Cruz Montana (Mike Santana) on His Decision To Leave TNA for WWE and How His New WWE Ring Name Being Tribute To His Late Father

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio After Dark podcast featured Cruz Montana, former Mike Santana in TNA, as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Montana’s thoughts about his decision to leave TNA Wrestling for WWE.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. They’ve done so much for me in my career, and loyalty is a big thing for me. Loyalty is everything. During my time there, the company and I grew together. One thing we’re always taught is you do good business, and you always leave a place better than what you found it. I felt like I did exactly that. TNA was somewhere where I felt comfortable. I didn’t want to feel comfortable anymore. I love that place. Genuine love for TNA. That locker room is a special place. I’m very goal-oriented, and I’m trying to grow as much as possible. This is a very nomadic sport. You have to move around. It’s been done since the beginning of time. I’m gonna do what I have to do. I’m going to keep growing. I want to make sure my daughter is set for life and she never has a worry a day in her life. I’m so thankful I’ve been able to do this at a high level for so long and still be a present father.”

Montana also gave his thoughts about how his new “Cruz Montana” ring name in WWE is a tribute to his late father.

“First and foremost, the name, I put it together to honor my father, who passed away. I’ve been very open about how much my father meant to me in my life and how close I’ve held him throughout this journey. My name Mike Santana was in honor of my grandmother, who is the woman who saved my life and introduced me to wrestling. When this opportunity came about, I was like, ‘My name has to mean something.’ That was it, it was to honor my father.

My dad and I, a lot of our relationship revolved around watching movies together. Movies and music is what we bonded on. One of the movies he showed me when I was 10 or 11- a movie I shouldn’t have been watching at that time- I told me, ‘I want to show you this movie because there are a lot of life lessons in this movie that I want you to learn from.’ That movie was Blood In Blood Out. Cruz Candelaria was a character in the movie who was an artist who fell into the grips of addiction. He lost his family and everything. Throughout the movie, he rebuilds himself and starts to flourish as an artist and regains his family. That was one correlation I had to my story. Montana was another character who was the head gang leader in the jail, but he was trying to change the perception of Latinos and preached empowerment. Instead of us selling drugs and killing each other, let’s grow, get out of the jail system, go back to school, and spread positivity. That was another correlation with me trying to show Latino people where I’m from that your dreams can be a reality. That was one of the main components.

Also, Cruz, means cross. One of my boys used to say, ‘For what you’ve done and struggled with, it’s like you’re carrying the cross.’ Montana means mountain, and one thing my daughter tells me is, ‘Papi, you move mountains for what you want.’”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2