Summary

Mike Santana had nothing but praise for AJ Styles when discussing the possibility of sharing the ring with him.

Santana said a match with Styles would have been an honor, but he also made clear he is at peace with the idea that it may never happen. Earlier this year, Styles retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther at the Royal Rumble, which ended the possibility of several dream matches that had been discussed by fans and wrestlers alike.

What Mike Santana said about AJ Styles

While speaking on The Humble Roses podcast, Santana said Styles left behind a career that speaks for itself:

Quote from Mike Santana

"That’d be amazing man. When people say dream matches, not all dreams come true right? So they’re called dream matches for a reason. If it happens, great. I’d be honored. If it doesn’t, great. Because he left me, this business and so many others something to truly be inspired by. He left a body of work that will never be duplicated again, and for him to say that he’s one of the very few in this business who inspired a generation, what more can you ask for right? So yeah, if it happens, great, if it doesn’t, great! At least I got to share a moment with him and he got to legit like pass a torch over to me. So that felt good and I’m okay with that."

What this means for Mike Santana and AJ Styles' legacy

AJ Styles' retirement closed the door on a possible Santana singles match, and Santana's comments framed that missed opportunity as inspiration rather than frustration. The key point in his remarks was not disappointment, it was the standard Styles set for the wrestlers who followed him.

That matters for Santana's own place in TNA as well. With Santana already moving toward bigger spots, including his TNA World Title match at Rebellion against Eddie Edwards, his comments read like the perspective of a wrestler thinking about the kind of legacy he wants to leave behind.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.