Andrade Goes Rogue: El Idolo Confirms NJPW Return for Wrestle Kingdom 20
If you thought wrestling contracts were ironclad legal documents, Andrade El Idolo is here to kindly remind you that they are, at best, polite suggestions. After months of playing a high-stakes game of “Where in the World is El Idolo?” Andrade is heading back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling for the first time in over a decade.
The announcement dropped like a bomb during NJPW’s “Road to Tokyo Dome” event on December 22, 2025. In a video message that aired inside the hallowed halls of Korakuen Hall, the man formerly known as La Sombra confirmed he will be competing at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026.
The Return Of La Sombra
For newer fans who might only know him from his runs in the United States, seeing Andrade in an NJPW ring might feel like a novelty. But for long-time viewers, this is a return to his roots. Before he was “El Idolo” on American television, he was La Sombra, a masked prodigy who helped revolutionize the industry by founding the original Los Ingobernables faction alongside Tetsuya Naito and Rush.
In the video aired at Korakuen Hall, he leaned heavily into that history.
“La Sombra is back in Japan,” he declared, looking as cool as ever. “I’m not going to see Hiroshi Tanahashi. I have business all over the world. But in Japan, I have very good business with my friends of the United Empire.”
The United Empire Connection
So, how does he fit into the card? The specifics are juicy. During the event, Callum Newman of the United Empire picked up a win in a six-man tag match and decided to drop a “Christmas present” on the fans. That present, of course, was the revelation that Andrade would be the mystery partner for the United Empire at the Tokyo Dome.
Come January 4, he will team up with the United Empire squad in a massive 5-on-5 tag team match. On the other side of the ring? The Bullet Club War Dogs, joined by Shingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi.
From a storytelling perspective, this is gold. Takagi and Takahashi have deep ties to the Los Ingobernables de Japon faction—a group that shares spiritual DNA with Andrade’s original stable.
From Legal Limbo To the Tokyo Dome
Let’s be honest: the road to this announcement has been one of the most chaotic timelines in modern wrestling history. Since his quiet—and somewhat confusing—departure from WWE in September 2025, Andrade has been operating like a man who simply does not care about non-compete clauses.
Remember early October? The man literally had himself smuggled into an AEW arena. Then WWE legal reportedly threw a fit, claiming he was still under a one-year freeze, but that clearly hasn’t slowed him down.
Just days before this NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 announcement, he showed up unannounced at a House of Glory show in New York, jumping HOG World Champion Charles Mason. He is popping up everywhere, attacking champions, and cutting promos across continents. It is the kind of outlaw behavior that makes wrestling fun again.
What This Means For Wrestle Kingdom 20
Wrestle Kingdom is the Super Bowl of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It’s where the biggest stories culminate, and the biggest stars shine. Adding a talent like Andrade to the mix instantly elevates the card.
There is a distinct emotional weight to this. The last time he wrestled for NJPW was in January 2015 at Fantastica Mania. He was a different performer then—younger, masked, and hungry. He returns now as a global superstar, unmasked, battle-hardened, and carrying the swagger of a man who knows exactly how good he is. It’s gonna be interesting to see how Andrade returns to AEW.
