Santos Escobar has opened up about why his WWE release caught him completely off guard, revealing that people had repeatedly told him he would “never be out of a job” because of everything he could offer the company. Escobar believed he had checked every box WWE could ask of a performer, from wrestling and promos to speaking multiple languages and working well behind the scenes, making his April 2026 departure something he did not see coming.
Escobar discussed his departure during his first sit-down interview since leaving WWE on TMZ’s Inside the Ring. He spent around six years with WWE, first appearing as El Hijo del Fantasma before becoming Santos Escobar, leading Legado del Fantasma and winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. He later moved to SmackDown, joined the LWO alongside Rey Mysterio and eventually revived Legado del Fantasma after turning against Mysterio.
When asked whether he expected WWE to release him, Escobar made it clear that he did not. He believed he had spent years making himself valuable in several different areas. “I wasn't expecting it, you know. And I'm going to tell you why. 'Cause I think anywhere you work, there's boxes that you need to check. And these boxes will assure that you're necessary for that place to thrive.”
Escobar then explained what he considered those boxes. Beyond his wrestling ability, he pointed toward his language skills, appearance and ability to speak on camera. “In my case, I've worked extensively to check all of those boxes. You just mentioned I speak English, French, and Spanish. That's one box. Can you talk on camera? That's another box. How do you look? That's another box. Can you wrestle? Can you really go? That's another box.”
Escobar also credited his years in NXT with teaching him how WWE operates and how he needed to present himself as a WWE Superstar. He felt that experience made him capable of contributing in several environments rather than simply being an in-ring performer.
“I wasn't expecting it because many people, so many people told me, ‘You will never be out of a job because you check all the boxes, because you can work on camera, behind the cameras, in the locker room, at the gym, anywhere. Like, you're well-rounded, so you will never find yourself in a list of released people.’”
There was another reason Escobar believed his WWE position was secure. His previous contract had expired in October 2025, and he had initially been prepared to explore opportunities elsewhere. However, WWE moved quickly to bring him back. Escobar revealed that Nick Khan personally contacted him after the contract expired. According to Escobar, Khan apologized for how WWE had handled his character and told him the company wanted to do things differently. Escobar also said Khan promised to arrange a conversation with Triple H about his future direction. That conversation convinced him to re-sign. “That's the reason why I re-signed back then. So, I had no reason to believe this was going to end anytime soon. I hadn't even started my run.”
His eventual release came under difficult circumstances. Escobar suffered a torn triceps while working with AAA in March 2026 and later required another procedure involving his ulnar nerve. WWE released him on April 24 while he was still recovering, with Escobar saying the call came roughly six days after his second surgery.
Wrestling
