An idea was pitched within WWE creative to have Santino Marella appear at Clash in Italy on May 31, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select. No word on whether the pitch went anywhere.
The concept has an obvious storyline logic. Marella made his WWE debut during a live episode of Raw from Milan, Italy, where he was selected from the audience as a fan and proceeded to defeat Umaga for the Intercontinental Championship in his first match. The moment remains one of the most memorable debuts in Raw history.
Despite portraying an Italian stereotype on screen, Marella — whose real name is Anthony Carelli — is actually Canadian, born in Mississauga, Ontario. The Santino Marella character was billed from San Fili, Calabria, Italy.
Marella currently serves as on-screen director of authority in TNA and returned to WWE’s NXT brand in 2025 as part of the partnership between the two promotions. His main WWE career spanned 11 years from 2005 to 2016, during which he won the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship once, and the WWE Tag Team Championship once.
Clash in Italy takes place May 31 at Inalpi Arena in Turin and features Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship, Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi, and Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the Women’s Championship.
The comment has fueled speculation about a possible appearance at the event, though WWE has not officially announced Marella for the show. Clash in Italy marks WWE’s first Premium Live Event in the country and takes place at Inalpi Arena in Turin.
Marella’s WWE and TNA History
Marella debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2007 and remained with the company until 2016. Since his WWE departure, he has been signed with TNA and competed in the promotion’s crossover storyline with NXT.
He recently teamed with Arianna Grace in TNA’s first ever father-daughter tag team match. His Italian heritage and connection to the country make the speculation about a Clash in Italy appearance particularly notable to fans.
Santino Marella has announced that he successfully underwent surgery for sleep apnea, a condition he says has affected him for approximately 30 years.
The TNA Director of Authority shared the news on Instagram, expressing optimism about the long-term benefits while being candid about the immediate discomfort of recovery.
“Sleep apnoea surgery was a success. In a couple weeks I’ll be sleeping properly for the first time in about 30 years,” Marella wrote. “Better recovery, better blood oxygen levels, less brain fog, more energy, less inflammation, and lower cortisol levels to start.”
He acknowledged the procedure has been rough in the short term while remaining upbeat about what lies ahead. “I feel like it’s gonna be a new lease on life. Sucks pretty bad at the moment not gonna lie, but in a few days, I should begin to see the benefits.”
Sleep apnea causes repeated breathing interruptions during sleep, resulting in reduced oxygen levels and consistently poor rest quality. The timing means Marella will miss TNA Rebellion on Saturday in Cleveland. We wish him a speedy recovery.
The WWE NXT Vs. TNA Showdown is in the history books, but this won\’t be the last time fans see Superstars from both brands face off. In the closing moments of Showdown, NXT GM Ava and TNA\’s Director of Authority Santino Marella met to talk business. The pair agreed to a battle royal next week that will feature NXT and TNA talent. The winner will earn a shot at the NXT Women\’s Championship at Halloween Havoc.
This is interesting…
NEXT WEEK, we will have a No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal to determine the next challenger to the NXT Women's Championship at Halloween Havoc, AND the @ThisIsTNA Knockouts Division has been invited to take part! ? pic.twitter.com/DpyRbWL8LN
There\’s no shortage of TNA Knockouts who could seize this opportunity. TNA is home to former WWE talent, including Cassie Lee, Jessie McKay, Lei Ying Lee, Mara Sade, and Steph De Lander. There are also stars who\’ve never signed with WWE who would love to make an impact by winning the battle royal. These include Myla Grace, Harley Hudson, Rosemary, and Jody Threat, among others.
The NXT Women\’s Championship is currently held by Jacy Jayne, who dethroned Stephanie Vaquer in May 2025 in what many at the time called an upset. Shortly after, Jayne made history by winning the TNA Knockouts title, becoming the first wrestler to hold WWE and TNA gold simultaneously. Her reign would end at Heatwave.
Time will tell who earns a shot at Jayne’s title, but whether the challenger comes from WWE NXT or TNA, one woman will walk into Halloween Havoc with a golden opportunity. WWE NXT Halloween Havoc takes place on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
The crossover between TNA Wrestling and WWE is set to continue in a major way, as TNA\’s on-screen Director of Authority, Santino Marella, has announced he will appear on tomorrow night\’s episode of WWE NXT.
In an announcement following the TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view, Santino Marella stated he is heading to the July 22nd episode of WWE NXT in Houston. His stated purpose is to address the fact that two NXT superstars, Trick Williams and Jacy Jayne, are currently in possession of TNA\’s top championships.
