Mike Santana Explains New WWE Ring Name, Cruz Montana (WWE News)
WWE chiefs didn't choose Mike Santana's new ringname, he did. It's personal.
WWE repackaged incoming ex-AEW and TNA man Mike Santana as Cruz Montana on the 21 July episode of NXT. There, Cruz confronted brand champ Tony D'Angelo to line up a potential NXT Title clash between the pair for the future, but some following the story are confused that Mike has switched names.
It was his choice.
Montana revealed via X that the Cruz Montana moniker is something he "put together as a tribute to honour [his] late father". As noted on social media, his dad is someone who has always played a part in Mike/Cruz's pro wrestling journey, and that wasn't about to stop now.
Sadly, Montana lost his father 6 years ago. That had a negative impact on the wrestler's life, and he spiralled into some personal addiction issues before fighting back and going sober. Now, he says he's "addicted to greatness" and can't wait to find out what's next for him on WWE's third brand.
It's an inspiring story, and it's lovely that the former 2-time TNA World Champion has been able to kick out of substance abuse problems then make his mark at the top level. Those who haven't been paying much attention to Santana/Montana since his days as part of the AEW scene may be surprised by how razor sharp he is nowadays.
There's a reason why he won Pro Wrestling Illustrated's 'Most Inspirational Wrestler Of The Year' award for 2025, put it that way. Now, Cruz has his eyes firmly trained on tearing the house down on an NXT special with D'Angelo.