TNA star Mike Santana opens up on turnaround after going from rehab to world title
TNA star Mike Santana spoke exclusively to the Daily Star in his only UK interview to discuss his amazing year, his journey from rehab and a new documentary that captured his rise to the main event
Tearful TNA star Mike Santana is seen hugging his emotional daughter after losing in the main event at Slammiversary in behind the scenes footage.
The New York-born grappler wept as he embraced his family and friends backstage at the UBS Arena in June in newly released footage aired in a documentary about his amazing turnaround.
He tells daughter Ariana: “This is just a bump in the road. This is part of the process. We’re not finished. We’re just getting started. It’s ok to cry and be sad. I’m sad. But we use that sadness to drive us.”
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, Santana said of the YouTube documentary: “When I saw it for the first time, it was very emotional. Seeing the interactions between my daughter and I, that’s very emotional.”
The title shot capped a stunning turnaround in the Santana’s fortunes, who went public with his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction during a breakout 2025 which saw him rise up the card and become a main eventer.
He told us: “I said in the documentary I went from staring out if the window in a rehab centre to wrestling in the main event at the UBS Arena.
“I remember when we went off the air and I spoke to the crowd in the arena and I told them a few years back, I was in that very same building in a throwaway five minute match and I’m here today in the main event as a headliner. I mean, what better story can be told?”
Santana, real name Mark Sanchez, later went on to life the TNA world title in October before losing it a month later. His organic rise to the top came on the back of a groundswell in support from wrestling fans who got behind his story.
He said: “I feel like I’ve so public and so showing with all the work I’ve done to get to that point, so I feel like the crowd and a lot of the fans have been on this journey with me. I’ve been super blessed.
“Ultimately I’ve just tried to be me and be authentic as possible. I’m bringing you a real man with real life problems that I’ve been through and I’ve shown the process I’ve gone through to get to where I’m at and I’ve brought the entire wrestling community with me for the ride and I think that’s ben a a big game changer.”
Santana’s story is told in a two part documentary released by TNA. Part one, which was released on YouTube on Friday, December 12, follows the grappler as as he heads in the Slammiversary event with the dream of becoming a world champion in his home town.
Part two, released earlier exclusively for TNA+ subscribers before dropping on YouTube on December 19, follows his work towards clinching the TNA World Championship at Bound for Glory.
He added: “It was very emotional just getting to shoot it. Also it’s the story of a guy who went from gutter to glory. This story is just a testament to hard work paying off. I went from undesirable to undeniable.
“I think it’s an awesome story for anyone and hope everyone checks it out, it’s an awesome piece and a lot of work went into it.”
Both episodes air on the Fight Network YouTube in collaboration with TNA’s YouTube channel. Click here to see them.
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