After being released from WWE a few months back, Santos Escobar shared the following message for WWE&#8217;s Chief Content Officer Triple H and WWE President Nick Khan:
&#8220;2 days: WWE. I gave everything and that’s what was taken, no regrets. Grateful for the people, the places, and circumstances I was put in. I’ll keep growing my legend and my impact in the industry. Watch me Paul and Nick.&#8221;
Yesterday, Santos officially became a free agent as his 90-day non-compete clause ended. He has revealed that his new ring name is Romeo Malverde.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="525" data-dnt="true">
ROMEO MALVERDE. <a href="https://t.co/Dvvh9KuC5s">pic.twitter.com/Dvvh9KuC5s</a>
&mdash; Romeo Malverde 💀❤️‍🔥🇲🇽 (@JBElFantasma) <a href="https://x.com/JBElFantasma/status/2080708504764170423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Santos Escobar Reveals His New Name After WWE Release

Wall Street is officially paying attention to fan reaction around WWE’s television shows and storylines. In a rare move for financial reports, JP Morgan analysts highlighted declining fan sentiment and weaker creative output as potential risks for parent company TKO ahead of its quarterly earnings release.
The investment firm trimmed its price target for TKO stock from $225 to $222, citing a combination of higher operating costs, lower RAW viewership on Netflix, and softer ticket demand for SummerSlam.
Wrestling Observer&#8217;s Dave Meltzer noted that this marks the first time he can recall major stock analysts treating online fan dissatisfaction as a legitimate financial metric, which will likely force Nick Khan and Triple H to address the situation.
Despite these warnings, financial performance for the company remains quite strong. JP Morgan estimates WWE brought in $619 million in quarterly revenue, reflecting a 30 percent jump from last year thanks to lucrative media rights deals and sponsorship growth. However, overall profit forecasts for TKO were lowered to $638 million, largely due to heavy spending on major UFC events and a lack of fresh business catalysts on the horizon.
While analysts warned that television ratings are down across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, they stressed that fan dissatisfaction has not yet become a permanent structural problem. Inside the company, sources report that leadership has no plans for immediate knee-jerk changes, choosing instead to focus on the long haul ahead of upcoming media contract negotiations in 2028.
Meltzer also added: “I was told even so, right now nothing is expected to happen until around 2028 at which point the Netflix deal and USA deals will be in play, with both ending at the end of 2029. If numbers aren’t strong, we’re told that’s when Mark Shapiro and company will really start pressuring Nick Khan and (Paul) Levesque. And if numbers are strong, things will stay the way they are.”

WWE Fan Reaction Is Now A Financial Concern

Former WCW and territory veteran Johnny Rich aka Roy Rogers is resting at home after surviving a car accident earlier this week.
The 67-year-old was driving his truck when the crash happened, leading to a temporary hospital stay. While doctors have since sent him home to recover, PWInsider reports that he was banged up.
Unfortunately, the injuries mean Rich will miss a major milestone in his post-wrestling career. He had been scheduled to join his cousin, Tommy Rich, for his first-ever fan convention appearance at The Gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina this week, but he won&#8217;t appear now due to the accident.

