TNA’s ‘Fake News’ Scandal: Mike Santana Controversy Sparks Backlash

John Powell

TNA’s ‘Fake News’ Scandal: Mike Santana Controversy Sparks Backlash

It was all a work.

Wrestling fans and media outlets are waking up today to discover that the news they read last night was planted, phony. Yesterday, news broke that Mike Santana hadn’t attended his meet and greets, possibly was no-showing Turning Point and couldn’t be reached by the company.

Word from several media outlets is that a TNA executive contacted them directly with the false information.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful posted: “The Santana thing is a work. Dunno how else to put it. TNA should have probably just posted that on their Twitter instead of feeding it to media like it was real. That’s a no go for me. First time an official in any company has done that with us.”

He also wrote: “Never, at any point, at any time before this, has an official from WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA, MLW, etc ever sent me knowingly worked or false information that I found out to be so, in order to advance an angle. I know a lot of people think it’s common, it’s not.”

Several other outlets responded with the same sentiment:

Other outlets responded that they were feed the same false information as well.

Kevin from PWI wrote: “We were given the same info, I think word for word, when Santana didn’t make the interview we had scheduled with him this afternoon. If that’s an attempt at a PR/marketing strategy, it’s pretty damn short-sighted…PWI doesn’t deal in “scoops.” It doesn’t make sense—save for the occasional tidbit that comes out in a feature/social media piece—given our publication schedule. All this missed interview is liable to make us do is reconsider the space we’d set aside for the story in question.”

Dr. Chris Featherstone, Ph.D. wrote: “I’m actually surprised that the TNA executive who texted me that info about Santana would do that and feed it to others as legitimate if it was a work all along. Especially, since it created more of an adverse effect than anything. I’ve talked to this same person many, many times on the phone, as well as texts often, but I guess the plan was to try to create buzz for the main event. It worked, because people reported it, but using me in this from the relationship that has been built over the past few years is a bit of a surprise. Oh well. This is pro wrestling we are talking about. Now I know that anything is on the table for a pop. Precisely why I don’t live in this vortex, thank GOD.”

Some fans expressed their disappointment at some outlets reporting the fake news but also that they were genuinely concerned and worried about Santana’s well-being based on his past personal issues.

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