The AEW tag team division has been competitive from the beginning and Santana & Ortiz quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with when the company first launched. Santana recently returned to in-ring competition, but it doesn’t look like he’s planning to work in the tag team division moving forward. This week on AEW Rampage a vignette aired where Santana declared that he’s looking to break out on his own and pursue a singles run.
“There comes a time in everyone’s life where you reach a fork in the road. When you get there, there’s decisions that need to me made in order to proceed in the right direction. Some roads are easy and lead to mediocrity and comfortability. Some roads come with new challenges and force you to grow.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this process, it’s that you can’t depend on anyone to have the same passion or drive. Or hell, to even have your back the same way that you would. With that being said, the world has been asking all these questions. Now, the world is about to get all the answers. The road I’ve chosen to take is one that must be taken on my own. No crutch, no crew.
“All I’ve done my entire life is bet on myself. I’ll tell you this, I’m not here to be another guy in the game. I’m here to be the game. I know I’m gonna piss a lot of people off, but you ask me if I give a damn. I ain’t here to make friends. I’m here to make money. If you ain’t down, you’re gonna get run down. The nastiest is yet to come.”
Santana had unfortunately been out of action for over a year due to an injury he suffered in June of 2022, but both Satana & Ortiz recently worked with the Blackpool Combat Club in the Stadium Stampede match at All In. At this point it’s not clear that the future holds for Ortiz, but it seems that Proud & Powerful is done.
Part 2.
This comeback is personal.
I pave this road. #TheRICANstruction#BornNASTY #AEWRampage pic.twitter.com/cCFfUr0ne0— Mike SANTANA (@Santana_Proud) September 9, 2023
H/T TJRWrestling.net
