Last week Mike Santana officially arrived in NXT and he set his sights on the NXT Championship as he stared down Tony D’Angelo as the show went off the air. Following his appearance on last week’s episode fans immediately started speculating about a potential name change for the former TNA Wrestling World Champion, and today he confirmed that he will be using the name Cruz Montana moving forward.
The former Mike Santana posted the following explanation revealing why he is now using the name Cruz Montana:
“CRUZ MONTANA
A name I put together as a tribute to honor my late father. Who I’ve always made sure to keep as close as possible to my journey.
Losing him 6 years ago, is what sent me on the spiral that I’d eventually rise from, to become the man you see today. And today, that man ADDICTED TO GREATNESS.
Here’s to this next chapter.
LETS GET IT! 👑🇵🇷”
CRUZ MONTANA
A name I put together as a tribute to honor my late father. Who I’ve always made sure to keep as close as possible to my journey.
Losing him 6 years ago, is what sent me on the spiral that I’d eventually rise from, to become the man you see today. And today, that… pic.twitter.com/idROguLV3W
— Cruz MONTANA🇵🇷 (@Santana_Proud) July 27, 2026
Cruz Montana has confirmed that he will be appearing live on NXT this week. Stay tuned for updates.