An Inspiration For The TNA Locker Room
KC Navarro owes a lot to Santana,
“What I’m doing for you and how I’m trying to help you and how I’m trying to mentor you, you’ve got to pay that forward, man. And that’s something that an older brother would tell you: I’m here to help you right now. You know, this is what you’ve got to do in life. Mike Santana is just a real guy. What does he call himself? The Realest? It’s not just a gimmick. It’s real life. That’s exactly what Mike Santana is.”
Eddie Edwards, one of TNA Wrestling’s veterans, comes back on the emotional context around TNA Slammiversary,
“You could sense the emotion in the atmosphere of what he was feeling, what he was going through. It’s such a unique opportunity for him. He’s got the city on his back. He’s there for and with his family. The reason he came back to TNA was to get to that point. He wanted to be given that opportunity and prove that he belongs.”
A Stoic Leader
Cody Deaner has a word to describe Santana:
“Stoic. That’s a good word to describe Mike Santana. He doesn’t sell. If he’s nervous, he doesn’t sell it. If he’s anxious, he doesn’t sell it. He’s not breaking the stoic nature that he has. But there have been a few times that I’ve seen Mike off by himself today and taken it in. I think Mike knows what tonight means for the company and what that means for him as someone who wants to be the leader of this company, be the champion of this company, and take us into this next era of TNA. I think Mike’s feeling it all right now.”
As a father himself, Deaner adds,
“He’s made a promise to his daughter that he is going to be a champion, which alone is enough for a man to carry. But he also wants to carry this company on his shoulders, and not just the community. He is someone who represents the Latino community. He’s very proud to do that. That is a lot to carry on someone’s shoulders. I can think of no one better to do that than Mike Santana.”
The second part of the special Immersed documentary looking at @Santana_Proud's emotional TNA World Title victory at #TNABoundForGlory is available NOW ONE DAY EARLY for TNA+ VIP annual subscribers. The episode drops TOMORROW for everybody at 12pm ET on the @fightnet YouTube.… pic.twitter.com/7LuVuEIePB
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) December 18, 2025
Being His Own Inspiration
In 2020, Santana lost his father. The next three years were a long, downward, then upward, spiral.
“There were a lot of times when I didn’t think that I would be in this position ever. When you hit rock bottom. I feel like that’s the best foundation to build upon, because you can’t go further than the bottom. So there’s only one direction to go. I think that I’m in that direction, and here I am.”
He adds, “I just changed. Two and a half years ago, I was staring out a window of a rehab center, wondering where my life had gone. I’m proud of myself. When you really want something, you stop at nothing to make it happen for yourself, and I feel like I’ve been relentless in the pursuit of greatness. That’s the best way to put it. I’m relentless in the pursuit of greatness.”
Not Deserved but Earned
Santana wants to be a role model,
“That’s everything to me to show her that anything is possible, to show kids and even adults from where I’m from, who have had similar backgrounds, that anything is possible. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve gone through; the paths are laid out. It’s up to you to choose what path to take. I’m living proof of what taking the right path leads to.”
He adds, “Was I happy about all these things I went through? No, but ultimately it was necessary because these things are the driving force, and losing a Slammiversary is part of the driving force that will ultimately get me to the World title.” Backstage, he said to his daughter, “Don’t forget, use the bottom to rise to the top.” He adds, “I went from undesirable to undeniable. I went from throwaway to the main event. All earned.”
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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