Mike Santana becoming singles wrestler in AEW
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 nastiest is yet to come.”
– Mike SantanaWatch #AEWRampage on TNT!@Santana_Proud pic.twitter.com/l3QElTkYoZ
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 9, 2023
“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/KWrXLiCDe1 pic.twitter.com/qKBWlqQJvq
— Proud~N~Powerful Ortiz (@Ortiz_Powerful) September 9, 2023
Santana then responded to Ortiz:
https://twitter.com/Santana_Proud/status/1700553305909285328
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.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.