The 90-day clause keeping many former WWE stars released in the days following WWE WrestleMania 42 from working in other companies has expired, and some of those stars are now publicly reinventing themselves. One of those talents is the former Santos Escobar, who revealed his new ring name on social media on Friday.
Escobar took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted a black-and-white vignette teasing his free agency. In the post, he revealed he will now be going by the name Romeo Malverde.
“Renovation through expiration. Hasta siempre emperador Santos. BIENVENIDO ROMEO MALVERDE,” the now-former Escobar posted, welcoming his new character.
In the video, he can be seen praying over a casket. After Escobar walks out of frame, the works “Hasta Siempre S.E.,” or “farewell S.E.” pop up, with the star clearly saying goodbye to his former WWE character. The credits of the just-under 30 second clip credit Escobar, under his real name, JB Bolly, and another notable former ring name, El Hijo del Fantasma.
Renovation through expiration. Hasta siempre emperador Santos. BIENVENIDO ROMEO MALVERDE pic.twitter.com/WL8rMIfiVZ
— Romeo Malverde 💀❤️🔥🇲🇽 (@JBElFantasma) July 24, 2026
Escobar was amongst the names released on April 24, the Friday following WrestleMania. The star had recently undergone two surgeries for a triceps injury he sustained wrestling in AAA. The former leader of Legado Del Fantasma re-signed with WWE in October, after briefly becoming a free agent. Reports at the time indicated WWE offered him a big money deal to stay with the company, but he did not appear on main roster programming after putting pen to paper.
His final match for the WWE-owned AAA came in the Rey de Reyes final four-way match in March. He faced the Original El Grande Americano, Chad Gable, La Parka, and Ludwig Kaiser’s El Grande Americano, the latter of whom ultimately won the bout.
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