Add as a preferred source on Google Mike Santana has made his first comments after appearing at the end of the July 21 episode of WWE NXT, held at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Santana emerged right after Tony D’Angelo defeated Naraku in a Street Fight to retain the NXT Championship. To his entrance music, the former TNA World Champion walked through the crowd, climbed onto the barricade, and stared down D’Angelo, closing the show without any physical confrontation.
On his official X account, Santana posted the video of the moment and wrote:
“S**t just got REAL.”
Even though WWE treated this as his official arrival, Santana had already worked in NXT during the partnership between WWE and TNA. On May 27, 2025, he defeated Tavion Heights and challenged Trick Williams for the TNA World Championship. That title match took place the following week, with Williams retaining after interference from AJ Francis and KC Navarro.
Mike Santana shares his first comments after arriving in WWE during last night's NXT:
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) July 22, 2026
"S**t just got REAL." pic.twitter.com/y2skAKaK45
Santana appeared on NXT again on March 31, when he joined OTM and defeated DarkState in New York City. This time, however, he arrived after his run with TNA had already ended.
His final match for TNA came at Slammiversary on June 28, when he lost the TNA World Championship to Nic Nemeth. His contract expired in mid-July, and he was removed from TNA’s official roster page shortly after.
Before the appearance, WrestleVotes reported that WWE wanted Santana on the main roster by the end of 2026. His arrival in front of the current NXT Champion signals that his first move in NXT will be a top rivalry, with a possible shot at the title.