Mike Santana knew he couldn’t go to Los Angeles alone.
It was going to be a major trip. The TNA Wrestling star was going to have one of the biggest matches of his career – against Mustafa Ali in a ‘falls count anywhere’ match at Rebellion. But it was second fiddle to the real attraction of the West Coast trip: going with his daughter, Ariana.
It had been a few years since Santana wrestled in Los Angeles and the city was a bucket list trip for Ariana. Aside from his match, Santana and Ariana would do all of the touristy things in the City of Angels for some quality father-daughter bonding. The way he saw it, it was a trip he couldn’t do without his daughter.
It was also a trip that wouldn’t be possible without her.
A few years ago, Santana hit rock bottom. He was struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. Not only was his wrestling career in jeopardy, he wasn’t the person he wanted his daughter to look up to.
It was the end of 2022 when he realized the pain he was causing. His daughter made her Christmas list for Santa Claus, and in it, she wrote “please make my dad stop.”
That was enough for Santana to check himself into rehab. He knew the journey was going to be difficult.
But now, more than two years later, Santana is flourishing, on a run that has him pushing toward great success. Even better, he has his daughter there to witness it. She’s able to see her dad reach new heights, but she also has her dad again – and the two get to soak in the moment together.
“It took a lot to get here, a lot of things that I had to deal with in my personal life,” Santana told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s been an amazing ride.”
TNA Wrestling dominance
Santana’s recovery began as he finished his last year in All Elite Wrestling. His sobriety began in February 2023. He had his last match in October before he entered the realm of the unknown.
Recovery is daunting, and not knowing what was next in his career added extra stress. There were goals, but there was uncertainty on whether they’d be attainable.
“In the beginning, it was a tough ride because I decided to bet on myself,” Santana said. “The one thing that I really knew out of everything, was I knew the work that I was willing to put in, and just hope and pray that it paid off.”
In April 2024, Santana returned to TNA after spending time with the company five years prior. And it’s been nothing but a remarkable comeback to the promotion.
A longtime tag team specialist, Santana has thrived as a solo competitor, able to showcase his talent and toughness while picking up victories against notable names. He defeated Moose at Bound for Glory, Frankie Kazarian at Turning Point and Josh Alexander in an ‘I Quit’ match at Genesis.
All major wins, but the win over Alexander was extra special for Santana. He recalled thinking “something’s rocking” regarding his career trajectory after the signature win, but then came the part after the match when Alexander shook Santana’s hand and praised him, essentially anointing him TNA’s next superstar as Alexander left the company.
“For him to have pretty much put me in his position, and pretty much passed that torch in that match and say it publicly and all that, it was a huge deal,” Santana said.
The momentum didn’t stop there. Santana then entered a heated feud with Ali, culminating with the ‘falls count anywhere’ match at Rebellion. The match stole the show, with both stars putting their bodies on the line with all sorts of signature, brutal spots around the arena. By the end, Santana was bleeding, but he picked up the victory against Ali in what was arguably the best match in TNA this year.
After the momentous victory, Santana now has his eyes set on the TNA World Championship. The title holder, Joe Hendry, believes the challenger is on his way.
“Mike is certainly on the path to be the guy,” Hendry said. “I think having people like that rise up to that main event spot is exciting.”
The sky’s the limit for Santana. While he has executed all of the plans he’s made, he is now trying to not get caught up in what could happen next. But Ariana isn’t afraid to predict her dad’s future. She believes he will be in WWE and make it on the main roster.
Mike Santana inspires fans and daughter
All of the in-ring success has been nice, but the work Santana is really proud of is being an inspiration to those that have, or know someone who has, battled the same issues he dealt with. He could have kept his addiction and recovery a private matter, but Santana chose to be public about it.
He admits being vulnerable isn’t his strong suit since he grew up being protective of himself. But he learned in rehab the greatest gift he could provide is his story and how it’s possible to overcome the darkness. Santana has even shared his journey as part of wrestling promos, not hiding away his past.
Whether it’s during meet-and-greets or out in public, Santana frequently gets told how inspiring he’s been. Santana isn’t just a character or gimmick; what appears in the ring and on TV is his true, authentic self, serving as motivation.
“For me, it’s still not easy. There’s a lot of times that I’m still in that protective state, but at the end of the day, I’ve always said growing up, I want to do something in my life where I’m able to help people. I finally realized wrestling and me being this public figure and sharing my story is my way of helping people,” he said. “At the end of the day, man, I’m a poor Puerto Rican kid from the projects in New York. The fact that I get to do this thing, and I’ve traveled the world and done amazing things and I’m inspiring people is pretty cool.”
One person inspired by Santana is Ariana. It’s a full circle moment for Santana, given the relationship he had with his dad. He said it was up and down as his father dealt with depression, blindness and addiction. The combination of issues had Santana’s dad feeling like he let his son down, even though Santana didn’t see it that way. Santana just wanted his dad to be around, and he was able to convey it to his father before his father’s death in 2020.
Now a father, Santana wants to be present for his daughter, trying to do all the things his dad felt he couldn’t do by paying it forward.
“I know the life that I lived and how I came up as a kid, and the fact that my daughter will never have to experience those things, and the fact that I’m able to give her the life that she has means so much to me,” Santana said. “That’s the icing on the cake. That’s why I do all of this.”
One thing Santana learned in his sobriety journey is to take time to reflect. Always appreciate the accomplishments and where life is at.
That’s what made the Los Angeles trip so special. After understanding the pain he caused his daughter, Santana made the effort to strengthen their relationship. He got to take her to a place she always wanted to visit for a memorable first daddy-daughter trip, and she saw one of his greatest matches.
Santana said on Instagram one of the top highlights of the weekend “was having my little girl with me and getting to share amazing time with her.” The two went to Griffith Park to see the Hollywood sign, roamed around Hollywood and went to the Santa Monica Pier.
What makes it even sweeter is Ariana loves her dad’s job. Santana said she has “totally immersed” herself in the wrestling world, having been there from when he performed in small gyms to now sold-out arenas. Seeing her dad’s rise in the business just makes the experience sweeter.
“The fact that I was able to come from where I come from, have gone through the things that I’ve gone through, but still achieved this dream, is showing her that anything was possible,” Santana said.
It indeed has. Ariana pushed her dad to get back on his feet, and now she gets to be right there to experience all of the glory.
“Seeing him put in all the work and effort, seeing him work out all the time so he could just be in shape is inspiring,” she said. “It is very special to me.”