Former NXT Champion Santos Escobar Is Reportedly Done With WWE

Former NXT Champion Santos Escobar Is Reportedly Done With WWE

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion is officially gone from WWE as Santos Escobar has opted to not re-sign with WWE despite a promised pay increase.

By EliteGuy101 - Oct 07, 2025 03:10 AM EST
Filed Under: WWE
Source: wrestlinginc.com

Santos Escobar may be done with WWE for good. 

It was confirmed by PWInsider that the WWE star’s contract ends at 12:00AM and he’ll be a free agent going forward. However, the news is that Escobar reportedly turned down an offer to re-sign with WWE. 

While it’s unknown how much WWE was offering to keep Escobar on their roster, PWInsider noted that he was offered a new deal with a raise. But the 41-year-old wasn’t particularly after money. 

The former WWE star didn’t want to tie himself down with a long term deal where he’s “spinning his wheels” rather than being utilized in the ring. Santos first signed a deal with WWE in 2019. He made his official television debut in 2020 teaming with Raul Mendoza. It didn’t take him long to win a belt in NXT as Santos beat Drake Maverick for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship on May 27, 2020. He kept that title for 321 days by beating names such as Isiah Scott (aka former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland), Gran Metalik, Trent Seven, Jake Atlas, and Jordan Devlin. 

Once he lost the title, the rest of his time was him and Legado Del Fantasma feuding with different teams down in the developmental brand until he was called up to Smackdown on October 7, 2022. Beyond his feud with Rey Mysterio in 2023, WWE just didn’t do much with the former Cruiserweight Champion. 

There was a clear ceiling for Escobar as he never went beyond the United States/Intercontinental picture. He did have a match at WrestleMania XL, teaming with Dominik Mysterio to take on Rey Mysterio and Andrade, but that bout was more about the interference from Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. Following that bout, Escobar frequently wrestled on television, losing his matches more often than not. 

The last time he competed on WWE television was back on May 2 against Rey Mysterio. Escobar also fought on the AAA x WWE World’s Collide show in June where Legado Del Fantasma beat El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Pagano & Psycho Clown. That’s the only televised win he’s had in 2025. 

At the moment, it’s unclear what’s next for Escobar, though he’s likely continuing wrestling. Escobar has ties to CMLL, TNA/Impact Wrestling, and The Crash, so he has plenty of options coming out of his deal with WWE. Since Escobar isn’t being fired, he can go wherever he pleases immediately.

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