After initially making his bones as a heel on the WWE main roster alongside his fellow Legado del Fantasma faction mates Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, Santos Escobar has found himself working babyface as a member of Rey Mysterio‘s LWO and is reaping the benefits of that partnership almost immediately, as the son of the legendary El Fantasma already has one win versus the current United States Champion Austin Theory under his belt and has the potential to secure a second one with the title on the line on the SmackDown before SummerSlam.

Discussing what it's been like to work with Mysterio in an interview with Metro before he was afforded a chance to mix it up with his idol in the ring, Escobar called the WWE Hall of Famer a genius, crediting him for helping to make the LWO feel special by including the faction's original leader's voice shouting “Viva la Raza” in their theme song.

“That was Rey’s idea. Rey’s a genius. Every single good thing that you could say about this industry, he is that. Sure enough, with that, [Rey] said, ‘We need something that elevates the LWO and pays respect and homage to who we need to do it.' I believe that’s – as opposed to having us imitate him every step of the way, which I feel would not be the right move, we have that [instead]. It’s sort of like him saying, ‘It’s my people! I’ll leave you to decide if they’re good enough.' That’s it! Viva la Raza.”

Would the LWO work without the shout-out to Eddie Guerrero in their theme song? More likely than not, yes, but in the end, that cherry on top is why the faction has captured the hearts of so many fans around the world and why millions would love nothing more than to see Escobar lift up the United States Title after a hard-fought match with Theory on SmackDown.

Santos Escobar explains why bringing Rey Mysterio into the LWO was crucial.

Discussing the importance of the LWO further, this time in an interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, Santos Escobar noted just how important it was to get Mysterio in the faction before Legado Del Fantasma changed their name, suggesting that having a legacy member would legitimize the group and make them a beacon of hope for Latinos around the world.

“Well, Sean, first of all, thank you so much for the opportunity to have this one on one again. If we look back the past few months, it’s been crazy. I’ve been having the best night of my life over and over and over again. When I think this is it, then the next week, something happens. I think one of the biggest things for me has been always putting in front of what I do, who I am, where I come from, and what I’m about. That is lucha libre. The LWO, which is something—I gotta confess—I always wanted to do it since I got to WWE. That’s been on my mind to do it. But I can’t do it. I can’t. It’s gotta be someone from that specific timeframe, and that’s Rey. But I also wanted to fight Rey. So it’s one of those feelings where I want to fight him and go through him, but I also would like to have a faction with him. That’s one of those things that you can’t plan,” Escobar said via Fightful.

“I believe WrestleMania in L.A., a few months ago, was the right time to do it. Having Rey being inducted into the Hall of Fame that same night, it was just crazy to have the opportunity. Then having the LWO become a faction, but then I feel like it sort of became a thing, like a movement, like a phenomenon. I say it on my interviews or wherever I am allowed to do it, LWO is for Latinos in the US, Latinos in Latin America, Latinos around the world, but also, if you wake up every single day with the will, the determination, grit, focus in overcoming obstacles, then guess what? The LWO represents you, too. We even have London World Order shirts. It’s wild, isn’t it? It’s crazy.”

When the LWO became the LWO in 2023, there were more than a few fans who questioned the decision, as even the LWO didn't particularly like being the LWO back in WCW, but against all odds, the little faction that could proved that they are a legitimate force in the WWE Universe and deserve to be treated as such, especially if one of their members end up with gold around his waist by early August.