Santos Escobar Wants To Help Rey Mysterio With Dominik (So He Can Fight Rey Later)
Rey Mysterio has a Dominik problem, and it didn't get any better last week on "WWE SmackDown." Yet while his son bothered him throughout the night, and even cost him his main event match against Karrion Kross, Rey had an unexpected ally at the beginning of the evening: Legado del Fantasma's Santos Escobar. As it turns out, the reasoning behind it was two-fold. Appearing on WWE Deutschland's "Die Woche," he made his intentions very clear.
"I have no problem doing so," Escobar said when asked how he'd feel about forming a tag team with the legendary luchador.
Not only would he like to help Rey teach his son a little respect, but he also wants him to be entirely focused when he inevitably makes his own challenge. Right now, that's impossible.
"He's in a very tough situation 'cause he's not getting the respect he deserves at home," Escobar continued. "The more I want to become the leading Lucha Libre superstar in the world, the more I want him to be 100 percent so I can contend him for that."
Escobar suggested that the longer the situation between Rey and Dominik goes on, the further away he gets from that potential challenge. At the moment, Rey is unable to perform at the level that Escobar not only wants but needs. So when the moment eventually comes, he'll be ready. That said, the former "NXT" Cruiserweight Champion doesn't see that happening before this year's WrestleMania.
"We're so close for it," he added, with WrestleMania 39 not even a month away. "I wish I had Rey for the Lucha Libre Empire, but at the moment I think I should focus myself on getting him ready ... getting him at 100 percent. So that's where my energy is right now."
Escobar Would Love to Fight Cody Rhodes
While Escobar remains focused on getting Rey Mysterio back on track, there is another name that comes to mind as a potential opponent: Cody Rhodes. Obviously, "The American Nightmare" will have his hands full at The Showcase of the Immortals when he takes on Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. But, there was a moment in time when the Lucha superstar could've mixed it up with Rhodes. And he'd still very much like to make that happen. In fact, he'd face him right now if he could.
"If I could choose an opponent – WrestleMania 39 – I would want Cody," Escobar declared.
He and Rhodes were actually set to face off a few years ago at a AAA pay-per-view, but that never came to pass as Escobar left the company before it could. Now that they're both in WWE, he believes that match is a possibility. Still, his sights for next year remain on the man he's trying to help right now.
"I just wanted to take what I thought he had and I want it for me. But once we had the fatal four-way, I rekindled myself with this respect I have for him that I had forgotten about." For the time being, Dominik Mysterio remains in the way. Once that is no longer the case, Escobar's path is clear. When asked if he'd want to face Rey next year for the "Lucha legendary status," his answer was very simple.
"I would love that, yes."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Die Woche" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.