'WWE SmackDown' Superstar Seemingly Injured After Madison Square Garden Event

By Brian Jones

A WWE Superstar seems to have avoided a major injury while competing at a live event. Santos Escobar was at an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City when he landed awkwardly on his knee after Kofi Kingston hit him with a double stomp from the top of the ladder. Escobar and Kingston were competing in a five-way ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship with Madcap Moss, Shinsuke Nakamura and current champion GUNTHER. 

According to Wrestling Headlines, the referee threw up the "X" sign to notify ringside officials that Escobar suffered an injury Escobar later left to the back with assistance, but according to PW Insider, Escobar is going to be OK. He appeared at the WWE Live event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday but didn't wrestle. 

Kingston also avoided a serious injury with his move. According to Ringside News, Kington landed hard on Escobar's knee after hitting him with the stomp. He also avoided a scary botch when he attempted a leap from the turnbuckle to prevent Escobar from winning the title. A wedged ladder was at the turnbuckle as Kingston used it for leverage, and it gave in. Kington avoided botch as he landed on his feet, and that's when he hit Escobar with the double stomp. 

Escobar, 38, has been with  WWE since 2019 and was a member of NXT. He first competed under his real name Jorge Luis Alcanta Bolly, and then went by the name El Hijo del Fantasma. In May 2020, Escobar won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship after beating Drake Maverick in the finals of a tournament. He then joined forces with Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde, and the group would be called Legado Del Fantasma. That's also the time when Escobar dropped the name El Hijo del Fantasma and removed the mask he was wearing at the time. He would hold on to the title for over 300 days before losing it to Kushida in April 2021. In October of this year, Legado Del Fantasma was called up to the main roster and Zelina Vega became its manager (replacing Elektra Lopez). 

"We haven't found any obstacles yet. When we do, and I know we will because we're growing, and everyone wants the proverbial smoke," Escobar said on WWE's The Bump this month, per Wrestling Headlines. "When we find that, we will overcome that too, because we have a very strong bond. The three of us, and now with [Zelina] by our side, trust me, the time will come when we will be unbeatable."

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