It took a few years, but Escobar finally got his wish of being a part of the LWO. And with the newly christened WWE Hall of Famer Mysterio in their corner, they continue to honor the faction and lucha libre each Friday on “WWE Smackdown.” But Escobar also made it clear that without the time spent as LDF, the group currently consisting of Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Zelina Vega wouldn’t have the credibility to carry the LWO moniker, since the audience wouldn’t have known what they were all about.

“[Legado del Fantasma] gave me the opportunity to do what everything I wanted to do,” said Escobar. “Who I am, where I come from, what I’m about … every single time I was out there. Every promo, every backstage, every scene, every feud, every rivalry was letting people know that I’m all about lucha libre [and] that lucha libre is about tradition, heritage, culture, and familia. All the values that you have whether you’re Mexican, Latino, or not, are the values I have. We relate, and that’s how Legado got over. That’s how Santos got really over on ‘NXT,’ because everything I say is real.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Out of Character with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.