Mike Santana has plenty of experience cutting “promos” in his life.
TNA’s Mike Santana recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about the art of trash talking in promos. Santana credits growing up in New York City for those skills, noting how cutthroat it could be, even as a kid in school.
“Growing up in New York City, especially in the public school system, you better come correct when it comes to smack talking,” Santana explained. “Because that that was one of the biggest things we did in the lunchroom. We would all be at the table in a circle and we all just popping jokes on each other. It wasn’t just mom jokes. We were coming at each other’s throats. So I had my fair share of experience when it comes to that.”
“I’ve been able to do both”
Santana knows he can talk with the best of them (and appreciate a good diss about his opponents when they come up). However, he also knows he has to back that up — and he can.
“In general, growing up in the street, you could talk all the smack you want, but are you going to be able to back it up? That’s one of one, I’ve been able to do both,” he said. “I can talk my sh*t and I could back it up too. I’ve always channeled a lot of realism into everything that I’ve done in wrestling. And for me, Mike Santana is who I am turned up to 11. Also, the person that I used to be when I was younger, it took a lot for me to cage that person up.
“Wrestling allows me to unlock those chains a little bit sometimes without having to get in trouble too much,” he added. “But yeah, man, the smack talk, it’s a little NYC education there.”
Watch our full interview with Mike Santana below:
