WWE Live UK tour - Santos Escobar on the honour of working with Rey Mysterio and growing up in the business

Escobar is set to feature in the hotly-anticipated event on October 16 alongside names such as Cody Rhodes, Solo Sikoa, Jade Cargill, new Intercontinental Champion Jey Uso, Bayley, LA Knight, Randy Orton, Bianca Belair and Gunther to name a few.

The date in Manchester will be a part of WWE’s latest tour in the UK that kicks off on October 13th at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena before dates at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, Newcastle’s Utilita Arena and Manchester. WWE will head back to the UK the following month for dates at Dublin’s 3Arena, London’s O2 Arena, Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena and Sheffield’s Utilita Arena to wrap up the UK tour.

Escobar, who has been wrestling since 2000, developed an interest in professional wrestling at an early age, with his father El Fantasma, uncle Ángel De La Muerte and his cousin Ángel De La Muerte Jr all wrestling competitively in Mexico. The 40-year-old believes having that wealth of knowledge and experience helped him “grow into the business” - similar to how Max Verstappen grew up around Formula One racing.

“I grew up in this world with this way of life,” Escboar said. “You have to train yourself, you’ve got to have a certain mindset and so it was only natural for me to grow into the business that’s something maybe my dad or my mum didn’t realise at the moment - much as Max Verstappen you grow in a world that’s your world. It’s only natural that you are going to be a part of it, that’s what happened with me, and not just that because of all the knowledge that was actively and passively passed along to me eventually when the time was right my IQ was through the roof. I already knew how to do this, how to do that, I already had this charisma, this pzazz, this x-factor that you need.”

Since Escobar signed with WWE in 2019, he has worked with a number of big names on the main roster such as LA Knight, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, The Miz, Finn Balor and most notably Rey Mysterio, who he faced in a tag team match at WrestleMania 40 while also teaming with Mysterio in the revived LWO faction. Escobar described the opportunity to work with the former WWE Champion as a “gift”, and admits he always tries to learn from everyone around him.

“It was an honour,” he said. “It was a year of changing and travelling with Rey Mysterio. Long hours on the road just talking, learning and listening. He’s a beautiful person and an amazing performer. To have the opportunity to be with him was a gift and a learning experience, but to be in a faction with him and to compete with him and then against him at WrestleMania. It was just a beautiful chapter in my life.

“Growing up I was always taught to respect everyone, and to listen and try to learn from everyone. That was taught to me in the sense that sometimes you feel you’ve already made it or you’re already there, but in reality you’ve always got to learn from every single person because the experience in this industry comes from wrestling and working. The Miz, for example, is one of if not the best talkers in the business - you give him a mic and he’ll give you a show. To be able to work with him and to have a promo battle with him, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the opportunity to have him give you notes on your work and give you advice. It’s amazing.”

Throughout his time in WWE, Escobar has worked closely with now Chief Content Officer Triple H on both NXT and the main roster. The former WWE Cruiserweight champion admitted that working with ‘The Game’ is something he cherishes.

“He is awesome,” Escobar said. “Not just because of the work aspect of it. But because working with Triple H is always a pleasure. He’s a wise man, he knows everything. At least in my perspective, he’s been there and done that several times, so every time I have the opportunity to work with him, I just cherish it because he’s so knowledgeable and he always knows the right way to do things.”

Tickets for WWE Live in the UK in October and November are available now from Ticketmaster.