Earlier today, reports spread that Mike Santana was missing from TNA Turning Point and hadnt returned messages from company officials. Now, theres a new twistbecause that might all be part of the plan.
According to Sean Ross Sapp, TNA is leaning into the real fan backlash after Santana dropped the TNA World Championship to Frankie Kazarian. Instead of avoiding the controversy, the company is reportedly spinning it into a storyline, claiming Santana didnt show up and that no one has heard from him.
This comes it was initially reported Santana missed call time at Full Sail Live, which was set for 1 PM Eastern. By 2 PM, he still hadnt arrived. More red flags were raised when Santana didnt attend his scheduled meet-and-greet after last nights episode of iMPACT, just hours after losing his title.
The confusion and silence led to speculation that Santana was legitimately no-showing the event, but it now appears that this may be part of TNAs effort to blend reality and fiction. The company has not issued an official comment, but word going around is that the absence is being used to fuel storyline developments moving forward.
If this is all part of TNAs playbook, it wouldnt be the first time a wrestling promotion used real-life backlash to drive a new narrative. Santanas promo on iMPACT after winning the title made it clear he was embracing the pressureand now, his absence may be used to amplify it even more.
Do you think this is a smart way for TNA to react to fan backlash? Or is it risky to blur the line between real issues and storyline? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think.
