Former champion ‘rejects WWE contract offers’ and leaves after 6 years

A WWE SmackDown superstar has reportedly become a free agent.

Less than a week after Andrade El Idolo joined AEW following his own WWE exit, Santos Escobar is said to have left the company.

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion signed with the company in 2019 and became a fixture on both NXT and SmackDown, although he failed to capture a singles title on the main roster.

According to various reports, his deal was due to expire at the end of play on October 6, making today his first day out of contract.

PWInsider has claimed WWE ‘made overtures to keep Escobar’, which is said to have included a ‘higher contract offer’, but he chose not to sign.

Meanwhile, Fightful noted that sources suggested his departure was down to ‘creative dissatisfaction’ rather than wanting more money for his next deal.

He hasn’t wrestled since July, when he and his Legado del Fantasma teammates Angel and Berto lost to Mr Iguana, Pagano and Psycho Clown on two WWE SuperShow Mexico events.

He hasn’t wrestled on WWE TV since a loss to Rey Fenix on SmackDown in May, while his last televised match of any kind was at AAA x WWE Worlds Collide the following month.

At that show, Legado del Fantasma beat the team of El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr, Pagano and Psycho Clown.

Before joining WWE, he rose to prominence as King Cuerno in Lucha Underground, as well as performing as El Hijo del Fantasma in CMLL, AAA and TNA Wrestling.

It’s not yet known where Escobar will wrestle next, but he is expected to be in high demand now his deal has expired.

The talented luchador previously told Metro how he was confident he has the skills to ‘shine bright’ in WWE.

‘I have the confidence that I have what’s necessary to shine bright in the WWE Universe. But it’s always about timing,’ he said over Money In The Bank weekend in London two years ago.

While he’s yet to directly comment on his exit, and his profile still remains on the SmackDown roster on WWE.com, Escobar hinted at his departure on Monday.

He shared a video of a professional photoshoot, and simply captioned the clip: ‘PALANTE!!!’

The literal translation is ‘forward’ or ‘straight ahead’, making the post a not so subtle hint at his immediate future.