New WWE signing could be another Andrade, veteran fears (Exclusive)

Modified Apr 07, 2025 17:03 GMT

Former United States Champion Andrade [Image Credit: wwe.com]

Andrade returned to WWE in January 2024 after two and a half years in AEW. Vince Russo, former head writer for the Stamford-based promotion, recently expressed concerns that Rusev could be booked in a similar way to the Mexican.

On April 2, Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported that Rusev has re-signed with WWE. The former AEW star previously worked for the company from 2010 to 2020. He won the United States Championship three times and feuded with top stars John Cena, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns.

Speaking to host Dr. Chris Featherstone, Russo said on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo that Gunther and Jey Uso could be good opponents for Rusev. He also questioned whether The Bulgarian Brute's return to the promotion might be underwhelming, referencing El Idolo's current run.

"Yeah, definitely, if he was a babyface," Russo said, answering whether Gunther could be an opponent. "If he was gonna be a heel, you can go Jey Uso-Rusev. Bro, you know what I'm afraid of, man? Because there's a lot of similarities, man. You talk about bringing him back after WrestleMania, where they're gonna need all the help they can get, so I agree with that, but my God, bro, is he just gonna be in an Andrade spot?" [9:08 – 9:29]

Watch the video above to hear Russo explain why WWE should create a faction of unhappy former AEW talents.

Vince Russo criticizes WWE's booking of Andrade

After returning in the Men's Royal Rumble 2024, Andrade teamed up with Rey Mysterio to defeat Dominik Mysterio and Santos Escobar at WrestleMania XL. Since then, he has struggled to receive regular television time.

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Given the 35-year-old's ability and experience, Vince Russo thinks he should have been booked better:

"Look what they've done with Andrade since they brought him back. They've done absolutely zero with the guy, man." [9:29 – 9:35]

Russo also addressed why WWE's recent signings make AEW President Tony Khan look bad.

Please credit Writing With Russo and embed the video if you use quotes from this article, giving an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart