Santana of the Inner Circle has been absent from the last couple of episodes of AEW Dynamite Santana posted on Instagram that his step-father recently passed away:

"This year has literally tried to break me in half…It’s like I’ve been hit with every knockout punch life has, but my pride won’t let me go down. I’ve been waiting to wake up from this nightmare since Jan 1st, but truth is, there’s no waking up from life. There’s only taking it on the chin and moving forward. Last week, my family and I suffered another huge loss with the sudden passing of my step father. I can go on forever about what this man meant to my family and I. My respect for him was infinite and I will forever be grateful for the love and admiration he had for all of us, but most of all, the love and respect he had for my mother. As a kid, he’d always encourage me to follow my dreams. He worked his ass off everyday to make sure we always had what we needed. Just the true definition of a working family man. I can never repay you for what you did for us. But I will continue our job of holding down the family and taking care of mom. Thank you for all the memories, lessons, advice, understanding, and love. It’ll be with me forever. Love you, Jose. RIP 🙏🏼

Ps. Thank you to all the family, friends, and peers who have reached out to offer their love and support.

And thank you to the fans who have expressed their concerns but have given my family and I respect/privacy during this time. Thank you."