Wrestling pundit predicts more stars leaving WWE after recent high-profile exits

Santos Escobar recently became a free agent!

Legado Del Fantasma’s leader and former NXT Cruiserweight Champion, Santos Escobar, has left the WWE. Escobar’s tenure with the company officially ended, as his contract expired on October 6, 2025. After a six-year run, the veteran luchador chose to turn down a contract extension, making him a free agent at midnight.

According to a report from PWInsider, the promotion made “overtures to keep Escobar (including a higher contract offer)” but he declined to re-sign.

The report further added that, “Unless there is a last-second Hail Mary pass that leads to him agreeing to a new deal, Santos Escobar will depart WWE as of midnight and will be free to wrestle or sign anywhere he wishes.”

Escobar’s final main roster match took place on the May 2, 2025, episode of SmackDown, where he was defeated by Rey Fenix in a singles bout.

His last televised match occurred at AAA x WWE Worlds Collide 2025: Los Angeles, where Legado del Fantasma (Angel, Berto, and Santos Escobar) triumphed over El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Pagano, and Psycho Clown. Escobar’s final appearance in the ring came at a non-televised WWE Supershow in Mexico on July 27, 2025.

Sean Ross Sapp believes more exits might be on the horizon

Following the news of Escobar’s exit, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted, pointing out how Karrion Kross, NXT’s Jazmyn Nyx, and now Escobar all passed on WWE offers in the last few months. Sapp predicted more exits to come in the near future.

Last month, Jazmyn Nyx confirmed her departure after deciding not to re-sign. She was removed from Fatal Influence and written off television during Tuesday’s NXT episode. Similarly, Karrion Kross, despite being a fan-favorite, opted not to re-sign as the new deal excluded his wife and fellow wrestler Scarlett.

Stars opting not to re-sign with the company not only points to the plethora of options available for them in AEW, TNA, and other independent promotions, but also to the promotion refusing to pay the stars, which contributed to some top talent seeking better financial prospects elsewhere.

Nyx turned down a WWE contract offer worth $75,000 per year, the same amount she was already earning. On top of that, being under contract with the promotion comes with a lot of restrictions.

Superstars with active contracts are typically restricted from competing in other promotions, using their WWE-owned ring names and personas outside the company, and disclosing confidential information. Many stars leaving the company have also expressed their frustrations with the creative plans.

It would be interesting to see if the promotion addresses these issues or continues to focus on just looking at the ticket sales and profit numbers, slapping more brand integrations in regular programming and PLEs.

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