Column: Will WWE ever find the elusive ‘next Rey Mysterio’?
Santos Escobar is gone from WWE as the leader of Legado Del Fantasma did not sign a new deal, making him the latest in a long line of Mexican stars who have failed to break through on the main roster.
Escobar is not the first wrestler from Latin America to struggle on SmackDown or Raw, but his departure further raises the question: why has the company never managed to find the elusive “next Rey Mysterio”?
Rey Mysterio: The Benchmark WWE Can’t Replace
One of the smartest creative decisions WWE made in the early 2000s was to bring back Rey Mysterio’s mask when he joined the company. He had lost it in WCW, a call Eric Bischoff has defended, but putting it back on him for WWE proved to be a masterstroke. The mask became the centrepiece of a 20+ year merchandising juggernaut, helping Rey connect with young fans.
The challenge since has been finding someone to replicate that success. WWE has tried repeatedly, but none of their attempts, from Sin Cara to Escobar, have stuck in the same way as Mysterio.
Why US Promotions Struggle With Lucha Stars
Promoters in the United States have long tried to tap into the Mexican market by importing Lucha Libre talent. WCW, ECW, TNA, AEW, and WWE have all attempted to make household names out of Luchadores. Only WWE, through Mysterio, has truly managed to do so at scale, yet they have been unable to strike gold twice.
Is the Lucha Mask the Problem?
Some have argued that the mask itself is the stumbling block. WWE requires performers who can tell stories both in the ring and on the microphone. Masks that cover the full face will limit facial expressions and can hinder promo delivery, so it’s difficult to emote and build a connection with the televised and in-building audience.
Rey’s mask works because it reveals enough of his face to convey emotion, while his distinctive eyes and even his custom contact lenses enhance his look. Contrast that with Mistico/Sin Cara, whose mask covered too much, muting his expressions. In Mexico, where masks themselves carry deep storytelling symbolism, this isn’t a problem. But WWE’s audience relies more heavily on visible emotion, there needs to be stories told at every element.
That being said, Escobar didn’t even wear a mask for most of his NXT and main roster run. So if it isn’t the mask, what went wrong?
Booking, Not Talent
The issue lies in how Escobar was booked. In NXT, he thrived as a charismatic, ruthless leader of Legado Del Fantasma, where the group had purpose, identity, and presence. But when they debuted on SmackDown, their momentum was immediately blunted. Instead of being positioned as a major heel faction, they were absorbed into Mysterio’s rebooted Latino World Order. Escobar was no longer the star of his own story, but a supporting act to someone else’s.
This is a pattern WWE has repeated. Andrade, Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Sin Cara, and even Alberto Del Rio at times all suffered from inconsistent creative direction. The performers had the talent, but WWE failed to sustain their momentum.
The Rey Mysterio Problem
The truth is that WWE’s obsession with finding “the next Rey Mysterio” has been part of the problem. Rey is unique, he’s a once-in-a-generation athlete who combined the Lucha style with US-friendly storytelling ability and mass-market appeal. His mask became iconic because of who he was underneath it.
By forcing new Mexican and Lucha-inspired wrestlers into Rey’s shadow, WWE sets them up for disappointment. Instead of searching for a replacement, the company needs to allow the next star to carve out their own identity, not inherit someone else’s.
There are many that could do it: Penta, Rey Fenix, Dragon Lee…but WWE’s track record is not exactly glowing.
Jake is an SEO-minded Football, Combat Sports, Gaming and Pro Wrestling writer, successful Editor in Chief, Sports SEO Coordinator for NationalWorld and SEO Writer for F4Wonline.com. He has more than ten years of experience covering mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, football and gaming across a number of publications, starting at SEScoops in 2012 under the name Jake Jeremy. His work has also been featured on Wrestling Headlines, Wrestlingnewsco, HotNewHipHop, The Hard Times and Sportskeeda.
Previously, he worked as the Editor in Chief of 24Wrestling, building the site profile with a view to selling the domain, which was accomplished in 2019. Jake was previously the Editor in Chief for FightFans, a combat sports and pro wrestling site that was launched in January 2021 and broke into millions of pageviews within the first two years. He previously worked for Snack Media and their GiveMeSport site, creating Evergreen and Trending content that would deliver pageviews via Google as the UFC and MMA SEO Lead. Jake managed to take an area of GiveMeSport that had zero traction on Organic and push it to audiences across the globe. Jake also has a record of long-term video and written interview content with the likes of the Professional Fighters League, ONE and Cage Warriors, working directly with the brands to promote bouts, fighters and special events.
He previously worked for the (then) biggest independent wrestling company in the UK, PROGRESS Wrestling, as PR Head and Head of Media across the social channels of the company.