His profile was removed from the AEW roster page recently and he hasn’t wrestled for the promotion since the October 25, 2023, Rampage taping. He defeated his longtime tag team partner Ortiz on the show.
Fightful Select is reporting that sources close to Santana say he is done with the company.
Santana and Ortiz came into AEW as Proud-N-Powerful in 2019, quickly aligning with Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager as the Inner Circle. Santana teamed with Jericho and Ortiz to beat Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks in the main event of the very first episode of Dynamite.
Santana wrestled for AEW just three times after suffering a torn ACL in the 2022 Blood & Guts match. His first match back was Stadium Stampede at All In. He then had a singles win over Bronson the following month and then his win over Ortiz in October.
As for Ortiz, he’s wrestled in AEW just once since his loss to Santana in October. He teamed with Eddie Kingson in a loss to Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli on the January 20, 2024 episode of Collision.
Santana has been keeping active on the independent wrestling scene in the Northeast. This weekend he wrestled Penta El Zero Miedo on a House of Glory show in New York and also wrestled Homicide on a show in New Jersey on Sunday.
AEW wrestler Mike Santana has reached a huge personal milestone.
On Friday, Santana revealed that he’s reached one year of sobriety. Santana wrote that one year ago today was when he hit rock bottom and realized that he needed to take care of himself. Santana said that, if he didn’t, he would have lost his life, his family, his career, and everything that he worked to build.
Santana made the “greatest/hardest decision” he’s ever made by checking himself into rehab. Over those 30 days, Santana learned to “finally let go of the pain and trauma” that he carried for so long.
Santana noted that he struggled to share this publicly, but he hopes that doing so will help others in his situation. His full social media post can be read below:
A year ago today, was the day I hit my rock bottom. The day that I realized it was time to turn around and face those demons that I’ve ran from for years. The day that I made the decision to change or I was going to lose my life, my family, my career and everything I worked so hard to build. It was the day that I decided to finally take care of myself after years of just taking care of others.
I checked myself into rehab.
And I can tell you here and now, that it was truly the greatest/hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life. I learned more about myself in those 30 days than in my lifetime. I learned to finally let go of the pain and trauma I carried around for so long. It taught me to genuinely love myself. To live and not just exist. Along with so many other great things. I also say that my injury was God’s greatest gift to me. Because that time is what gave me and made me who I am today. I can go on and on about my sobriety journey because it’s been exactly that. And maybe one day I’ll open up more about it. But I just want to take the time to appreciate this accomplishment. I actually struggled a bit with sharing this with the world, as it was something I dealt with in private and away from everyone. But if I can help give strength and hope to someone else with my story and journey, then so be it. We’re taught that what helps us is giving away the gift that was so freely given to us. So that’s what I’ll do whenever I can.
I want to say thank you to God and my father for continuing to guide me. My amazing family for sticking by me and always seeing the light that I carried inside, even thru all the darkness. And all those who offered their support during those dark times. Much love to you all.
#ADayAtATime #Recovery #Thankful
Santana suffered a torn ACL in June 2022 and didn’t compete agin until August 2023. Upon his return, Santana became a singles wrestler in AEW and feuded with his former tag team partner Ortiz. Santana defeated Ortiz in a no DQ match on Rampage last October.
Since that Rampage episode, Santana hasn’t had any other AEW matches. He’s competed on the indies, including winning the House of Glory World Championship.
Ortiz says his tag team with Mike Santana split up because his partner was “very adamant” about not working with him anymore.
Ortiz appeared on today’s episode of The Shining Wizards podcast and spoke about what led to the team’s break up and the program they worked together on Rampage feeling “kind of rushed.”
He said:
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the company’s call to split us. Me and Santana just couldn’t get it together personally and he just was very adamant about not working with me anymore, for whatever reason. So, the company kind of had no choice but to split us up.
So they’re like, ‘Okay, you’re not going to just not tag, it doesn’t make any sense. Let’s at least make this make sense why you split.’ But even when we did it on TV, it just ended up, I feel like, being kind of rushed and you know what I mean? Due to stuff that was going on backstage and it was making it hard to really put forward a program.
Earlier in the conversation, Ortiz mentioned that there had been plans on more than one occasion for Proud N Powerful to win the AEW Tag Team Championships but it never panned out.
Ortiz said:
We could have forced a hand a little bit more where we did have the opportunities that we had. I can’t completely blame the company because there was talks about (us winning the tag titles) but it was almost like it was never the right time. It just wasn’t our time and it was just because we were always intertwined with a huge storyline with the Inner Circle and it would have been hard to like sway off and do our own tag thing and go after the tag titles.
It was actually supposed to happen more than once but just due to stuff out of our control, or out of my control, it just never seemed to pan out.
It’s not like those people on the internet that were clamoring for us to be tag team champions, it was noticed by the people in AEW and above. It almost happened two times, it just never panned out. I won’t get into the weeds of things only because I think I’ll get in trouble if I do.
