In a surprising turn of events, Santos Escobar has re-signed with WWE on a new deal, just days after his previous contract expired and made him a free agent. According to a report from PWInsider.com, the two sides came to an agreement after WWE addressed Escobar’s creative concerns and presented him with a significantly improved contract offer.
The report states that WWE management took Escobar’s “creative concerns” into consideration and subsequently “made Escobar a sizeably larger offer than any of their previous overtures”. At that point, Escobar agreed to the new terms, with the belief being that the agreement was reached late yesterday. There is currently no word on when he will return to WWE programming.
This news comes after multiple reports last week indicated that Escobar was on his way out of the company. It was widely reported that his contract was expiring and that he had turned down previous offers to re-sign, with “creative dissatisfaction” being cited as the primary reason for his planned departure. His long absence from WWE television, with his last televised match in February, further fueled speculation that his time with the company was over.
Before signing with WWE in 2019, Escobar had a long and decorated career in Mexico and on the American independent scene, wrestling under a mask as El Hijo del Fantasma. He was also a major star in the Lucha Underground promotion, where he was known as King Cuerno.
He signed with WWE in 2019 and became a centerpiece of the NXT cruiserweight division. It was there that he unmasked and formed the Legado Del Fantasma faction. As the group’s leader, he held the NXT Cruiserweight Championship for over 300 days.
After being called up to the main roster, Legado Del Fantasma was eventually integrated into the reformed Latino World Order (LWO) alongside Rey Mysterio. This led to a high-profile feud that saw Escobar turn on his mentor, Mysterio, and reform Legado Del Fantasma as a heel faction. However, the group’s momentum has stalled in recent months, leading to Escobar’s lengthy absence from television. With a new contract now in place, it remains to be seen how he will be reintroduced into storylines.
