Mike Santana Recalls 'Scary' Situation That Unfolded During TNA Sacrifice 2026

It was a harrowing sight at TNA Sacrifice, when the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between Mike Santana and Steve Maclin was cut short after Maclin was seemingly knocked out by an errant Santana kick. Now a few months later, Santana is now speaking about that moment. Appearing on "McGuire on Wrestling," the now former TNA World Heavyweight Champion described his emotions right after the accident, admitting that it was a frightening moment, in large part because of how close he and Maclin are outside of the ring.

"Steve is one of my close friends and it was definitely a scary moment because my...just to pull it back a little bit, we're trained in this sport to protect our opponents, at all costs, right?" Santana said. "That, to me, is number one. So when that happened, you know, I was just like...I just want to make sure my friend is okay, you know? And thankfully he was. 

"But it was definitely scary. Thankfully, we're all pros, right? It was one of those things where you got to think quick. And we all showed why we're in the position that we're in. And like you said, good came out of it, right? And we pivoted, and we did what we had to do, and eventually came right back around to me and Steve, I'm just glad that he's okay, and everything turned out well."

Maclin would recover from the accident and return to the ring nearly two months later, losing to Santana in a rematch. Shortly after, he would request and receive his release from TNA, and is currently competing on the independent circuit. Santana himself may soon have his own decision to make on that front, as his contract with TNA is reportedly set to expire later in the summer, with WWE said to be interested.

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