This past weekend, we saw some excellent wrestling shows with huge moments. One of those big moments came at NXT Battleground when Trick Williams defeated Joe Hendry to become the new TNA World Champion. While this has been a hotbed issue since it happened, this was the right move for TNA to make with Slammiversary right around the corner. At Slammiversary on July 20th at the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY, Mike Santana is the right one to dethrone Williams for the TNA World Championship and bring the TNA title back to TNA.

The move to put the TNA World Championship on Williams wasn’t too surprising. The partnership between WWE NXT and TNA has been on another level as of late. It took that next step at Battleground. Not only is this a move that will work wonders for TNA and Mike Santana, but it was also the right choice for Williams to win the championship. While many fans feel a certain type of way with the TNA World Championship not being on TNA anymore, Santana is the person to change all of that in what could be one of TNA’s biggest matches and moments in 2025.

Mike Santana Has To Dethrone Trick Williams at TNA Slammiversary

When Mike Santana made his return to TNA, this time, things were certainly different. From the date he returned until now, we’ve seen a much different side of Santana. His run lately is one of the best we’ve seen in a while. We saw what he was capable of as a part of a group for a long time. However, this time we see Santana in all of his glory as a singles star. He’s more than been able to showcase what he can do on his own.

Mike Santana’s return to TNA has been exactly what he needed for that new, fresh start. This has been a real opportunity to showcase to everyone on the national level why he is one of the best stars around today. He can be a great singles star for any company to build around, and thankfully for TNA, he’s there. When he returned, Santana was very vocal about how much he wanted the “top spot” in his first interview back:

“I’m here for the top spot. So, everybody watching, everybody that’s sitting high in their tree, everybody that’s sitting comfortably, take a look at me. I’m gonna be real, I’m gonna say it to you now so that there’s no ‘He said, she said.’ No bullsh*t needs to be spewed, you heard it from the source himself. I’m coming for your f**king spots. I’m coming for your spots. Feast your eyes, you just witnessed the return of the motherf**king realest.” – Mike Santana On Returning To TNA

To say he’s fired up to be back in the company he started with at a national level is an understatement. For years, TNA has been known as a great place for people to come and reinvent themselves. Mike Santana is a perfect candidate for TNA. TNA puts on some of the greatest wrestling shows on the planet, and if you disagree, I challenge you to check out any of Josh Alexander’s matches from the past few years, or even any of Nic Nemeth or The Hardys’ matches in recent memory.

The last time we saw Mike Santana in TNA, he was in one of the greatest TNA tag teams. Fans knew exactly how talented he was, but this run he’s been on has been on a whole other level. A world title run for Santana could be exactly what he needs for his return to TNA to pay off. It should come at Slammiversary in his home state of New York in front of his hometown crowd.

Emanating live from New York, the crowd is going to be even more on fire for Santana than usual. Spoiler alert, regardless of where TNA travels to tour, Santana is one of the most beloved stars on the roster. This can be seen every Thursday when he makes his way through the crowd to the ring. A world title run for Santana could come sooner rather than later. At this point, it should start on July 20th at the UBS Arena.

Mike Santana recently ended a feud with Mustafa Ali. Ali is someone else who got a great fresh start with TNA following his WWE departure. Santana and Ali went to war and did arguably what they do together better than anyone else in this field. This is yet another example of how Santana has shone as a singles star since returning. Whether he’s wrestling Maclin, Moose, or Ali, Santana has shown he has more than what it takes to be the next face of TNA.

Santana is the right choice to win the TNA World Championship from Williams. He embodies what it means to be a TNA star. Santana more than deserves the special moment in front of his hometown. While it may be unfair to Joe Hendry, Santana is the living embodiment of what TNA is and stands for. It remains to be seen what happens, but Santana should be the one to win the TNA World Championship at the biggest TNA show of the year.