At TNA Slammiversary 2025, Mike Santana came up short. Trick Williams retained the TNA World Championship against Santana and Joe Hendry. At TNA Bound for Glory 2025, one-on-one, Santana defeated Williams and became the first Puerto Rican World Champion in TNA history.
TNA Wrestling recently put online a 2-part “Immersed” documentary on Mike Santana (to watch here and here). More than a road to the TNA World Championship, it is a path from being inspired to becoming an inspiration. Not only for his daughter Ariana, but for the TNA locker room, the Puerto Rican community, and the fans around the world.
Being Inspired by Legends
Mike Santana pays tribute to Amazing Red, the first TNA X-Division Champion.
“Yesterday, he mentioned something that was like an eye-opener for me. It’s always about the journey. The destination, or a belt, or the belt and all that stuff, is just the icing. The journey is what people remember the most. And I’ve taken everyone on this journey.”
Red later says,
“Mike’s biggest thing that he will always tell me is that he wanted to pick up the pieces, do this for the culture and family he has. Me, SAT, Homicide, Low Ki, and I love that. He always comes back, calls, and writes us. We always hang out. And he’s like, this is my biggest motivation, to do this for you, guys.”
“You Earned Your Way Here”
His late father left him a message that remains special to him: ” I just wanted to reiterate how proud of you I am, and I really do hope you get that moment in the ring. Remember those three things. You earned your way there. You deserve to be there, and, more importantly, you belong there. I’m glad we’re all going to be there as a family to celebrate that.”
His wrestling mentor, Konnan, says,
“I’m very proud of him. He’s a kid who came from the streets and could have been in jail, very easily could have been shot. He had a huge drinking problem, and he promised his daughter he wouldn’t drink anymore. He wants to be a role model, which is very important. I’ve always advocated for the Latin community because we’re 17% of the population in the United States, but we only have 4% representation on TV. So, it’s good to have role models and leaders and people that future generations can look up to.”
X-Division legend @AmazingRed_iOD was there for @Santana_Proud at #TNASlammiversary. Watch Immersed NOW on TNA+ and the Fight Network YouTube channel and go behind the scenes of that emotional night.
YouTube: https://t.co/hQ2xIiGBBs
TNA+: https://t.co/OumSoGBMkk pic.twitter.com/4ef9gBGMWa— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) December 14, 2025
Inspiring His Daughter
At TNA Slammiversary, Santana already had this idea:
“The first thing that I’m going to do when I win that World title is present it to her, because that title belongs to her. My daughter saw me at rock bottom, almost losing everything, at the lowest point in my life, and she saw me at the highest point. She saw the work that I put in every single day to get to that point. That, to me, is everything, because that is the proof to her that anything is possible.”
Something he was able to do at TNA Bound For Glory, a few months later.
His daughter, in fact, saved his life: “She’s the one who set me on this journey. She wrote the letter that changed my life. That letter is the reason why I’m here, the fact that she gets to live this with me.” Ariana, Mike Santana’s daughter, takes pride in saying, “I’m actually really excited, because if my Dad wins the TNA World Championship, he will be the first Puerto Rican to win it.”
A Daughter’s Letter That Saved Her Dad
She is the reason why he has fought so hard. Ariana says, ”
I’m going to be sitting front row, watching him do his thing, do his best. It really doesn’t matter if he wins or not; he’s still the number one in my heart. That’s all that matters.”
Ariana puts her father on a pedestal,
“I think he’s a big inspiration to people who have lost family members, people who have gone sober for a really long time. He’s also a big inspiration to me, because I want to be a wrestler when I grow up. And he’s just really big to me, just him shouting out his culture and what actually happened, that’s pretty awesome.”
In Part One of Immersed: @Santana_Proud, the New York native returns home for the biggest match of his life – challenging for the TNA World Championship at Slammiversary.
YouTube: https://t.co/hQ2xIiH9r0
TNA+: https://t.co/OumSoGCk9S pic.twitter.com/MaZ00msE8a— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) December 12, 2025
