TNA Champion Mike Santana Calls Out AJ Styles for World Title Dream Match
It feels good to be the champ. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Mike Santana, and it’s clear his emotional victory is still sinking in. When we introduced him with his new title, he smiled and said, "Actually, I kind of want you to say it again. I've put in a lot of work to get to that, so I want to hear it as many times as possible."
Santana's journey to the top has been a long and difficult one, marked by a major injury and personal struggles. In our interview, he discussed his "organic rise" and the "humbling" feeling of having the fans so strongly behind him. He also revealed the one "dream match" he is now set on making a reality, and it involves a fellow TNA icon.
A "Humbling" Journey from Rock Bottom
Santana has been incredibly open about his journey, and he credits that vulnerability for his connection with the fans. He described his starting point as "legit literally rock bottom" and noted how he was initially hesitant to share his story.
"When I first started telling my story... I was open about my struggles with addiction and stuff like that," Santana said. "I was very hesitant to share that part of my story. But I think me sharing it, there was a lot of strength behind that and I think a lot of people resonated with it... It feels good to to have the people behind me and for the people to see what I saw in myself."
Now, as the face of the company, his motivation has only increased. "Before I I used to say... I had my city, my culture, and my family on my back. And now I have an entire company. And that's something I don't take lightly. And being the champion and and being the face of the company, it's something I take very serious."
The One Dream Match Left: AJ Styles
With the TNA World Heavyweight Championship now in his possession, we asked Santana who he has his sights set on. His answer was immediate and specific.
"I have one dream match left," he stated. "I've been thankful and blessed enough in my career to have worked with some amazing people. A lot of guys that I grew up watching and idolizing, but the one guy that's left is AJ Styles."
Santana didn't stop there; he laid out the exact scenario he wants to see happen. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. I want to wrestle AJ Styles one-on-one in a TNA ring for the world title." A match between the current face of TNA and the man who originally built the house would undoubtedly be a must-see event.
Mike Santana's Ultimate Survivor Series Team
With the holidays approaching, we couldn't resist hitting the new champ with some fun, seasonal questions. First up, we asked him to build his ultimate five-man Survivor Series team, with himself as the captain.
His squad is all-killer, no-filler: "I'd have to say Bret Hart is definitely in there... Bret and Owen... Eddie Guerrero... and Toshiaki Kawada." That is a team we would not want to be standing across the ring from.
Christmas Memories & Goals for 2026
When it came to his favorite Christmas gift, Santana said he was an easy kid to shop for. "All I wanted was wrestling toys as a kid," he laughed. His most memorable gift? "One Christmas getting the Vengeance 2001 ring set and it was the ring, guard rails... It was like a whole big setup and I think it was the first time that something like that... ever came out."
Finally, as we look toward the new year, we asked Santana about his resolutions for 2026. After achieving his dream of becoming a world champion, his goals are now grounded in his personal well-being.
"I just want to maintain my health, my state of mind, my sobriety, and uh keep elevating and and being able to give my family a good life. That's it."
Watch more of our interviews from ACW's weekend events, with Little Guido, "Big Trouble" Ben Bishop, Syndey Akeem and more right here.