Mike Santana is now Cruz Montana, and by his own account the name came from him rather than from WWE.
The former TNA World Champion confirmed the change on Monday, then explained where it came from. Writing on X, he said he put the name together as “a tribute to honor my late father,” someone he has kept close to his career throughout.
He said losing his father six years ago sent him into a spiral he eventually rose from, and that the man who came out the other side is “ADDICTED TO GREATNESS.” The post ran alongside two new promotional photos, and his account now displays the name Cruz MONTANA.
Earlier in the day he posted a video teasing his first promo on the brand. He said his silent arrival last week spoke for itself, and that viewers will finally “get to hear what Cruz Montana has to say” on Tuesday, July 28.
The Trademark That Started It
WWE filed a trademark application for Cruz Montana with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 24, three days after Santana turned up on NXT. The application covers entertainment services tied to wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler.
Reaction to that filing skewed negative across the weekend, with plenty of fans reading it as WWE pulling an established name off an established star. His explanation cuts against that reading, since he says the name is his own construction.
How Santana Got Here
Santana arrived on NXT on July 21, emerging through the crowd at the WWE Performance Center to stare down NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo moments after D’Angelo retained the title against Naraku in a Street Fight. He never spoke, and commentary pointedly avoided using his name.
He posted a short message on social media the following day without touching the name question. His TNA contract expired on July 15, weeks after he dropped the TNA World Championship to Nic Nemeth at Slammiversary.
He leaves TNA as a two-time World Champion. Before that run he spent time in AEW, exiting the company in 2024, and he first signed with TNA in 2017 as one half of a tag team with Ortiz.
NXT airs Tuesday nights on The CW.
