Becky Lynch was when she became 'The Man'. Charlotte Flair could really shake her character up with an alliance with Andrade, and when she comes back to WWE, the first couple of WWE could be part of some very interesting WWE storylines as a unit.
#1 Vince McMahon reportedly never saw Andrade as a top star
Even though Ric Flair is a massive fan of Andrade's, as you can check out from the video that's been shared above, apparently Vince McMahon, the man who makes all the decisions in WWE, does not see him in nearly the same light. One has to be worried for Andrade's future if this is the case and one wonders if this absence also means that he will be benched for a period of time.
As revealed by senior wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer, Andrade was a Paul Heyman guy and Vince McMahon never 'got it with him'. This could be the reason why he remained undrafted, because there may not be any plans for Andrade at this particular point in time.
One has to just look at Mr. Meltzer's track record over the decades to know that if he says something, there is usually a lot of substance to the claim.
Why don't you think Vince McMahon sees Andrade as a top WWE star, ladies, and gentlemen?
