On this week’s episode of AEW Rampage, Ortiz sent a stern message to his former tag team partner, Santana. Ortiz called out Santana for not being there face-to-face, before threatening to injure him. He said,
“I didn’t think you could surprise me anymore, but yet, here we are. I was supposed to do this eye-to-eye, like a man. Like something you claim to be, a man. Yet, here we are. You said ‘no’ and just went home in protest. Some tough guy you are. I’m right here standing, still standing, and where are you? Here’s the truth. You’re still that sad little kid in the staircase in Avenue D projects crying after a fight that you caused. This tough guy persona that you claim to have, this thug, this gangster is a defense mechanism for that fragile little kid that you are on the inside. Because if you were a man, you’d be standing right here looking me in my eyes and taking this in, but you always run from the truth. You know what makes me sick is that people look up to us. People like us don’t achieve heights like this very often, and when they do, they celebrate. There’s people that look up to you as a role model and an idol, and you spit on them. You spit on me. Because you’re not who you claim to be, and I’m going to expose you. Karma took your one knee. I’m gonna take your other one.”
Notably, the two men had a real-life falling-out shortly after Santana got injured last year. While they are feuding on TV, it is still unknown whether Santana and Ortiz’s personal differences have yet been resolved completely.
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In other news, The Hardy Boyz & Best Friends defeated the Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker and Jake Hager on tonight’s show. In a backstage interview that followed, Danny Garcia claimed that he was doing all of heavy lifting in the match, but Daddy Magic called him out for dancing during the match. Cool Hand Ang calmed everyone down before Garcia and Jake Hager shared a tense stare.