The announcement comes after a historic night at TNA Slammiversary on Sunday. In the main event, NXT\’s Trick Williams successfully retained the TNA World Championship in a triple-threat match against Mike Santana and Joe Hendry. In an even more shocking development, NXT Women\’s Champion Jacy Jayne defeated Masha Slamovich in their \”Winner-Take-All\” match to also become the new TNA Knockouts World Champion, making her a dual-brand champion.
Marella\’s appearance is just one part of the TNA fallout scheduled for tomorrow\’s NXT. The new dual-champion, Jacy Jayne, is also set to be confronted by Lash Legend and Jaida Parker. Furthermore, in another major crossover, WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker is scheduled to confront the TNA World Champion, Trick Williams.
TNA Against All Odds could be the final night that Santino Marella serves as Director of Authority should he be on the losing end of a crossover match. During the June 5, episode of TNA iMPACT, Marella announced that he’ll face WWE NXT\’s Robert Stone at Against All Odds.
The winner will assume full control as TNA\’s Director of Authority, a role Marella has served in for the past year. As for the loser, not only will they not be in the Director of Authority role, but they must leave TNA Wrestling.
Stone, who has been appointed to oversee Marella\’s handling of WWE talent in TNA, interrupted Marella with Victoria Crawford by his side. The pair had a tense exchange with both promising victory in this high-stakes encounter.
TNA Against All Odds airs live on Friday, June 6, 2025, from the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. The show will stream on TNA+ at 10 PM ET.
Nic Nemeth may be one of TNA Wrestling\’s biggest names, but the \’Wanted Man\’ has been \’suspended\’ for four weeks after an incident on iMPACT. The drama unfolded on the February 13, 2025, episode of iMPACT after Joe Hendry retained the TNA World Championship against Jake Something. After the match, Nic and Ryan Nemeth arrived with Ryan demanding a title opportunity for his brother.
Things quickly spiraled out of control when Nic accidentally superkicked Jake Something, inadvertently taking out Santino Marella in the process. After the commercial break, TNA shared that Nic Nemeth has been suspended for four weeks due to striking Santino, TNA\’s on-screen Director of Authority.
With Nemeth benched for the time being, it remains to be seen who\’ll fill his place and challenge Joe Hendry for the TNA World Championship next. It also begs the question as to what Nemeth will be like once he is back, as his efforts to have a shot at the gold have been snuffed out for the time being.
Nemeth won the TNA World Championship in July 2024 and held the gold until Hendry dethroned him at Genesis last month. While Hendry is proudly representing TNA, both in and outside of the promotion, fans are eager to see what\’s to come for the former champion after his four-week suspension is up.
Today, January 29, marks the start of the Chinese New Year, which this year is the Year of the Snake. With that in mind, let\’s look back on some of the most iconic legless reptiles from the world of professional wrestling.
Stone Cold Steve Austin (\”The Texas Rattlesnake\”) Known as \”The Texas Rattlesnake,\” Stone Cold Steve Austin proved to be as slippery as the serpent with his \”Don\’t Trust Anybody\” attitude. Despite this, the Texas Rattlesnake would hold tag team gold multiple times, and is one of WWE\’s biggest ever stars.
Jake \”The Snake\” Roberts One of the most iconic wrestlers associated with snakes, Jake Roberts carried a python named Damien to the ring. He was known for his psychological warfare, methodical in-ring style, and devastating DDT finisher. His career would often see him use his pet snake to scare his opponents senseless.
CM Punk’s Anaconda Vice CM Punk’s signature submission move, the Anaconda Vice, is a jiu-jitsu-inspired chokehold that immobilizes opponents. Like the move, the Anaconda is a snake that constricts its prey, reflecting its crushing effectiveness.
Randy Orton (\”The Viper\”) Nicknamed \”The Viper\” due to his cold, calculating in-ring style, Randy Orton remains one of WWE\’s top stars. The elusions to snakes continue in the ring for Orton, who often slithers on the mat before delivering an RKO.
Santino Marella (\”The Cobra\”) Santino Marella often used The Cobra, a comedic yet surprisingly effective finishing move. The move would prove to be even more \’dangerous\’ when the former Intercontinental Champion added a snake-themed sock to his arm.
The Cobra Years before Santino Marella would use the name for his finisher, The Cobra competed in the in the 70s and 80s. Played by George Takano, The Cobra was a two-time (and final) WWF Juniour Heavyweight Champion.
