Santos Escobar is set to depart from WWE, with his contract reportedly expiring today, October 6, 2025. The move marks the end of a six-year tenure with the company for the veteran luchador. Initial reports from Fightful Select indicated that Escobar’s contract was expiring “very soon,” with PWInsider later confirming that he will become a free agent at midnight unless a last-minute deal is reached.
According to a report from PWInsider, Escobar’s departure comes after he turned down a new contract offer from WWE. The report states, “Unless there is a last second Hail Mary pass that leads to him agreeing to a new deal, Santos Escobar will depart WWE as of midnight, PWInsider.com can confirm. At that point, he will be a free agent and available to wrestle or sign anywhere he wishes. We are told his contract expires at the end of the day and that WWE made overtures to keep Escobar (including a higher contract offer) but he turned down the offer.”
Escobar’s most recent storyline on WWE television saw him reform his Legado Del Fantasma faction and engage in a heated rivalry with Rey Mysterio and the Latino World Order (LWO). After being a member of the LWO, Escobar turned on Mysterio in November 2023, blaming him for a United States Championship loss to Logan Paul at Crown Jewel. The turn re-established Escobar as a heel and set the stage for a personal feud with his former mentor.
The storyline saw Escobar formally leave the LWO and revert to his Legado Del Fantasma identity. He chastised the original members of his group, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, and expelled them. Escobar then formed a new iteration of the faction by aligning with Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza, formerly known as Los Lotharios. The group was later joined by Elektra Lopez, who reunited with Escobar in January 2024.
The deeply personal feud between Escobar and Mysterio culminated at WrestleMania XL. On Night 1 of the event, Escobar teamed with Dominik Mysterio to face Rey Mysterio and Andrade in a losing effort. The match featured interference from Philadelphia Eagles players Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, who helped Rey and Andrade secure the victory. This high-profile match served as the blowoff to Escobar’s last major program with the company.
Before his main roster debut in October 2022, Escobar was a prominent figure in WWE’s NXT brand. He joined the company in August 2019 and was initially set to compete under his masked persona, El Hijo del Fantasma. After suffering a knee injury shortly after his signing, he made his debut in early 2020 and was announced as a participant in the interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
Escobar, performing as El Hijo del Fantasma, won the tournament by defeating Drake Maverick in the finals to become the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion. The following week, in a defining moment, he unmasked himself, adopted the name Santos Escobar, and formed the Legado Del Fantasma faction with Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza, cementing his turn as a top heel on the brand. His reign as champion lasted 321 days before he lost the title to Kushida.
During the remainder of his time in NXT, Escobar and Legado Del Fantasma were involved in several key storylines, including feuds with Hit Row and the NXT North American Champion, Bronson Reed. His tenure on the brand concluded with a feud against Tony D’Angelo and his “family”. The rivalry ended in a Street Fight where Escobar lost to D’Angelo, with the stipulation being that he was banned from NXT, which served to write him off the show ahead of his main roster call-up.
Born Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly, Escobar has a rich family history in lucha libre as the son of the legendary luchador El Fantasma. He began his career in 2000, initially wrestling under a mask as “Top Secret” before adopting the name El Hijo del Fantasma (“The Son of El Fantasma”) in 2003 to honor his father.
Prior to signing with WWE, he had a decorated run in Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide from 2013 to 2019. In AAA, he became the inaugural AAA World Cruiserweight Champion, also holding the AAA Latin American Championship and winning the 2017 Copa Antonio Peña tournament. His time in AAA famously concluded when he lost his mask to L.A. Park in a “Poker de Aces” match at Triplemanía XXVI in 2018, after which he was forced to reveal his real name.
From 2014 to 2019, Alcantar also gained significant exposure in the United States as the character King Cuerno in Lucha Underground. Portraying a “big game hunter,” he held the promotion’s Gift of the Gods Championship. His time with the promotion ended after he was part of a class-action lawsuit filed against its production company over contracts that were claimed to illegally restrict talent from working for other promotions, which ultimately led to his release.
His early career also included a significant period in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) from 2008 to 2013. While there, he was a two-time CMLL World Trios Champion alongside Héctor Garza and La Máscara and also held the CMLL World Middleweight Championship. Through his tenure in CMLL, AAA, Lucha Underground, and WWE, Escobar has competed in nearly every major North American wrestling promotion.
Escobar’s wrestling lineage is extensive, with his father, El Fantasma, serving as the head of the Mexico City Boxing and Professional Wrestling commission. His uncle was the wrestler Ángel de la Muerte, and his cousin has wrestled as Fantasma Jr.. Outside of the ring, it was revealed during his Triplemanía XXVI unmasking that he has a son.
Throughout his career, he also made appearances for Impact Wrestling as part of a talent-sharing agreement with AAA. He competed at the company’s Slammiversary XV and Bound for Glory 2017 pay-per-views, representing AAA in inter-promotional matches.
With his departure from WWE, Santos Escobar becomes one of the most prominent free agents in professional wrestling. His extensive experience as a top star in Mexico and his proven track record in the American market make him a valuable talent for any promotion. His next move will be closely watched by the wrestling industry.
Santos Escobar may be leaving WWE. First reported by @FightfulSelect https://t.co/8TmsDHhvc8 pic.twitter.com/T3xOYPUB8w
— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) October 6, 2025