Johnny Rich Involved In A Car Accident

Hulk Hogan passed away one year away today. His son, Nick Hogan, issued the following statement:
&#8220;It’s been one year since I lost my best friend, my mentor and most importantly, my father.
It’s been a very difficult year filled with lots of emotions, challenges and lessons. Not a single day goes by that I don’t wish I could have him back. One more hug, laugh or conversation.
With the pain that comes with feeling this deep of loss, my perspective has changed.
Legacy is not just the memories you leave behind or the things that you accomplish in your lifetime. It’s also what you inspire others to do and how you affect everyone who comes into your life.
I can say that my father was the best at that and his legacy is unrivaled.
The lives he touched and inspiration he gave the world reaches far beyond any one moment in time. It was his life’s work and he continues to inspire me to make each day intentional. To become the best version of myself and a man that I know he would be proud of.
My father is not just the greatest wrestler of all time but also, the best dad a guy could have ever had. I am so grateful and blessed to have had him as my dad and to have the honor of being his son. I will always cherish the memories, lessons and values that he gave me and start each day with the purpose and intention to use them to the best of my ability.
I will love and miss him every single day of my life and carry him with me in my heart until I see him again.
Team Hogan. 4 Life.&#8221;
Hulk&#8217;s daughter, Brooke Hogan, issued the following statement:
&#8220;Maybe&#8230;in another lifetime&#8230;in a parallel universe&#8230;another dimension&#8230; we&#8217;re together right now. Watching sunsets, belly laughing, you&#8217;re smacking my leg in the passenger seat to the beat of a Mother&#8217;s Finest song, we&#8217;re going to sushi just us. We&#8217;re in that perfect space where no one comes between us, before us, or after us&#8230; and it&#8217;s just me and my daddy. You are just you. No pain, no worries, no one chasing you, bothering you, pulling you. It&#8217;s just us, and we&#8217;re soaking it in&#8230; and I&#8217;m telling you like I always have &#8211; &#8216;We&#8217;ve done lifetimes together. We found eachother in this one, and I&#8217;ll find you in the next.&#8217; And next time, it&#8217;ll be even better.
Though the rest of my life will feel like I have to live so long without you, hopefully it&#8217;s only seconds on your end till we&#8217;re together again. Im right behind you, daddy. &#x1f494;&#8221;

Nick & Brooke Issue Statements On Hulk Hogan’s One-Year Death Anniversary

&#8211; Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk and Cody Rhodes react after their altercation at Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event
&#8211; Gunther to discuss his SummerSlam match against Nick Aldis
&#8211; Interim WWE Women&#8217;s Championship Qualifying Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
&#8211; Interim WWE Women&#8217;s Championship Qualifying Match: Chelsea Green vs. Kiana James

Updated Card For Tonight’s SmackDown

Organizers and WWE officials are celebrating Fanatics Fest as a huge victory after advertised talent continuously drew long lines of eager fans throughout the entire weekend.
Names like Cody Rhodes and Danhausen sparked massive attention from both attendance crowds and company executives, while Charlotte Flair stood out with one of the longest autograph lines at the event.
Following this strong turnout, event organizers are already planning a much bigger celebration of wrestling history for the 2027 gathering.
Because the traditional WWE World fan convention during WrestleMania week is not expected to happen in the United States in 2027, Fanatics wants to fill that gap by bringing in iconic legends.
WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that event coordinators are actively exploring a expanded retro presence, with Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart topping their wishlist of dream appearances.

Bret Hart & Steve Austin Could Reunite For WWE-Related Event

A report from WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select indicates that some within WWE believe AEW could stage a notable event somewhere in the United States during WrestleMania 43 weekend. Because of that possibility, WWE reportedly decided to unveil its own U.S.-based WrestleMania plans nearly 9 months in advance, giving the company a head start in securing its presence.
WWE is rolling out an aggressive approach to prevent rival promotions from capitalizing on the American market while WrestleMania 43 is held overseas in Riyadh.
Instead of leaving the U.S. open for competitors like All Elite Wrestling to run major shows, WWE intends to host official WrestleMania viewing parties combined with live wrestling events in key cities nationwide. Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live that the idea is to bring back the feel of the classic closed-circuit broadcasts from 1985, where fans gathered in arenas to watch the show on large screens while also enjoying live matches.
This approach helps explain WWE’s recent announcement that NXT Stand &amp; Deliver, AAA Eternal Glory, and a large-scale viewing event will all take place at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Still, New York is only part of the broader plan. Alvarez added that WWE is also focusing on other major markets such as Los Angeles, Dallas, and Orlando to ensure it maintains a strong presence across the United States during WrestleMania 43 weekend.

Santos Escobar Reveals His New Name After WWE Release

WWE Fan Reaction Is Now A Financial Concern

Johnny Rich Involved In A Car Accident

Nick & Brooke Issue Statements On Hulk Hogan’s One-Year Death Anniversary

Updated Card For Tonight’s SmackDown

Bret Hart & Steve Austin Could Reunite For WWE-Related Event

Real Reason WWE Announced Their WrestleMania 43 Weekend Plan 9 Months In Advance