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WWE legend Rey Mysterio recently credited Santos Esboar for his current reign as the United States Champion.
Escobar was scheduled to face Austin Theory for the US Title on the August 11 episode of SmackDown. However, a sneak attack from Theory before the match meant that Santos was unable to compete. He gave his blessings to LWO member Mysterio to replace him and take on Austin for the belt.
This week on WWE's The Bump, Rey Mysterio acknowledged that he wouldn't have won the US Title if Santos hadn't allowed him to face Theory. He thanked his LWO stablemate for the opportunity, and promised to give him a tough, fair fight when they meet in the ring next week.
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"I gotta point out first the fact that I would probably not be United States Champion if it wasn't for Santos in a way giving me the blessing to step in and face Austin for what he did. So I'm very thankful for that, very appreciative. I think the opportunity now comes for Santos to prove that he wants to climb that ladder, that he wants to become champion. So this title will be on the line this Friday, SmackDown in Sacramento. I feel ready, I'm pumped, I'm excited. I have mixed emotions." [9:33 - 10:10]
You can watch the full video here:
Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar have immense respect for each other
During this appearance on The Bump, Rey Mysterio mentioned that he had a lot of respect for his protégé. The Hall of Famer mentioned that he watched Escobar's father, El Fantasma, growing up and was a huge fan.
Mysterio claimed that it was an honor for him to face Fantasma's son in singles combat, and help him ascend to new heights in WWE.
The two LWO stars will face off for the United States Championship this Friday Night on SmackDown.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in this high-stakes encounter? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit WWE's The Bump and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcript.
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