Mike Santana came into AEW strong in 2019.
The former TNA World Tag Team Champion was one of the members of the Inner Circle and was featured prominently throughout the group’s run. Once the group disbanded, it became noticeable how Santana and Ortiz faded into the background as they weren’t featured as much.
The duo still had great matches here and there, but they didn’t have the prominent spot that they used to have. Then Santana was sidelined with a major injury. During that time, rumors had run amok that Santana and Ortiz were not on the same page.
That was the case when Santana returned in 2023 and he went solo after helping the Blackpool Combat Club. But once Santana was finished with his feud against Ortiz, he disappeared from television. That’s when the unhappiness started with the former AEW star and a big component on why he opted to leave AEW.
“I’m the type of person that I need constant growth in my life, and especially in this line of any line of work. Right?” The TNA star said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “If you’re not growing, then what are we doing? Right?”
And ultimately, that was the ultimate case, I was just, a lot of unhappiness, a lot of, you know, things that I just wasn’t about. And ultimately, business is business, right? And I’m a brand the same way that they’re a brand. And I was like, I need to take care of my brand, and I need to continue growing because this wrestling thing is my life. I’ve dedicated everything to this, you know.”
“So, I’m also not the type of person that I could just sit and collect a paycheck. That’s just not me. Never has been. So it was just about that time, and there was no heat. There were no hard feelings. It was, you know, it is what it is. That’s the wrestling business. People come, people go, right? And, I looked at it as like, I need to do what’s best for me and my career and my life and my sanity."
Santana actually requested his release multiple times, according to the former AEW star. He explains how nervous he was about leaving a guaranteed contract, but he knew what was best for his business.
“So I had asked for my release multiple times. Yeah. When I came back and, like, I had the short feud and match with my ex-partner, and then, after that, like, they stopped bringing me to TV, so I was like, yo, just get me out of I’m good, you know? Like, let’s just whatever. And like, I asked maybe, like two or three times, and then finally, you know, they granted me my release, and I was like, thank you.”
Check out the full interview where Santana goes into depth about his career, his battle with addiction, and so much more!