Neither Santana nor Ortiz has wrestled in AEW since they faced each other at the October 25 Rampage taping. Santana won the no-disqualification match in just over 10 minutes. Our own Dave Meltzer gave the match a four-star rating.
A clash of former tag team partners headlines this week’s AEW Rampage.
Mike Santana will face Ortiz as the former Proud & Powerful duo settle their differences in the ring.
In a battle of a current Don Callis disciple and a potential future addition to the Callis Family, Konosuke Takeshita will take on Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher.
A four-way to determine who will challenge Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Champion on Saturday’s Collision episode will be held, as Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, Anna Jay, and Abadon will compete. The match is the first match on AEW programming for Abadon since an episode of Dark that aired last December.
Before they square off for the title on this Saturday’s Collision, AEW World Champion MJF and his challenger Kenny Omega will speak on their upcoming confrontation on tonight’s show.
Rampage airs beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern time on TNT.
**********
Taped in Philadelphia, PA.
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Ian Riccaboni were on commentary.
Mike Santana defeated Ortiz in a No Disqualification Match (10:34)
It didn’t take long for the fight to go to the floor, and Ortiz worked over Santana’s surgically repaired knee with a kendo stick. Ortiz pulled all kinds of plunder out from underneath the ring. Santana suplexed Ortiz back into the ring. Ortiz rolled out of the ring, and Santana followed him with a perfect Asai Moonsault. Ortiz countered a powerbomb attempt with a backdrop, then powerbombed Santana through a table. Back in the ring, Ortiz got a near fall. Santana countered a suplex on the apron with a suplex of his own, sending both guys crashing to a stack of chairs on the floor with a sick thud.
After a split-screen break, both men exchange German suplexes and clotheslines. Both men are down while the crowd chants “This is awesome!” And it is pretty awesome. Both guys exchange enziguris before Santana hit a rolling cutter for another near fall. Santana went for a discus lariat, but Ortiz caught him with a spinning powerslam for a near fall. Ortiz hit a brainbuster for another near fall.
Santana and Ortiz exchanged open-handed strikes. Ortiz tried for a cutter off the ropes (like a Tower of London), but Sanata escaped. After exchanging cradles, Santana hit the discus lariat, then a cannonball in the corner. Santana finished off Ortiz with a sit-out powerbomb out of a torture rack. This was an excellent match. They told the perfect story of two tag partners who knew each other well, and Ortiz put over Santana like a million bucks.
After the match, Santana tried to offer a fistbump to Ortiz, but he refused. Santana left. Sonjay Dutt came out to try and recruit Ortiz to his group.
– An absolutely tremendous video package put over the Kenny Omega v. MJF match. Footage from New Japan and the various independent promotions MJF competed for before AEW complemented the commentary from the usual talking heads (as well as the competitors).
At the end of the package, Jay White interrupted Omega to wish him luck, and challenge Omega for Full Gear should Omega win. Don Callis then interrupted MJF to offer him a spot in the Don Callis Family. MJF declined, and advised Callis to get his forehead checked out.
– Renee Paquette interviewed Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander, at Kris’s request. Statlander wants to know what is up with the other two after they got misted by Julia Hart. Blue doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her, but Willow and Kris think otherwise.
– Kip Sabian was in the ring with Penelope Ford to make fun of Philadelphia sports. “There’s no better time to be a Phillies fan!” Penelope reminded Ford that the Phillies lost. But that’s okay, they’ll win the Super Bowl next time! All the Philly trash talk brought out Mark Briscoe, “a man with as many teeth as the Eagles have Super Bowl rings!” Briscoe dumped Sabian from the ring to the delight of the crowd.
– Renee interviewed the former JAS in the back. Don Callis hit up Matt Menard and Angelo Parker to team up against Jericho and Omega, but tonight it’s all about Anna Jay and her match up next. Then, the weird angle between Parker and Ruby Soho continued with Soho returning Parker’s comb.
Abandon defeated Anna Jay, Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue in a #1 Contender’s Match (7:17 aired)
How can you tell it’s Halloween? Abandon is getting a title match on Collision.
Abandon is wearing some kind of hockey mask now and has neon green hair. The match was going nowhere when Toni Storm came out to watch the match from the entrance stage.
Every women’s match on Rampage follows the same pattern: two minutes of the match, then two minutes during the split screen break. Then a full commercial break.
When we return, Skye Blue and Abadon have a stare down in the middle of the ring. Nightingale hit them both with a middle rope dropkick. Nightingale hit a series of corner clotheslines on Blue and Abadon, then took out Anna Jay with the pounce. Willow hit a spinebuster on Jay for a pin attempt, broken up by Skye Blue. Blue sent Nightingale into the rinbost and to the floor.
