Santana is moving forward on his own.
Santana missed over a year with a torn ACL he suffered at AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts in June 2022. He made his return alongside Ortiz on the August 23 episode of AEW Dynamite, and the duo competed in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW All In.
On the September 8 episode of AEW Rampage, Santana delivered a heated message and made it clear that he would be moving forward on his own.
"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 said.
It's unclear what this means for Ortiz, Santana's former tag team partner. Santana's return marked Ortiz's first appearance on AEW TV in over five months. He competed on the April 6 episode of ROH on HonorClub and lost to Brian Cage.
Ortiz and Santana have not competed in a standard tag team match together since February 2022. They have wrestled in six-man tags, battle royals, and bouts like Anarchy in the Arena, Stadium Stampede, and Blood and Guts.
Santana previously reflected on his road to recovery.. Check out his comments here.
Click here to catch up on our coverage of the September 8 episode of AEW Rampage.
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