Santos Escobar Returns as Romeo Malverde

The former WWE star begins his next chapter

Summary

– Santos Escobar wrestled his first match since WWE released him

– He competed under the new ring name Romeo Malverde

– Escobar returned after recovering from two surgeries

Santos Escobar has officially returned to the ring under his new name, Romeo Malverde, following his WWE release and a lengthy recovery from two surgeries.

Escobar competed Sunday at the 5th International Lucha Libre Festival in Ciudad Juarez. He teamed with Blue Demon Jr. against Magno and Steven Juarez, marking his first match since March.

The appearance represented a major step forward after several difficult months. Escobar’s final match under WWE contract took place at an AAA event on March 14, shortly before injury problems forced him away from wrestling.

Escobar underwent surgery for a triceps injury in March. He required another operation involving his ulnar nerve in April, forcing him to miss WrestleMania week while continuing his rehabilitation.

WWE released Escobar during that recovery period. He later revealed that the company contacted him roughly six days after his second surgery while he was completing rehabilitation exercises.

Escobar said his main focus at the time was recovering physically. The release came during one of the most challenging periods of his career, but he continued working toward a return.

He became a free agent in July, although his first post-WWE match did not take place until Sunday. Teaming with Blue Demon Jr. finally allowed him to begin the next phase of his career.

The new Romeo Malverde name gives Escobar a fresh identity while he moves forward outside WWE. His presentation draws on his Mexican wrestling background while distinguishing this chapter from his time as Santos Escobar and El Hijo del Fantasma.

Escobar brings extensive experience to this new run. Before joining WWE in 2019, he competed as El Hijo del Fantasma in CMLL and AAA and established himself as one of Mexico’s most accomplished wrestlers.

His WWE career included winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship and leading Legado del Fantasma. He later competed on SmackDown and appeared at major events, including Money in the Bank and WrestleMania XL.

The first Romeo Malverde match is now complete, but plenty of questions remain. Escobar could continue working throughout Mexico, return to the independent scene, or eventually attract interest from another major promotion.

For now, the biggest development is that he is wrestling again. After two surgeries, months of rehabilitation, and a WWE release during his recovery, Santos Escobar has officially started the next phase of his career as Romeo Malverde.