Former WWE talent Santos Escobar, performing under the name Romeo Malverde, revealed that his recent release while recovering from an injury mirrored WWE’s controversial 2021 handling of Mickie James. Escobar claimed WWE CEO and President Nick Khan personally promised to rebuild his character before cutting him loose.
The Phone Call That Secured the Return
According to an interview posted by TMZ Sports on Thursday, Escobar detailed the sequence of events that led back to his second stint with the sports-entertainment giant. His previous contract had expired in October, leaving the 42-year-old athlete (real name Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly) ready to test the open market. But a direct outreach from the corporate suite altered his trajectory.
“While I’m doing my therapy, I get the call. While I’m doing my therapy. And I remember vividly. I had this hand in a bucket of rice, and I was doing my grips,” Escobar said, according to Cageside Seats. Nick Khan stepped in personally to address creative concerns, admitting mishandling and promising institutional backing. “He apologized for the way they had treated my character. Not myself, my character. And he said we’re gonna do things right. We’re gonna give you anything you need to thrive, to prosper. And I’ll send you down to AAA so we’ll get things squared, and we’ll get going.”
Optics, Injuries, and the Mickie James Precedent
Trust built during rehabilitation sessions dissolved rapidly when the pink slip arrived mid-recovery. Escobar noted that while legal representation stepped in to handle the immediate fallout, the timing of the termination triggered painful parallels to past corporate missteps.
“I told them please talk to my attorney, and that was it. I don’t think those phone calls are to plea any case,” Escobar explained. He explicitly connected his situation to the 2021 controversy surrounding veteran performer Mickie James. “You guys remember when Mickie James, she was released and then they sent her stuff in a garbage bag? That’s how I felt. But I didn’t want to burn that bridge, if that makes any sense. Because I think every time anyone does that, it hurts the business itself.”
The Business Reality of Modern Roster Management
| Detail | Data Point |
|---|---|
| Athlete Name | Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (Santos Escobar / Romeo Malverde) |
| Current Status | Free Agent |
| Source Outlet | TMZ Sports via Cageside Seats |
| Key Precedent | Mickie James 2021 Release Incident |
Escobar managed the transition by immediately pivoting to external ventures, including a television project in Mexico that required just three days of mental and emotional reset.
The veteran performer maintains that burning bridges ultimately serves neither party, choosing instead to let transparency dictate his narrative as he navigates the open market as Romeo Malverde.
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