A former champion has left WWE and rejoined almost instantly (Picture: WWE/Getty Images)
A top WWE superstar has reportedly re-signed with the company just one day after his contract expired.
Less than a week after Andrade El Idolo joined AEW following his own WWE exit, Santos Escobar is said to be back on the roster in a surprise U-turn.
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 expired at the end of play on October 6, making Tuesday his first day out of contract, but now PWinsider has reported the two sides have reached a new deal.
After Fightful sources suggested his departure was down to ‘creative dissatisfaction’ rather than wanting more money for his next deal, it’s claimed the company listened to his concerns and made a considerably higher offer.
It is not known when he’ll be back on television.
Santos Escobar is a free agent after his contract expired (Picture: WWE)
His exit comes days after Andrade El Idolo joined AEW (Picture: Kyle Stevens/Shutterstock)
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.
Escobar had been expected to be in high demand when his deal expires, but now it remains to be seen how he will be positioned on Raw or SmackDown.
The talented luchador previously told Metro how he was confident he had the skills to ‘shine bright’ in WWE.
His last televised match was at Worlds Collide (Picture: 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.
His profile had remained on the SmackDown roster on WWE.com, while Escobar had 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.
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