Former AEW Talent Was Spotted Attending SmackDown With Andrade

In the past, AEW would let contracts run out rather than release talents unless it was a disciplinary issue, such as with Jimmy Havoc and CM Punk. Yet, earlier this year, Tony Khan’s promotion let several performers go due to budgetary reasons, and among them was José García, who worked under the name José the Assistant.

And while some thought he could be TNA-bound after he was seen backstage at one of their tapings, speculation has now commenced that he may possibly be headed to WWE after Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported on X that he attended Friday’s SmackDown taping alongside Andrade.

“Jose The Assistant was seen arriving to Smackdown in Orlando with Andrade last week, @FightfulSelect has learned.”

38-year-old García broke into the business in 2007 and initially competed on the California indie scene and in Mexico under the names Orion and Principe Orion. This would lead to him making a couple of appearances for WWE in 2011 and 2012, where he wrestled Brodus Clay and Ryback, although nothing more would come from this. Still, having taken a hiatus from the ring in 2018, he would join AEW in 2021 as Andrade manager, although once he returned to WWE, García became surplus to requirements.