AEW stars going through real-life rift - Reports

A lot has been happening in AEW recently, as we are witnessing new signings, resignations, and factions being broken up. One such split occurred between longtime tag team partners Santana and Ortiz, formerly known as Proud-N-Powerful. The team had great momentum upon entering the company, but that has now halted.

Ortiz recently revealed on The Shining Wizards Podcast that the decision to split was not Tony Khan's but rather Santana's personal choice.

"Unfortunately, it wasn’t the company’s call to split us. Me and Santana just couldn’t get it together personally and he was just very adamant about not working with me anymore," Ortiz shared.

Ortiz felt their on-screen breakup storyline was rushed as it was originally meant to play out over several weeks on AEW programming.

"It was supposed to happen more than once. But due to circumstances out of my control, it just never panned out," Ortiz explained.

Since the split, the 32-year-old is uncertain of his next move as a solo talent. While he loves tag team wrestling, moving forward alone may be necessary.

Fightful Select has reported that, based on what they have heard, Ortiz’s account of Santana being adamant about breaking up was accurate. It remains to be seen if the two stars can repair the relationship, but for now, the Proud-N-Powerful tag team is no more.

With turmoil unfolding behind the scenes, AEW continues to deliver twists and surprises both in and out of the ring.

Ortiz compares AEW's Eddie Kingston with Dusty Rhodes

All Elite Wrestling's Ortiz recently drew comparisons between current Continental Champion Eddie Kingston and legendary wrestler Dusty Rhodes.

Ortiz and Kingston have a history as former tag team partners in IMPACT Wrestling. The two also briefly reunited last year in AEW.

Speaking on The Shining Wizard podcast, Ortiz praised Kingston's authentic promo style and matches.

"I’ve said it to him, he doesn’t like the reference but, he’s almost like our generation’s Dusty Rhodes. He’s the everyday guy, the blue-collar guy. His promos make you believe because it comes from a real place," Ortiz said.

He added that he enjoys Kingston's work both as a friend and fan.

"No matter what, you know it’s coming from a place that’s real and then just him being my friend, on top of me actually just being a fan of his work, it was really awesome man," Ortiz commented. [H/T - Wrestling Headlines]

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Do you think Santana and Ortiz should have won the AEW World Tag Team Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.