Mike Santana is a proud girl dad.
In addition to being a professional wrestler, Mike Santana is also a proud father of a daughter. During a recent interview with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard, Santana opened up about his relationship with his daughter, highlighting his favorite aspects.
“Just maintaining and building that open line of communication, especially the older she gets,” Santana said. “I think it’s very important, especially with girl dads, to maintain that because I feel like when kids get older, they start to push away from their parents a little bit, rebel, and go through different things. But for me, I’ve always did my best to maintain that open line of communication, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be, especially with her. I’ve always included her in the conversation.”
Apart from their open communication, Santana also enjoys seeing his daughter explore the “big” world around her. According to Santana, his daughter is extremely observant, with a curiosity that has led her to some notable realizations.
“A father is so important in a little girl’s life, especially as they grow older to a teenager and adulthood, so I’m thankful,” Santana added.
Ring Name Inspiration
On the topic of family, Mike Santana later revealed that his in-ring name, specifically his surname, derives from that of his grandmother.
“My grandmother’s name is Raquel Santana,” he said. “Me choosing that name was in honor of her because she was the person who got me into wrestling originally as a little kid. She was the one that really got me all my wrestling figures. She took me to all the MSG shows as a kid.”
“She saved my life as a kid,” Santana continued. “Growing up [with] my mom, there was a lot of turmoil, a lot of things going on in my home. On the weekends, I always stayed with my grandmother. She was the one where I was able to be a kid. When I lived at home with my mom, I didn’t have much of a childhood. I’m the oldest of five kids, so I had to help her raise four other children. I wasn’t able to be a kid and do a lot of kid things. But on the weekends, that’s when I got love and affection, and I was able to be a kid and play with wrestling toys.”
In addition to his grandmother, Santana cites inspiration from the 1992 crime-drama film American Me, starring Edward James Olmos. In it, Olmos portrayed Montoya Santana, a Mexican-American mob boss based in the city of Los Angeles.
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