Heading into the 2022 WWE Smackdown season premiere, there have been rumors of seeing Legado del Fantasma making their main roster entry. That’s exactly how things went down, last night but with a twist as their original manager was found nowhere. Rather, a main roster superstar was reintroduced to be their new valet.
Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro of Legado Del Fantasma made their WWE SmackDown debut on the show’s season premiere this week. Elektra Lopez used to manage the stable during their time on NXT but she wasn’t there last night. Rather, former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Zelina Vega joined them. This was the first time that she’s been sidelined since April due to an injury that also required surgery.
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Legado made a sudden impact by ambushing their former NXT rivals Hit Row. As the latter faction was making an entrance on WWE Smackdown Escobar, wearing a mask, dropkicked Ashante “Thee” Adonis. Afterward, Wilde & Cruz Del Toro delivered a double dropkick on Top Dolla.
B-Fab tended to check on Top Dolla when Zelina Vega jumped off the top rope with a missile dropkick and followed it up with a big knee to B-Fab’s face. Del Toro and Wilde then finished the attack with a double-team splash Top Dolla.
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Legado del Fantasma a new addition to WWE Smackdown
Escobar, Wilde, and Del Toro then unmasked themselves in the ring, as Vega took the mic to declare that she was back and didn’t come alone. The promo session ended with Escobar announcing, “We are Legado Del Fantasma. WWE Smackdown is ours. Be safe.”
For a long time, Escobar and allies were expected to be on WWE’s main roster after his exit from NXT in August. Escobar ended his NXT stint following his loss to Tony D’Angelo at the NXT Heatwave special on August 16. Per the stipulation, Escobar had agreed to leave the brand, but he also picked up the remaining Legado members to save them from the D’Angelo Family.
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Ahead of this week’s WWE Smackdown, PWInsider hinted at the stable’s debut while Fightful Select provided a follow-up stating that faction Legado Del Fantasma has been spotted at the venue of the season premiere with another returning star, Zelina Vega, and with a new look. Indeed, WWE paired her up with the heel group as they look forward to taking over things on Friday nights.
