Add as a preferred source on Google Mike Santana made a surprise appearance on the July 21 episode of NXT, sending a clear signal about what should be his first big goal in WWE now that his run with TNA has come to an end.
Santana walked out through the crowd immediately after Tony D’Angelo defeated Naraku in a Street Fight to retain the NXT Championship.
The appearance had already been teased earlier in the night, when a mysterious vehicle showed up at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, shortly before the main event. The identity of the person inside wasn’t revealed at the time.
It wasn’t Santana’s first time on NXT, but the circumstances are different now. His previous appearances came while he was still with TNA, including a match against Trick Williams for the TNA World Championship in June 2025 and a win alongside OTM at Madison Square Garden this past March.
Santana’s run with TNA ended when he dropped the TNA World Championship to Nic Nemeth at Slammiversary on June 28. His contract expired in mid-July, and he was removed from the promotion’s official roster page a few days later.
Before tonight’s show, reports indicated WWE hoped to add Santana to its programming before the end of summer, with plans to move him up to the main roster by the end of 2026.
The terms of his new deal aren’t known yet, but that’s expected to be confirmed soon.