Summary

Mike Santana said the version of his TNA entrance that takes him through the crowd was a deliberate choice when he returned to the promotion. Speaking in a recent interview, Santana explained that the entrance was meant to echo his original LAX run while also reflecting how he sees his current connection with fans.

Santana said he wanted the walk through the crowd to feel like he was bringing the audience with him all the way to the ring. That presentation has become a familiar part of his current TNA run, which has also included a TNA World Title match with Eddie Edwards at Rebellion.

Quote from Mike Santana

Asked about coming through the crowd for his entrance, Santana told Ropes N Riffs:

"When I came back to TNA, I always said, that’s what I want my entrance to be. One, because it was a throwback to the old LAX days. When I had my first run at TNA, we used to come out through the crowd. We had our own entranceway, and then also- cause everything I do is very deliberate. Everything has a purpose. So I always said with this run that I’m on just in my career in general and what I represent and, and what I’m putting out there, the whole thing is, I’m bringing the fans on this journey and on this ride with me, and I’ve always said that. I think that’s why people have connected with me so much aside from my story and aside from how open I’ve been with a lot of my struggles. But the fact that I literally walk through the crowd and as I’m walking through the crowd, it’s almost like I’m grabbing everyone and putting them on my back and taking them with me to the ring, and that was the thought process of coming up with my entrance, and also there’s nothing like getting the energy from the audience. That energy that they give is why we do what we do. So I always say, you give me your energy. I’m going to give it right back and we’re going to put it together, and boy, oh boy, whoever’s standing across the ring from me, they’re going to get a hell of a ride. So yeah, those are pretty much all the processes and the thought processes of why I do what I do."

How Santana's Entrance Fits His TNA Run

Santana made it clear that the entrance is tied directly to the way he wants this TNA run to be perceived. By linking it to LAX and to his current bond with the crowd, he framed the entrance as part of his identity rather than just a visual flourish.

That matters because Santana is being presented near the top of the card. When a wrestler in that spot emphasizes audience energy and shared momentum, it helps explain why TNA has leaned into that presentation as he moves through the world title picture.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.