In a shocking turn of events, Santos Escobar is back with WWE. A new report from PWInsiderElite.com has confirmed that the second-generation luchador has come to terms on a new deal with the company, just days after his previous contract expired, making him a free agent. The surprising reversal comes after it was widely reported that Escobar had turned down multiple offers and was expected to leave the company, with many speculating he was headed to AEW.
According to the PWInsider report, WWE management took Escobar’s creative concerns into consideration and ultimately made him a “sizeably larger offer than any of their previous overtures,” which led to him agreeing to the new terms. “At that point, Escobar agreed to terms. The belief is they came to an agreement late yesterday,” the report states. There is currently no word on when Escobar will be back on the road or on WWE television, but he is officially back under contract with the company.
The news of Escobar’s re-signing is an end to a week of intense speculation. His contract officially expired at midnight on Tuesday, and he was subsequently moved to the alumni section of WWE’s website. He had been absent from television for months and had been making cryptic social media posts, all of which pointed to his exit. Reports from other outlets, including the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, indicated that many within WWE expected him to jump to AEW, a move that seemed even more likely after the recent AEW return of his former WWE colleague, Andrade.
Before his brief period as a free agent, Santos Escobar had been a featured performer in WWE since signing in 2019. He was a dominant NXT Cruiserweight Champion and the leader of the popular Legado Del Fantasma faction. After moving to the main roster, he was a key player in the revival of the Latino World Order before a heel turn that saw him feud with his former mentor, Rey Mysterio.
