‘So Many People Told Me You Will Never Be Out Of A Job’ – Former Champion Wasn’t Expecting WWE Release Earlier This Year

WWE

A former WWE champion has admitted he “wasn’t expecting” his release from the company earlier this year.

Back in April, over two dozen WWE stars departed the company either due to being released or their contracts expiring, with notable names such as Aleister Black, Kairi Sane and The Wyatt Sicks faction among those let go.

One of the more surprising names on the list of talent cuts was former WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar, who had only re-signed with WWE on improved terms back in October 2025.

Making matters worse for the Mexican star, at the time of his release, he was also not long removed from undergoing surgery on his tricep following an injury sustained one month prior, and now in his first full length interview since his WWE exit, Escobar discussed the difficulties of the situation.

Speaking with TMZ Inside The Ring, Escobar, who now goes by the name Romeo Malverde outside of WWE, reflected on his “difficult” WWE release and shared an update on how he’s doing now:

“In all honesty it was hard, it was difficult. It was difficult mostly because of the injuries, not so much for the release itself, which, you know, the optics always matter, but that’s something that’s out of my reach. I don’t really know what’s behind it.

“Again, it was a very heartbreaking situation for me personally because I was injured and I think it was maybe six or seven days after my second surgery. So it was even more heartbreaking, disappointing if you can imagine my mental state at that point. I don’t want to say I was ready because I wasn’t.

“I don’t think anyone is ready for that, but I had to work hard, I had to work hard to get out of that injury and of that situation. And then right now I feel good, everything that happened in the past three months helped me understand the depth of my persona, of who I am and how far I can go to achieve something.”

Escobar would later add that he was not expecting to receive the call about his release, having previously been told by “many people” that he would never find himself out of a job.

He continued:

“No, I wasn’t expecting it… I think anywhere you work, there’s boxes that you need to check. And these boxes will ensure 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, 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. So, I worked on myself to check all of those boxes.

“And for example, I think the opportunity that I had to go through NXT, 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, in the locker room, at the gym, anywhere. You’re well rounded, so you will never find yourself in a list of released people. But you know, life is life and things happen.”

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Escobar has yet to return to the ring since hitting free agency, as he continues his recovery from injury, however, he has been showing off his physical transformation on social media ahead of his post-WWE journey.

We will provide updates on Escobar’s return to the ring as more news becomes available.

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• wwe
• Santos Escobar
• romeo malverde

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