"It's me against me" - AEW's Santana on his aspirations after clinching his first world title

AEW’s Santana became the first-ever LAWE World Heavyweight Champion in Puerto Rico this past weekend and opened up on what he seeks from the future.

Santana's rise to glory has commenced with brand new gold on his shoulder. He captured his maiden world title after defeating Puerto Rico’s notable stars Pedro Portillo III and Mike Mendoza in a grueling match this weekend in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

After the match, Santana sat down with Michael Morales Torres from Lucha Libre Online, where he passionately reflected on his outlook for the foreseeable future and how he perceives his wrestling aspirations to unfold. Here's what he had to say:

“I’m at a point in my life, especially after my dad passed away, that I just want to challenge myself. I want to continue growing as a performer, as a man. I’m seeking growth. This is the first step. I just want to continue challenging myself. I’ve never been a person that had to prove anything to anyone." [04:17-04:51]

The former Inner Circle member went on to state that he wants to compete with himself and see where his career takes him in the coming years:

"It’s me against me. It’s never me against anybody else. I compete with myself. That’s where I’m at now. I’m 31 years old. I’m young. I still got a full career ahead of me. I’m just looking forward to see where things go." [04:52-05:14]

You can check out the full interview from Lucha Libre Online below.

Santana on his family's support and what it means to him

LAWE's inaugural championship is a nice feather in Santana's cap, who will henceforth not only be recognised as a tag-team competitor. Though he still wrestles alongside his longtime partner Ortiz, the future has opened wide for the 31-year old in singles competition as well.

Speaking with Michael Morales Torres, the AEW star further opened up on claiming his hard-earned title and what it means to someone from his humble background:

"It hasn't been an easy road. I am just thankful that my family has supported me since day one. I have been away from home a lot. They are the reason why I am here. It's not everyday that a poor Puerto Rican kid gets to live out his dream and represet you know. The fact that I got to this point...Thank you." [05:44-06:38]

After being associated with The Inner Circle for a long time, Santana and Ortiz are set to team up with The Blackpool Combat Club in a clash with The Jericho Appreciation Society at AEW Double or Nothing on May 29th.

Please credit Lucha Libre Online and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.