On March 4 Mike Santana was officially removed from the AEW roster page which led fans to wondering what was happening with the star. Fightful Select would then report that Santana was let go from AEW and prior to today, Santana had yet to address his release. After being out of action most of 2022 and 2023 dealing with an injury, Santana returned to AEW to participate in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW All In, the first time he and former tag team partner Ortiz would be seen on television since their alleged backstage issues.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In October which would be Santana’s last match in AEW, he and Ortiz would partake in a No Disqualification match to put an end to their on-screen tensions. Santana first debuted in AEW in 2019 with Ortiz and they dominated the tag team division together. At one point, it seemed that the beloved team were set to snag the AEW World Tag Team Championships before tensions between them in real life boiled over to their jobs.
Santana took to his social media to share a statement, thanking AEW for the opportunity and the knowledge and Ortiz. “Took a few days to reflect and I can’t tell you how truly blessed and grateful I feel,” Santana wrote. “It’s been 5 years full of ups and downs, but above all it taught me so much about myself and this business. I’m thankful for the opportunity I was given to be a part of history at the ground level. I can say that I’ll forever be a part of that legacy right at day one. But as you know, there comes a time in life where you have to make decisions and take a bet on yourself. We only get one chance at this life thing and life is about taking risks.
Santana went on to talk about his future in professional wrestling, noting that he’s excited for what the future holds. “You’ll never know your true potential unless you really put it to work. I’m a big believer in ‘When one door closes, a bigger door opens,’ and I’m so excited for what the future holds for me. With that being said, I want to thank God and my father for continuing to guide me. My family for their endless support. All the fans who have backed me endlessly no matter what. To Ortiz, for the years. And AEW for the knowledge and opportunity.”
Santana ends his post by stating that “the best is yet to come.”
Where do you think Santana will show up next? Let us know in the comments!
