Why Santos Escobar Left WWE Revealed
Santos Escobar has joined the list of recent WWE stars who have left the promotion.
Out of the latest releases, Andrade was the most notable figure. Besides him, Edris Enofe and Jazmyn Nyx left, too.
Escobar is a one-time NXT Cruiserweight Champion, a title he won in 2019 by defeating Drake Maverick in the tournament final. He would hold the title for 321 days before dropping it to Kushida in 2021.
On October 7, 2022, he debuted on SmackDown with Joaquin Wilde and Del Toro.
Through the years, his faction, Legado Del Fantasma, has witnessed changes in the line-up, the current members being Angel and Berto, with Santos Escobar as the leader.
His last televised match was at the AAA x WWE Worlds Collide: Los Angeles on June 7, where Legado Del Fantasma defeated El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Pagano, and Psycho Clown.
He last wrestled on SmackDown on May 2 in a singles match, losing to Rey Fenix.
Why Did Santos Escobar Leave WWE?
Over the last few weeks, Santos Escobar hinted at his imminent departure from the Stamford promotion.
It has now been revealed that the 41-year-old was offered a new contract with a pay rise, but he rejected it.
According to PWInsider, Escobar was not looking for a pay hike, but hoping to get a direction for his on-screen character.
PWInsider: Santos Escobar will depart WWE as of midnight tonight. At that point, he will be a free agent and available to wrestle or sign anywhere he wishes. One would think AEW and CMLL would certainly be interested.
His contract expires at the end of the day and that WWE made… pic.twitter.com/4zxoXRcvQE
— Drainmaker (@DrainBamager) October 6, 2025
While Escobar has not spoken about his next destination, it is being speculated that he may join All Elite Wrestling.
The faction’s remaining members, Angel and Berto, recently competed in a tag team match on the blue brand, losing to Je’Von Evans and Rey Fenix.