Mike Santana recently spoke with Chris Van Vliet on the “Insight” podcast to discuss a myriad of topics, including his departure from All Elite Wrestling, his fallout with Ortiz, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the fallout with Ortiz: “Well, we were together for 10 years, I think. And when you’re together with someone that long, it’s like a married couple. Right? There’s good, there’s bad. And I think, honestly, for the most part, it was like, I think we just grew apart over time. And also our visions for the tag team and its future and, its success, we weren’t on the same page when it came to a lot of those things. And it is what it is everybody has their thoughts. Everybody goes about things differently. But yeah, like I told you, I’m a go-getter. I like to create opportunities for myself, I like, I’m more than willing to fight for our spot. But also, I’m not going to be the only one.”
On whether there is still heat: “I wouldn’t say [so]. I mean, for me, I don’t hold any [grudges]. I told him after the match ‘Yo, I hope the best for you, hope you do well and there is no hard feelings. I hold no hate no grudge, nothing. I’m in a different place in my life in general. And I’m good. I’m chillin’.”
Nigel McGuinness retired from in-ring competition in 2011 due to medical complications. He has since switched over to commentary where he was a commentator in WWE before signing with AEW in 2023.
In a recent interview with “Wrestling Weekly,” Nigel discussed his rivalry with Bryan Danielson and revealed that he was recently in the ring. He said,
“All the time that I was in WWE, how difficult it was for me, and I think a lot of the… I don’t want to say the jealousy and the bitterness, but those sort of emotions that certainly existed between me and Bryan and the success that he’s had. When I was in WWE, seeing so many of my peers coming up and having that level of success, and that level of fame and fortune was very difficult for me, certainly, to sort of accept. Especially when I could still wrestle today. I got in the ring last week and just felt perfectly ok. Sometimes, people say it’s a lot easier if you choose yourself to quit and I don’t think that it’s the case,” he said. “Given my history in terms of concussions and various other things, I do watch a lot of matches and go, ‘couldn’t do that anymore.’”
And finally, you can check out the updated lineup for Wednesday night’s episode of AEW Dynamite below:
AEW World Tag Team Championship Quarterfinal Match:
Best Friends vs. Undisputed Kingdom
TBS Championship #1 Contender’s Match:
Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue vs. Anna Jay vs. Willow Nightingale
Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita
TOMORROW, 3/27@centrevideotron Quebec City
Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite
TBS, tomorrow, 8pm ET/7pm CTAEW World Tag Team Title
Tournament Quarterfinal@trentylocks/@orangecassidy
vs@MattTaven/@RealMikeBennettOC/Trent chase the big one vs bitter rivals Bennett/Taven TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/wfFWx3EePh
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) March 27, 2024
In a recent interview on the “Insight” podcast with Chris Van Vliet, Mike Santana opened up about his departure from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and his fallout with his former tag team partner, Ortiz. Santana, who was part of the tag team known as Proud and Powerful, discussed the reasons behind their split and addressed any lingering animosity between them.
Santana described his relationship with Ortiz as being similar to a married couple, having spent 10 years together. He acknowledged that like any long-term partnership, there were both good and bad times. However, over time, they grew apart and had different visions for the tag team’s future success. Santana emphasized that he is a go-getter who likes to create opportunities for himself and fight for his spot, but he also expected his partner to share the same drive.
When asked about any remaining heat between him and Ortiz, Santana stated that he holds no grudges or hate towards his former partner. He even expressed well wishes for Ortiz’s future success. Santana emphasized that he is in a different place in his life and is content with where he is currently.
In addition to Santana’s interview, Nigel McGuinness, who retired from in-ring competition in 2011 due to medical complications, recently discussed his rivalry with Bryan Danielson. McGuinness revealed that he had been in the ring again recently and felt perfectly okay. Despite the difficulties he faced during his time in WWE, seeing his peers achieve fame and success, McGuinness still believes he could wrestle today. However, he acknowledges the importance of considering his history of concussions and other health issues when evaluating his ability to perform certain moves.
Switching gears to upcoming events, AEW Dynamite has an exciting lineup for Wednesday night’s episode. The show will feature a quarterfinal match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship between Best Friends and Undisputed Kingdom. Additionally, there will be a TBS Championship #1 Contender’s Match involving Kris Statlander, Skye Blue, Anna Jay, and Willow Nightingale. Other matches include Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita.
Overall, these recent interviews and updates provide fans with insight into the personal and professional lives of Mike Santana and Nigel McGuinness. It’s always interesting to hear directly from the wrestlers themselves about their experiences, relationships, and future plans. As for AEW Dynamite, the upcoming episode promises to deliver thrilling matches and further advance ongoing storylines in the promotion.