Santana and Ortiz: Difference between revisions

|caption = Mike Santana (right) and Ortiz (left) in 2019

|members = Angel Ortiz / '''Ortiz'''<br />Mike Draztik / '''Mike Santana''' / Santana

'''Mike Santana''' (''Mark Sanchez'', born February 4, 1991) and '''Ortiz''' (''Miguel Molina'', born September 27, 1991), sometimes nicknamed''' Proud & Powerful''', are an [[Stateside Puerto Ricans|American-Puerto Rican]] [[professional wrestling]] [[tag team]] currently signed to [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allelitewrestling.com/post/aew-full-gear-recap-november-9-2019-includes-spoilers|title=AEW FULL GEAR Recap November 9, 2019 (**Includes Spoilers**)|author=AEW Staff|publisher=All Elite Wrestling|website=allelitewrestling.com|date=November 9, 2019|access-date=November 9, 2019}}</ref>

In 2017, they were hired by [[Impact Wrestling]], and changed their names to Ortiz and Santana. They joined [[Konnan]] as the members of the stable The [[Latin American Xchange]] (LAX) and became a big part of the promotion's tag team division. During their time in Impact, they were [[List of Impact World Tag Team Champions|four time]] [[Impact World Tag Team Championship|Impact World Tag Team Champions]], holding the record for most combined days as champions, with 662 days and, at one point, the record as the longest reign with 261 days. They also won [[GFW Tag Team Championship]] and unified the title with the Impact Tag Team Championship. Santana and Ortiz left the promotion in 2019 and, soon after, joined the newly created [[All Elite Wrestling]], where they joined [[Chris Jericho]]'s stable [[The Inner Circle (professional wrestling)|The Inner Circle]]. After a dispute in The Inner Circle, they left and teamed up with [[Eddie Kingston]] where they now compete in an ongoing feud against The [[Jericho Appreciation Society]].

On August 31, 2019, at [[AEW All Out|All Out]], Santana and Ortiz debuted as heels for [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW), attacking both [[Lucha Brothers]] ([[Pentagón Jr.]] and [[Fénix (wrestler)|Fénix]]) and [[Nick Jackson (wrestler)|Nick Jackson]] after their tag team ladder match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/08/lax-debuts-at-aew-all-out-659082/|title=LAX Debuts At AEW All Out|date=August 31, 2019|website=Wrestling Inc.}}</ref> On October 2, the inaugural episode of ''[[All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite|Dynamite]]'', they teamed with [[Chris Jericho]] in the main event and defeated [[The Elite (professional wrestling)|The Elite]] ([[Kenny Omega]] and The Young Bucks).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2019/10/02/aew-dynamite-results-oct-2-2019/|title=AEW Dynamite Results - Oct 2, 2019|date=2019-10-02|website=Ringside News {{!}} Wrestling News & WWE News, Rumors & Spoilers|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref> Led by Jericho, they subsequently formed a new faction along with [[Sammy Guevara]] and [[Jake Hager]] called [[The Inner Circle (professional wrestling)|The Inner Circle]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Chris Jericho reveals The Inner Circle|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QG9ucSQC4s|language=en|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref> On the November 18, 2020 episode of ''Dynamite'', Konnan reunited with Santana and Ortiz during an Inner Circle party in Las Vegas.<ref name=konnantnt>{{cite news|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/11/konnan-appears-during-inner-circle-visit-to-las-vegas-on-677085/|title=Konnan Appears During Inner Circle's Visit To Las Vegas On AEW Dynamite|first=Joshua|last=Gagnon|publisher=Wrestling Inc.|date=November 18, 2020|access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> On the February 9, 2022 episode of ''AEW Dynamite'', the Inner Circle had a team meeting that ended with Sammy Guevara throwing his vest and walking out. It was later announced that Jericho and Hager would face Santana and Ortiz in a tag team match the following week, with it being billed as the ''Inner Circle Implodes'' match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone/news/1279534-inner-circle-implosion-no-dq-bout-set-for-2-16-aew-dynamite/amp|title=Inner Circle Implosion, No DQ Bout Set for 2/16 AEW Dynamite|date=10 February 2022}}</ref> On the March 9, 2022 episode of ''Dynamite'', the Inner Circle was disbanded after Jericho and Hager attacked Santana and Ortiz and formed an alliance with [[2point0]] and [[Daniel Garcia (wrestler)|Daniel Garcia]]. On the June 15, 2022 special episode of ''Dynamite'' ''[[Road Rager (2022)|Road Rager]]'', Ortiz would have his head shaved after losing a [[hair vs. hair match]] to Jericho. On the June 29, 2022 at ''[[Blood and Guts (2022)|Blood And Guts]]'', they would compete in the main event, defeating the [[Jericho Appreciation Society|The Jericho Appreciation Society]].