Andrade Recalls Being Stuck In Saudi Arabia In 2019, Said He Would Never Return

Following WWE Crown Jewel 2019, WWE wrestlers were stuck in Saudi Arabia after reported mechanical issues.

Many wrestlers who were part of the stranded group have recounted their experiences from the ill-fated trip. AJ Styles said the pilots had “timed out” leading to the delay, but no one was being threatened. The Good Brothers said “it never got to the depths” people thought it did — some equated the incident to a “hostage situation” — and discussed the rumor Vince McMahon pulled the plug on the feed in Saudi Arabia over owed money.

Speaking to Lucha Libre Online (translation via Carlos Toro), Andrade recounted his experience while in Saudi Arabia.

“I think it was like two days they didn’t let us leave. We went into the plane, boarded, told us there was something wrong with the plane. They made up a million stories. They told us a lot of different things. I think we went up the plane two times. We were already eating, some were sleeping and then they made us get off the plane. Cain Velasquez was there, Rey Mysterio too, guys with names. There were guys with their own planes. Some had to stay behind. They brought in a plane to try and bring the SmackDown guys because there was a taping. They made up a lot of things. They treated us like kings at first but once we were done, we were stuck in this small airport. You could see some guys on the floor, falling asleep after waiting all day at the airport. I don’t know what the real story is, but they did not let us leave the country,” said Andrade.

He continued by saying, “The following week, we had a meeting with Vince. I spoke with those in the office and I said I didn’t want to return to Saudi Arabia. The money is good, but I don’t want to go to Saudi Arabia. They told us to talk to Vince, that it wasn’t that much of an issue and that it wasn’t happening again. Speak with whoever you want to, but I wasn’t going back to Saudi Arabia. You can’t imagine seeing these superstars on the floor like that, sharing protein bars because there wasn’t enough to eat. We spent two days there and were not allowed to go. I don’t know what really happened. The day there was a meeting, I didn’t go because I knew they would make something up. I remember that time vividly because my mom passed away while I was in Saudi Arabia.”

Andrade competed in the 20-man battle royal at Crown Jewel 2019. He did end up returning to Saudi Arabia for Super ShowDown 2020 to compete in the Gauntlet match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.

Elsewhere during the interview, Andrade discussed his WWE release, which was granted on March 21. You can find his full comments by clicking here.

Thanks to Carlos Toro for the translations and Luis Pulido for contributing to the article. If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Carlos, Luis, and Fightful for the transcription.