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Insight with Chris Van Vliet

Mike Santana on Leaving AEW, Splitting Up With Ortiz, Turning Down WWE

Insight with Chris Van Vliet

Chris Van Vliet

Entrepreneurship, Mental Health, Business, Health & Fitness, Sports, Wrestling

4.94.5K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2024

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mike Santana is a professional wrestler known for his time in AEW and TNA Wrestling. He was one half of the tag team Proud N Powerful with Ortiz in AEW. Mike sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Hollywood, CA to talk about his decision to ask for his release from AEW, what led to him and Ortiz splitting up, turning down WWE to sign with AEW in 2019, never winning the AEW tag team titles with Proud N Powerful, joining LAX in TNA, going to rehab and being sober for over a year, working with Chris Jericho in The Inner Circle, his future plans as a singles wrestler and much more! Quote I'm thinking about: "People pray for the cake. Then the universe gives them the batter, oil, icing, a pan, an oven and they get frustrated and leave the kitchen. Let that sink in. Sometimes you have everything right in front of you, but how bad do you want it?" Sponsors: PRIZEPICKS: Download the app today and use code INSIGHT for a first deposit match up to $100! BABBEL: Learn a new language and get 50% off your lifetime Babbel subscription at http://babbel.com/cvv MAGIC SPOON: Get $5 off with the code CVV at http://magicspoon.com/cvv RHONE: Upgrade your closet with Rhone and use CVV to save 20% at https://www.rhone.com/CVV ROCKET MONEY: Join Rocket Money today and experience financial freedom: https://rocketmoney.com/cvv BETTERHELP: Get 10% off your first month with the code INSIGHT at http://betterhelp.com/insight MUDWTR: Get 15% off with the code CVV15 at http://mudwtr.com/cvv MYBOOKIE: Bet on WWE! Get up to $200 cash bonus when you use the code CVV and sign up at http://mybookie.ag BLUECHEW: Use the code CVV to get your first month of BlueChew for FREE at http://bluechew.com PLUNGE: Get $150 off your Plunge with the coupon code CVV150 at http://plunge.com BONCHARGE: Go to http://boncharge.com/CVV and use coupon code CVV to save 15% on your BONCHARGE Infrared Sauna Blanket! For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.  Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Chris Van Bleas!

0:05.0

Yeah!

0:06.0

And bleed with Chris Van Fleet.

0:40.4

Well, here we go. Welcome back to another one here on Inside. I'm CBV, Chris Van Fleet. And look, I know you've got a lot of podcast options out there that you could be listening to right now. So thank you

0:45.0

for being here. Thank you as always for making Insight one of the top wrestling podcasts on the

0:50.9

planet. And you know how sometimes you think you've got someone figured out because you've seen

0:56.9

them on TV or you've been following their career for a long time?

1:01.1

Well, if you thought you knew Mike Santana from his time in TNA or AEW, get ready to be

1:08.3

very surprised.

1:10.0

Mike is nothing like the intense character that he played

1:14.1

as part of Proud and Powerful with Ortiz or part of LAX in TNA. This is like a very reflective

1:22.8

conversation about Santana's life and his career up to this point. It also gets pretty emotional at times.

1:30.7

He talks about going to rehab and being sober now for over a year.

1:34.9

What a journey that's been.

1:36.8

He talks about asking for his release from AEW and being granted it at the beginning, beginning

1:42.7

of March of this year.

1:44.2

Talks about what led up to him splitting with his longtime tag team partner Ortiz.

1:50.2

And he talks about what's next for him.

1:52.9

Oh, and why they both decided to sign with A.A.W over WW about five years ago.

2:00.0

It's all very fascinating stuff.

2:01.6

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

2:03.7

Snap a screenshot if you do and tag us so we can share it out.

...

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