Kobra Moon (Lucha Underground) A dominant female wrestler in Lucha Underground, Kobra Moon was the leader of the Snake Tribe. Her character was portrayed as a cunning and manipulative queen with snake-like agility. Kobra Moon is better known today as former AEW Women\’s World Champion Thunder Rosa.
Arianna Grace has become a popular act as part of WWE NXT, despite a deep-seated resentment toward the industry early in her life. Despite her name, Grace is the daughter of former WWE Superstar Santino Marella who was on the road with the company for years. Speaking to Nikkita Lyons on The Lyon\’s Den, Grace shared her issue with the industry that formed from a young age.
\”I always thought of it as his thing. And I also harbored a little bit of resentment toward the industry when I was little. Because I felt very much like \’Oh, wrestling stole my dad. I don\’t see my dad because he\’s wrestling. I hate wrestling.\’\”
Despite this issue with wrestling, Grace leaped at the opportunity to pursue a career in the ring after her father suggested the idea to her.
\”When he mentioned to me \’Why don\’t you try it?\’ I was like, wow. I could take something that I felt caused me a lot of pain and turn it into something that gives me my life back. And that\’s what we did.\”
Marella\’s days with WWE are far behind him, though the father and daughter have reunited in TNA, where Santino serves as an on-screen authority figure. Grace meanwhile, has served as the liaison between NXT and TNA and oversees the working relationship between the two. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Arianna Grace and her path in the industry she once loathed for taking her father away.
There is a new sheriff in town at Impact Wrestling, and his name is Santno Marella. Yes, the son of a gun who once pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever against the late Umaga. The DOA (Director of Authority) has taken over for Scott D\’Amore, who is recovering from an onscreen attack from Bully Ray. Marella, real name Anthony Carelli, attributes his run with Impact to timing.
“It’s a great company. I’ve been around a couple of times as a guest. I knew it would be an awesome place to work,” Marella explained. “The stars lined up. We’re back, and the fact I get to be Santino is amazing.”
– Santino Marella to SEScoops
The 48-year-old is happy to step in the shoes of one of the most entertaining characters in WWE history. “Instead of being a knock-off, I get to be the genuine article,” he added. “It’s the icing on the cake for sure.”
Santino Open to Wrestling Again
Impact’s parent company Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions was able to secure the trademark for the ring name in December. One that went dormant in 2021. Marella may be helping maintain order on Impact, but he doesn’t rule out having a match or two.
“I don’t know when I will be distributing or administering the first cobra, but it’s always with me,” he added. “…I think I can wrestle a little bit. I’ve got some injuries, so it really just depends on how meticulous I am with my rehab. I have a bad back, so I’ll really need to warm it up. I can’t do it consistently but I can do a match here or there if need be.”
Impact\’s Promising Roster
The veteran is impressed with the talent pool in the company with champ Josh Alexander at the top of the list. He also appreciates the backstage atmosphere.
“A locker room is supposed to be a mix of younger guys and older guys with the older guys helping teach,” Marella said. “If it’s the same education, there is no teaching. It can’t be rookies teaching rookies. In this case, it’s a really nice balance.\”
\”It\’s a fun locker room. There are no locker room cancers. Nobody is complaining. It’s an upbeat locker room, which is what it’s supposed to be because you should be grateful if you’re a wrestler for a living.”
– Santino on the Impact Locker Room
The Canadian certainly has the credentials to be a coach as the founder of the Battle Arts Academy. Even though it’s not a role he was hired for, he’ll give pearls of wisdom. Like how certain moves and motions can contribute to an overall story.
“I always wanted to be some form of developmental,” Marella said. “We’ll talk about that more as I get settled in.”
When asked about his future with Impact, he responds, “I’m here period. As long as they’ll have me.”
Santino\’s Plan for Impact
As far as what we’ll see in this next chapter, Marella looks to bring comic relief. He also wants to bring some structure and consistency to the show. “So many bad guys who think the rules don’t apply to them,” he said. “I’m here to make sure the rules do in fact apply to them.”
Along with his Impact commitments, he’ll also watch proudly while his daughter Bianca looks to pave her own way in the business. “She is going to surpass anything I’ve ever done in the business within the next two years,” Marella predicts. “It’s so fun to watch.”
One member of the family he hopes we don’t see is Marella’s “twin sister” Santina. From the sounds of it, we won’t be seeing “Miss WrestleMania” in the Knockouts division any time soon. “She would do well, but she is very irritating backstage,” Marella said.
