WWE is reportedly interested in adding current TNA star and former AEW original Mike Santana to their roster. Santana left AEW a couple of years ago when his contract expired to rebuild his name. The tag team run ending with his longtime partner Ortiz caused Santana to start his singles career in TNA, and it worked to perfection when he became the TNA World Champion.
However, it appears his TNA time will end soon. 411mania reported the following news, via Fightful’s Patreon page:
“A new report has an update on WWE’s interest in Mike Santana as the TNA World Champion’s contract comes up. As previously reported, Santana’s deal is expected to be up sometime in July. Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select has confirmed that there is interest from WWE in him, and a source noted that there is “strong internal support” from at least one member of the WWE main roster.
The report goes on to note that should WWE bring him on board, they would like him to be on the main roster by the end of the year. That said, there is no potential brand set for him should he end up signing.”
Santana will be a free agent in about a month and could debut for WWE before the summer ends. The strong work in TNA for Santana showed his potential is quite high as a singles talent. WWE having multiple brands makes Santana even more valuable.
Mike Santana’s WWE History Helps Him
The working relationship between WWE and TNA led to Santana and other talents getting to work for both sides. Santana has appeared on WWE NXT television multiple times, but he fully represented TNA for each appearance.
Six matches for Santana on WWE television likely created connections and made it easier for him to debut with a plan in place. History shows that a new talent from TNA is going to start off in NXT, but the report referenced main roster plans.
Santana stepping up to be a main eventer and face of the company for one of the top promotions outside of WWE and AEW gives him more credibility. WWE could opt to have Santana debut on the main roster instantly or get called up quickly from NXT since he’s already in his mid-30s.
Why Mike Santana Wants To Join WWE
The AEW run for Santana was the highest profile run of his career getting to perform on national television. However, injuries and his tag team with Ortiz ending due to their personal issues put him in a tough spot.
Santana appeared angry and motivated for not getting a bigger role after his contributions to AEW in the early days. The decision to leave led to Santana wanting to become as big of a singles star as possible by betting on himself.
WWE is clearly the biggest promotion and the only other option if Santana doesn’t want to ever return to AEW. The rebuilding in TNA gave Santana a new character and chance to show his skill set in the ring on his own. Santana joining WWE and trying to become a main roster star is his remaining dream in wrestling.
WWE Rumored To Want Former AEW Star As Next Big Signing