"Used AEW as a weapon to secure the bag" - Fans left stunned after major star signs a new deal with WWE amid exit rumors

Fans are shocked after a top WWE star reportedly re-signed with the sports entertainment juggernaut while ongoing negotiations with AEW. Santos Escobar's contract expired a few days ago, and he hasn't been seen in the ring for many months. It was reported that he turned down WWE's new offer and will soon become a free agent.

The 41-year-old star was even moved to WWE's alumni section. Fans were firm that he would follow Andrade's footsteps and join All Elite Wrestling. Reports also surfaced claiming that he would be heading to the Jacksonville-based promotion very soon, and many stars also began teasing his arrival.

However, things took an unexpected turn, as the latest report states that Santos Escobar has decided to sign with the sports entertainment juggernaut after they offered him a huge money deal.

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Fans on social media were shocked by the twists in the recent contract signing. They claimed that the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion used AEW and Tony Khan as leverage for his contract negotiations.

Take a look at some of the reactions below:

Santos Escobar previously talked about a major WWE segment

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion has been one of the top in-ring geniuses. His character has often been praised by veterans.

Back in 2023, Santos Escobar tore Dragon Lee's mask on live TV. He later revealed that the moment was completely unscripted. This added more weight to his character.

"At Survivor Series, I tore Dragon Lee’s mask. That was 100% non-scripted. That was just the heel in me. I think it’s important that our audience gets that feel because now we have Dragon Lee. Now we have Axiom. Now we have Rey. Now we have more and more people diving into the Lucha culture, but really, really doing it, like the mask and the tradition, the respect that’s behind the mask," he said.

It will be interesting to see what is next for the 41-year-old now that he has signed with the company once again.

About the author

Tejas has been an AEW writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling since 2021. Possessing a degree in Food Processing Technology, it was his brother who introduced him to Sportskeeda, and he has never looked back since.

Tejas’ writing style is analytical and descriptive style, mostly sticking to statistics. He believes in thoroughly checking all statistics and information before using them in his articles to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate stories. He also does not indulge much in speculation in his content.

His all-time favorite wrestler is Roman Reigns for his journey from being one of the most unlikable babyfaces at the start of his career to one of the greatest modern WWE superstars. If Tejas ever got the chance to go back to the Attitude Era and manage a superstar, it would choose high-flying, risk-taking diminutive entertainer Spike Dudley. Tejas would assure him that he would be involved in long-term storylines, something that he wasn’t part of during his time.

In his free time, Tejas enjoys singing and learning new things.

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Edited by Neda Ali