By the same token, he feels the future is bright with the company. Marella is happy to be back in the mix.
“I never really left the business,” he said, about his journey. “I just pivoted from entertainer to coach. I guess I was a promoter a little bit to get my students some shows. I did enjoy that. Back onscreen…I’ll be a coach again in a different capacity or a producer down the road. I realized I’m in this business for life. I’ve got a four-year-old who wants to be a wrestler, so I guess I got to stick around now.”
Ex-WWE star Santino Marella has revealed why he made the decision to sign with IMPACT Wrestling recently.
Over the weekend, Marella debuted for IMPACT at their Hard To Kill event, being revealed as the new “Director of Authority” while Scott D’Amore recovers from his attack courtesy of Bully Ray. Shortly after his debut, Marella joined The Dave Van Auken Show to discuss his debut.
Marella was able to debut as the actual Santino Marella character from his WWE days, as WWE didn\’t renew the trademark for the character, allowing IMPACT to pick it up.
“I have two small children—one and four—so I wasn’t really looking to get on the road again. Scott D’Amore is a friend of mine, and we chatted about possibilities a few times, and everything seemed to line up. All of a sudden, I was looking for 2023, not this early, but to kind of get back out there and do something.
\”Scott, as a habit, when he gets former WWE guys, he goes and checks the trademarks. He found that in 2021, WWE did not renew the Santino Marella trademark. Scott jumped on it and IMPACT Wrestling now owns the Santino Marella trademark. So that’s why a lot of people, when I came out and said I was Santino Marella, they were like, ‘Woah, how is he able to use that?’
\”That was almost bigger news than me coming out, being able to use the name. It was fun. Not having to modify the character and just being Santino, something that I am good at and comfortable with, and I can flick a switch and I can be Santino on the drop of a dime. I wasn’t gone long enough to where nobody knows me, but I was gone long enough that it means something. It was a good balance. Timing is everything, and it was the right time.”
Marella admitted that he did have one ask for D’Amore when he signed, and that\’s to do something with his daughter inside the ring once she\’s called up.
“I did talk to Scott in the beginning and said, ‘One of the only things I ask is that when my daughter is able to be called up, I’d like to do something in the ring with her.’ He’s cool with that.” Marella said.
“AEW, I’ve been to a couple of shows backstage, a lot of friends. So many guys I admire or I’ve worked with. WWE, my life is so perfectly balanced right now, I can’t gamble that. To go on the road for 50 weeks a year, even if it’s for one day—the Booker T schedule where I fly in, do commentary, fly home—that’s still every week. I really like this schedule [with IMPACT].”
Marella initially ran with WWE from 2005 to 2016. He won two Intercontinental Titles during that time, as well as a United States Title run, and a Tag Team Title run alongside Vladimir Kozlov. Since his WWE release, Marella has been working sporadically through the independent scene for the past several years.
Santino Marella, a former WWE United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion, is the new Director of Authority in Impact Wrestling.
The former WWE star was announced as the temporary replacement for the injured Scott D\’Amore at the Hard To Kill 2023 pay-per-view on Friday night.
His first piece of business was to restart the Digital Media Championship match between Joe Hendry and Moose after the title was awarded to Moose when he used a low blow and spear to Hendry.
In the early days of TNA Wrestling, Dusty Rhodes was once the director of authority. Now, Santino proudly carries the mantle.
Impact Wrestling, via its parent company of Anthem Sports, recently filed to trademark the name. Anthony Carelli had previously appeared in Impact Wrestling out of character, but now, he is playing the same persona he portrayed for over a decade in WWE.
He was hired by WWE in 2005 and given an opportunity at Ohio Valley Wrestling, one of the company\’s development brands. During a Raw episode from Milan, Italy, he made his debut. He won the Intercontinental Championship in his first match after being chosen as a fan from the audience and defeating Umaga. In the years that followed, he also took part in either a storyline as Santina Marella, Santino\’s twin sister. He left WWE in 2015 after announcing his retirement in 2014. He founded Battle Arts Academy.
Santino Marella was a lovable comedy wrestler (portrayed by Anthony Carelli) who competed for WWE from 2007-2020. A new trademark filing indicates he could be headed to Impact Wrestling in the coming new year.
Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, parent company of Impact, recently secured a trademark for the name Santino Marella. According to the USPTO database, the live trademark was filed on December 19, 2022.
