Santos Escobar speaks his mind about being released from WWE
Several WWE departures were announced on April 24th 2026, including Santos Escobar. In an interview with TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, Escobar discussed his release…
“I wasn’t expecting it, 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.
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.
And so I worried myself to check all of those boxes. And, for example, I think the opportunity that I had to go through NXT, because that helped me understand and learn from the best what the business is about, not just in the company, but in America and internationally, and how to present myself as a superstar. So that’s invaluable to me.
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, on in the locker room, at the gym, anywhere. You’re well-rounded, so you will never find yourself in a list of released people.'”
Escobar talked about the day he received the news…
“I’m mentally and physically in the best shape ever. But that day was one of the worst days you could have, or I could have had, in my career. And I’m gonna tell you why.
Six days or so after my surgery. So I’m doing therapy every day because I have to fly to Mexico and start this TV project, which I’m already stressed because of that, you know.
And then I wanted to do my therapy, and I was told, ‘No, don’t come to do a therapy,’ which really worried me ’cause I needed that, you know. ‘Don’t come. There’s been a situation and everything’s closed.’
And, you know, stupid old me, I said, ‘You guys need any help? Can I come help?’
‘No, don’t come.’
And then when I hung up, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s weird.’ But anyways, I need my therapy, so I started looking around in the city here in Orlando to find another place where I could get my therapy because I was flying to Mexico on Monday.
Anyways, I found a place, and while I’m doing my therapy, I get the call while I’m doing my therapy. And I remember vividly, I had this hand in a bucket of rice, and I was doing my grips, and with the other one, I was on the phone.
I have a legal team, and if you remember, I let my contract expire in October. I was ready to part ways and see what was out there.
[WWE President] Nick Khan called me himself. He apologized for the way they had treated my character, not myself, my character. And he said, ‘We’re going to do it right. We’re going to do things right. I want to give you anything you need to thrive, to prosper, and I’ll sit you down with Triple H. We’ll get things squared and we’ll get going.’
And that’s the reason why I resigned back then. So I had no reason to believe this was going to end anytime soon. I hadn’t even started my run.
I was a free agent at midnight, and I got the call next day, I think around 1 or 2 p.m.
So, it was—they wanted me back. So I had no reason to believe this was coming. But anyways, I told you the story, and that was it. I told them, ‘Please talk to my attorney.’
And that was it. You know, I don’t think those phone calls are to plead any case.”
Escobar also stated the following…
“I know these things usually get sensitive, and you know, you don’t want to burn bridges or whatever, but the truth is the truth.
You guys remember when Mickie James, she was released, and then they sent her stuff in a garbage bag?
That’s how I felt. That’s how I felt, you know, but I didn’t want to burn that bridge, if that makes any sense. Because I think every time anyone does that, it hurts the business itself.”