Despite WWE Partnership, TNA Feels Like Itself With Mike Santana As World Champion

NXT stars like Williams, Je'Von Evans, Jacy Jayne, Kelani Jordan, and others have not only crossed over and appeared on TNA television, but many have won company championships and have been the face of the reborn TNA in 2025.

On the flip side, TNA stars expanded their reach as potential draws and crossed over to the more popular NXT television show. Moose, Nic Nemeth, The Hardys, Joe Hendry, and countless others made their presence felt not only in the recent invasion storyline, but with calculated moments designed to get more eyes on the TNA product.

The long game of that strategy was Santana and TNA paid it off last night at Bound For Glory.

Mike Santana Feels Right As The TNA World Champion

Mike Santana feels like a TNA World Champion. Santana is a guy that diehard wrestling fans know and has a journey that could make even the coldest fan shed a tear of joy. He's overcome a lot and been cast off from major companies like WWE and AEW. Still, his connection with wrestling fans buoyed his relevancy. That's TNA.

Santana is authentic. When he's on television in the smaller TNA or NXT buildings, he shines because of that fan connection. He delivered and got as popular as he's ever been with WWE, hoisting TNA up higher than it ordinarily would be.

TNA won't have a transformative star at the top of their roster who draws in millions of viewers each week. That man or woman may be born in TNA, but will be gobbled up by companies like WWE and AEW before that transformative turn takes place.

Joe Hendry is a good example of that reality. Hendry was the face of TNA for a few years during his rise to prominence, but then was commandeered by WWE, who obviously loved his audience reactions, social following, and gimmicked up character.

Santana isn't like Hendry. His fan connection is more profound and harder to spot because it's not surface-level like the singing of an entrance song. That makes him a great company champion. A talent that fans love, but love so intricately that it's not overt and therefore stolen by the bullies at the top of the industry.

Christian Cage fit that same profile when he first arrived in TNA. Like Santana, he started off in the pro wrestling world as a signature member of a tag team. Drew McIntyre fit similarly. Same thing with Bobby Lashley, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and even Bully Ray.

Trick Williams as TNA World Champion in the men's division, Kelani Jordan as TNA Knockouts Champion and Jacy Jayne as champion in the women's division, and heck, The Hardys as TNA and NXT Tag Team Champions are stops on a journey to get that old TNA feel jolted back into the wrestling fanbase on a bigger than usual scale. Otherwise, it feels weird.

Mike Santana doesn't.