Andrade Explains New AEW Gimmick
AEW star Andrade explains his new gimmick in the promotion, revealing that certain elements of it came about due to him improvising during a match
Andrade flexes for all his fans - Etsuo Hara/Getty Images Since returning to AEW in January 2026 , Andrade El Idolo has been having a career revival, arguably equalling his run as NXT Champion and his days as La Sombra in CMLL. Part of Andrade's success can be attributed to him incorporating new elements into his persona, including taking off his pants mid-match to the amusement of the crowd , and giving his phone number to female fans after taking selfies with them. In an interview with "SHAK Wrestling," Andrade explained that the idea of taking photos with female fans came from Andrade wanting to differentiate himself from the rest of the AEW roster, and noted that it seemed to have work given the positive reception.
When it came to taking his pants off, however, Andrade admitted that wasn't something he had in mind, and instead came from him improvising during a match when fans chanted for him to take then off. "I asked to the ref 'Hey, what do the people want? Why are they not quiet?
'" Andrade said. "'Because the people want you to take your pants off. ' 'Take pants off!
Take pants off! ' I said 'Really? Okay!