Former AEW Star Mike Santana Discusses The Importance Of Betting On Himself

Mike Santana left AEW behind in March 2024, and has since been reestablishing himself in TNA, where he might have a chance at breaking through to the main event card. Santana recently appeared on "Battleground Podcast," where he justified his decision to leave AEW. The star was asked whether he'd have any advice for himself a year ago, and in response, he simply said he'd tell himself to trust himself. Santana also claimed that the plan he put together after leaving AEW has been "hitting on all cylinders," but admitted that in the beginning, he didn't know how things would go. "There's things that you have no control over, and it is what it is. But I decided to double down on myself and trust myself and bet on myself, you know?" he said.

Santana also claimed that everything has been working well in TNA so far, and looked across his career to the point where he finds himself today. "Getting the mind and the body and the spirit right and, you know, taking care of — you know — real life in this person and, yeah man, it's been awesome," he explained.

Santana's heritage is very important to him, which is something he has been highlighting since getting his start in wrestling when he was 19 years old. "I grew up in a very, very proud family. My roots are very embedded in Puerto Rico, and I've been going — I was raised going there since I was four years old, so that culture's always been a part of my life," Santana said. Additionally, he expressed how important it is to give hope to children with similar backgrounds to him.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Battleground Podcast," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.