Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar is officially a free agent, as his WWE contract expired at midnight on Tuesday, October 7. The news was confirmed when Escobar was moved to the alumni section of WWE’s official website, and the superstar himself acknowledged his new status with a video post on social media simply captioned “Palante,” which translates to “forward” or “onward.”
PALANTE!!! pic.twitter.com/ZDqGq7S9Po
— S. 💀🇲🇽 (@EscobarWWE) October 6, 2025
According to a report from Fightful Select, WWE had made attempts to re-sign the talented luchador, but he ultimately passed on their offers, choosing instead to test the waters of free agency. Escobar’s departure comes after a period of absence from WWE television. His last televised match was at the AAA x WWE Worlds Collide event in June, and he has been used sparingly in the ring throughout 2025.
Before signing with WWE in 2019, Escobar had a long and successful career in Mexico and on the American independent scene, wrestling under a mask as El Hijo del Fantasma. He was a big star in AAA and also had a memorable run in the popular Lucha Underground promotion as King Cuerno.
Upon his arrival in WWE, Escobar was immediately positioned as a top star in the NXT cruiserweight division. He unmasked and formed the dominant Legado Del Fantasma faction, a group that would go on to have a successful run on both NXT and the main roster. On the main roster, Legado Del Fantasma was eventually integrated into the reformed Latino World Order (LWO), a storyline that saw Escobar eventually turn on his mentor, Rey Mysterio. While his main roster run had its moments, it never quite reached the heights of his reign as NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
Santos Escobar has been moved to WWE’s alumni section on their roster page. pic.twitter.com/z2F9mslWkR
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) October 7, 2025
