WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio has meant a great deal to Santos Escobar and Lucha Libre in the world of professional wrestling.
Santos Escobar and Legado del Fantasma (the LWO) recently spoke with WrestleZone‘s managing editor Bill Pritchard about a wide variety of subjects. When asked about what Rey Mysterio has meant to him and Lucha Libre as a whole, Escobar said in an era where size mattered in professional wrestling, Mysterio broke that mold and opened the door for a new generation of talent.
“I think the most important contribution of Rey Mysterio to Latinos or not even Latinos, you know, back in the day when he was breaking into the business; size mattered, and he didn’t have size,” Santos Escobar said. “But he had a lot of heart and talent. Him overcoming that obstacle laid the basis for people like us to make it in the business nowadays. I think that he’s not just a Lucha Libre legend; he’s a legend of all the wrestling universe.
“For us to be able to share a few moments with him, we’re honored. When I first got to WWE, I wanted to take his glory. I wanted to go through him so I could become the number one luchador of the company. But then I realized that what I really felt for him was respect and admiration. Do I still want to be the best luchador? Yes, but I also want him to be able to protect and represent what he’s all about, which is Lucha Libre.
“And right now, Lucha Libre, as I was saying before, is tradition, heritage, culture, but most importantly, is familia. You see it right here. This is my son. This is how Lucha Libre carries on from father to son or father to daughter, or mother to daughter. Lucha Libre is a family tradition. And Dom is breaking that tradition. He’s not just disrespecting his dad or his mom, or myself. He’s disrespecting Lucha Libre, which is an institution to us. And we can’t let that happen.”
When asked if there are any other luchadores that should be getting more recognition in the United States, Escobar said the LWO wants to show the WWE Universe what Lucha Libre is all about.
“There’s one thing that we’ve always tried to do, and it’s showing the WWE Universe what Lucha Libre is about,” Santos Escobar said. “They know about the masks and the high-risk maneuvers. But now we’re telling you them about the philosophy behind Lucha Libre, you were saying about the luchadores from the past.
“We are going to pay homage tomorrow on SmackDown to Los Villanos, who used to work in WCW. To us, it’s important to honor the people that helped us be here today, even though we’re not of the same era. But they surely did something for us, and they created waves that allowed us to be here today. I think it’s important to do that. And we’re gonna keep doing it.”
Watch the full interview with Legado Del Fantasma’s Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, and Joaquin Wilde below:
READ MORE: Santos Escobar On Zelina Vega: It’s Only Fitting That A Boricua Gets A Match At WWE Backlash
What do you make of Santos Escobar’s comments? How do you feel Rey Mysterio has impacted the world of professional wrestling as a whole? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit WrestleZone with a link back to this article for the transcription.
