Santos Escobar was one of the major talking points on Monday, October 6. The former leader of Legado del Fantasma is poised to leave WWE when his contract expires at midnight, Tuesday, October 7. There was a lot of consternation online about the situation, but one thing that fans should pay attention to is the rising conversation about what performers are being paid or offered now that TKO is running the show.
News broke on Monday that Santos Escobar was set to leave the company. But the real surprise crept in as more information about the why was revealed. Fightful Select reported on why he decided to leave WWE.
“Sources that we spoke to indicated it was more creative dissatisfaction than it was about the money, and that he was offered a raise. We were told not to be surprised to see him at NYCC (New York Comic Con) this week.”
This, coupled with reports that Escobar wasn’t happy about the money offered, fueled speculation online. Sean Ross Sapp pointed out that Killer Kross, Jazmyn Nyx, and now Santos leaving may point to something bigger happening.
“We’ve seen Killer Kross, Jazmyn Nyx, and Santos Escobar all pass on WWE offers in the last few months. There might be more coming too.”
We've seen Killer Kross, Jazmyn Nyx, and Santos Escobar all pass on WWE offers in the last few months.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 6, 2025
There might be more coming too....
That’s an ominous post, but one that no one should be surprised about if they’ve followed Endeavor’s management of the UFC quite closely. Endeavor, the group that owns both UFC and WWE via TKO Group Holdings, has long kept the purse strings tight in mixed martial arts, creating space for two compensation lawsuits and fighter pay being one of the more important talking points in the sport in recent years.
No one should be surprised that same practice has found its way to the WWE. TKO is all about extracting the most amount of revenue from its entities as possible. That means keeping wrestler pay, just as it has kept fighter pay, as low as possible. WWE’s roster is inherently different than that of the UFC, meaning there are more bigger names that TKO would like to keep locked into long term contracts because their likenesses would generate buzz if they appeared in any other organization. But once those major names cycle outside the business, expect WWE’s roster to become more homogeneous just like the UFC roster today.
Every quarter, WWE boasts about breaking revenue records, driving profits higher. Fans cheer when WWE announces major ticket sales at PLEs. Not recognizing these records are hit because prices are pushed higher and performer pay will be pushed lower. This is going to have a drastic impact on professional wrestling in more ways than one.
One interesting thing to note, however. UFC does not have any major competitors. PFL is around, but there’s no way this company can sign performers to comparable contracts. The same isn’t true for WWE, however. All Elite Wrestling continues to stand as viable number two in the market. This is why WWE continues to attempt to box AEW into a small area, to further gain control of the market and limit performers’ ability to demand higher pay rates. Sadly, there are fans who cheer this action.
WWE has a firm grip atop the world of professional wrestling. Yet, it is important to pay close attention to what is happening behind the scenes. Santos Escobar is the latest performer to walk away from a contract offer, and the practice seems more common. With TKO at the helm, the business and the product will look different in the future. This is just an early sign.