Blue and Jay double teamed Abadon. Jay locked in a sleeper, but Blue hit Jay with a superkick. Nightingale pulled Blue out of the ring, and Abandon finished off Jay with an inverted DDT for the pinfall.
– The Acclaimed will be celebrating the 69th day of their World Trios Title reign in eight days on Collision, and MJF is invited.
– Jay White v. AR Fox and a match with the House of Black were announced for Collision during the main event.
“The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Kyle Fletcher (11:17).
Callis and Hobbs hung out at the commentary table.
Takeshita caught Fletcher with a blue thunder bomb for a near fall just before the break.
Fletcher ran into an elbow in the corner. Takeshita followed up with a knee to the back. Fletcher caught Takeshita with a gamingiri to send Takeshita to the floor, and Fletcher followed up with a tope. Back in the ring, Fletcher hit a top rope crossbody for a near fall. Fletcher and Takeshita exchanged strikes. Fletcher hit a half-and-half suplex, but Takeshita came back with a poisoned rana and a lariat. Fletcher countered a suplex attempt with a sheer drop brainbuster for a great near fall. That sequence was tremendous.
Fletcher took Takeshita to the top rope, but Takeshita fought out of it. Takeshita then hit a middle rope tombstone for a near fall and why in god’s name wasn’t that the finish?? Takeshita missed a knee strike, but rolled up Fletcher into a wheelbarrow suplex. In a last gasp of offense, Fletcher hit a thrust kick, but Takeshita hit a knee strike, then hit a running knee strike for the pinfall.
Tremendous match.
After the match, Takeshita dumped Fletcher to the floor to celebrate with the rest of the Family in the ring. Fletcher came back with a chair and hit both Takeshita and Hobbs. Hobbs no-sold the chair and tried to murder Fletcher, but Callis pulled him off and called Fletcher his “apprentice.” “That’s what we wanted, the hate!” Boos reigned down from the crowd as Fletcher left with the Don Callis family.
It looks like Kyle Fletcher is the newest memeber of the Don Callis Family.
Final Thoughts:
Oh man, Mark Davis might be screwed if they’re going all the way with Fletcher as a single in the Callis family. Callis was looking for a tag team earlier (when he was recruiting Parker & Menard) so maybe Fletcher and Davis will join as a team once Davis is healed up.
Between two very good matches book-ending the show and a great package on tomorrow night’s main event, this was an excellent episode of Rampage.
Former tag team partners Mike Santana & Ortiz will square off in a singles match on next week’s AEW Rampage.
The bout was announced during this week’s episode after weeks of vignettes explaining the dissolution of the Santana & Ortiz tag team and Santana’s decision to strike out on his own as a singles competitor.
Santana was on the shelf with a torn ACL from June 2022 until his return to AEW in August of this year. Santana & Ortiz briefly reunited and teamed as part of the Stadium Stampede match at All Out on August 27, but Santana declared his intentions to become a singles star in a video promo on the September 8 Rampage show.
In the weeks that followed, video promos with Santana & Ortiz aired, playing off a real-life falling out that the two had.
As a duo, Santana & Ortiz held Tag Team titles in 10 different promotions from 2015 to 2019, most notably holding the Impact World Tag Team Championship on four occasions. They joined AEW in 2019.
Santana vs. Ortiz is the only bout announced for next week’s Rampage to this point.
Mike Santana is ready to chart his own path as a singles wrestler.
A video aired during AEW Rampage on Friday night with Santana announcing that he’s going to be a singles wrestler in AEW going forward. Santana was previously part of a tag team with Ortiz as Proud-N-Powerful.
“The road I’ve chosen to take is one that must be taken on my own,” Santana said. “No crutch, no crew, straight dolo — exactly how I like it. All I’ve done my entire life is bet on myself. But I’ll tell you this: I’m not here to be another guy in the game. I’m here to be The Guy. And I know I’m gonna piss a lot of people off, but you could ask me if I give a damn. I ain’t here to make friends, I’m here to make money. And if you ain’t down, you’re gonna get run down. The nastiest is yet to come.”
On social media, Ortiz posted a message responding to Santana’s promo:
What a way to find out years of having your back meant nothing.Good luck without your "crutch" Just remember it helped you walk for the last 14+ years. Hope your legs are good. Thank you for being honest for once. But you couldn't say it to my face?You know you still can, right? https://t.co/KWrXLiCDe1pic.twitter.com/qKBWlqQJvq
Santana was out of action with a torn ACL from June 2022 to August 2023. He made his return last month, reuniting with Ortiz ahead of All In. They were part of Stadium Stampede at the pay-per-view, teaming with Blackpool Combat Club in a loss to Best Friends, Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo.
Santana & Ortiz were a top tag team for Impact Wrestling and on the indies before signing with AEW in 2019.
While in AEW, Santana and Ortiz had a falling out in their real-life friendship.
