Santos Escobar | WWE

Former WWE star Santos Escobar has returned to in-ring competition after spending several months on the sidelines.

Escobar, who is now performing under the name Romeo Malverde, wrestled Sunday night at the 5th International Lucha Libre Festival in Ciudad Juarez.

Malverde teamed with Blue Demon Jr. against Magno and Steven Juarez, marking his first match since March.

The former Legado del Fantasma leader had been sidelined after suffering a triceps injury in March that required surgery. He then underwent a second procedure in April involving his ulnar nerve, extending his time away from the ring.

His final match while under WWE contract took place for AAA on March 14. WWE released him in April, and he officially became a free agent in July.

It remains unclear what Malverde has planned following his return to competition or whether he intends to pursue another opportunity with a major wrestling promotion.

The son of legendary luchador El Fantasma, Malverde began his wrestling career in 2000 as Top Secret before adopting the El Hijo del Fantasma identity in 2003.

He enjoyed considerable success in Mexico before joining WWE, including runs with CMLL and AAA. In CMLL, he captured the World Middleweight Championship and twice held the CMLL World Trios Championship alongside Héctor Garza and La Máscara.

After joining AAA in 2013, he became the inaugural AAA World Cruiserweight Champion in 2014.

He signed with WWE in 2019 and captured the NXT Cruiserweight Championship the following year before unmasking and adopting the Santos Escobar name. He subsequently formed Legado del Fantasma.

Escobar later moved to SmackDown, where he finished as runner-up in the SmackDown World Cup and competed in the 2023 Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. His main roster run also included time with the LWO before turning against Rey Mysterio, eventually leading to a tag team match at WrestleMania XL.

Gracias. ❤️‍🔥👑🍀 pic.twitter.com/YIISXBY3Ss

— Romeo Malverde 💀❤️‍🔥🇲🇽 (@JBElFantasma) September 28, 2026