Santos Escobar went through a rough stretch before WWE released him, but he says that experience actually helped him deal with what came next.
During an interview with TMZ’s Inside the Ring, Escobar revealed that he dealt with severe mental health problems during the previous year. By the time WWE released him, he said he was actually in a much stronger place mentally.
“I think that was a good point for me to just move on, move on, move on. Don’t grieve too much on this. I had severe mental health problems the previous year, and that’s the reason why I was in a very good place when this happened.”
Instead of sitting around angry about the release, Escobar decided to treat it as the beginning of something new. That mindset eventually led to him putting the Santos Escobar character to rest and creating Romel Malverde.
“So I said, ‘Okay, everything happens for a reason. Let’s make this the start of something big, of something important, something that helps you transcend.’ And that’s where I am right now.”
“That’s why I reinvented myself, and I did all the things I’ve done — the funeral for the character and then the creation of this new character. It’s a process. It’s an exercise that I’m doing for myself so that I can give you the best that I have and not whatever’s left.”
Escobar also told TMZ’s Inside the Ring that he had plenty of chances to unload immediately after WWE let him go. His phone was blowing up with people wanting the first interview, but he decided not to speak while everything was still fresh.
“You have no idea how many phone calls I received, how many emails I received, how many texts I received to do a sit-down. The very same day I was released, I got a lot of phone calls and emails and whatnot, but everything in life takes time.”
Escobar wanted his emotions to settle before telling his side of the story.
“Emotions are hot. Let’s wait. Let’s just wait until my body, my mind and my heart have the same reflection.”
Now he’s moving forward under the Romel Malverde name instead of trying to recreate what he already did as Santos Escobar. For him, the WWE release wasn’t the end — it was the excuse to start over on his own terms.
What do you think about Santos Escobar waiting before speaking publicly about his WWE release and completely reinventing himself afterward? Let us know what you think in the comments.