The \’Goods and Services\’ usage description includes:
Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests;
Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer;
Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a a professional wrestler and sports entertainer;
Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality;
Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality;
WWE previously held the Santino Marella trademark, but let it expire in October 2021.
Santino\’s daughter, Bianca Carelli, currently wrestles for WWE\’s NXT brand as Arianna Grace.
Fans of Arianna Grace will have to keep on waiting for the second-generation Superstar, who isn\’t expected to return until the spring of next year.
Grace, real name Bianca Carelli, signed with WWE in February 2022, and received the Grace name in April of this year.
Last month, Grace suffered an injury, which was later reported to be a torn ACL.
Recovery
Grace isn\’t just a WWE Superstar, but is a second-generation Superstar, as she is the daughter of Santino Marella.
Speaking to Fightful, the ex-Intercontinental Champion said that Grace will be sidelined for the remainder of this year, and they are hopeful for a spring return.
Marella added that he is also fine with his daughter not using the Marella name, as he wants her to carve her own path in WWE, without being compared to him.
The Marella surname is actually a tribute to Gorilla Monsoon (Robert James Marella) who worked for decades in wrestling before his passing in 1999.
Santino Marella is excited for his daughter to get back in the ring, but don\’t expect to see the pair in mixed-tag team action.
In the same interview, Santino said that while he remains active in the ring, his days as a wrestler are behind him as far as a career goes.
Marella is open to working as a producer or color commentator but said he wants to raise his children and is worried about the risk of injury.
Santino made his main roster debut in 2007, being pulled from the crowd as a \’fan\’ and defeating then-Intercontinental Champion Umaga, albeit thanks to Bobby Lashley.
There are some wrestlers who go through a public retirement and get to say goodbye to the fans. However, there are many who just disappear from the public eye for a while and then call it a career. Santino Marella is one such star who never had a proper retirement ceremony and he just settled into the life after WWE. Though, according to the former WWE star himself, he is very content with his run with the company.
The former US champion recently had an interview with The A2theK Wrestling Show. Among other things he was asked what led to his retirement from wrestling. Marella revealed that he had a double cervical fusion surgery. Unfortunately, his neck didn\’t heal as expected, leading to the end of his full time wrestling career:
\”It was my neck surgery. So I had my first cervical fusion. I had a double cervical fusion right off the bat. The goal was to come back and then a few months after, they noticed that one of the screws was coming out. Then at the end, at the three-month mark, one screw had completely come out, and one had come halfway out.
So they had to go back in and take out the titanium. I think going back in the second time, kind of messed things up, cutting through the scared tissue. I just never got well enough to a point where I can come back and wrestle on a full-time basis. I can have a match here and there, but to do it properly, on a full time.\”
\’It Was All Good\’: Santino Marella
After not having made any TV appearances since the previous December, the Canadian Star was released from his WWE contract in May 2016. This marked the unofficial end of his full-time career in wrestling. Though Santino Marella is not bitter about how things ended. He explained that while he did try to rehab his neck for a couple years after his surgery, he is content with how his WWE career turned out to be:
\”To be honest, I was kind of over it. I just wanted to come home a little bit. I opened up Battle Arts Academy in 2013. I actually retired in 2016. So, the last two years was me trying to get back in shape. Not physically, my neck and my back, to get back in shape to be able to come back and perform but it just never happened. It was all good.
I had a very full life before WWE and I\’ve had a very full life after WWE. It was a great chapter. Absolutely an incredible chapter. Up until the point that I retired, it was a quarter of my life, right? It\’s funny, It\’s not even my most recent chapter. Next year, 2023 – Battles Arts is having its 10-year anniversary. Then the last four years I have had this new family. That\’s my most recent chapter. So wrestling\’s kind of a few chapters back now.\”
You can check out Santino Marella\’s full interview in the video below:
Santino Marella has seemingly responded to the criticism he has received for booking Marty Scurll.
Marella announced that he booked Scurll for his upcoming Battle Arts promotion show in Toronto on August 13.
The announcement came via a now deleted Tweet on Marella\’s Twitter account. Scurll himself also appeared in the video Marella posted, saying fans will see a side of “The Villain” that they’ve never seen before.
The reason for the backlash over the booking comes from accusations made against Scurll back in 2020. He\’s accused of sleeping with a 16-year-old girl in the UK.
After the accusations, Scurll was essentially black balled from professional wrestling, only appearing sporadically at events, finding it difficult to get bookings.
However, in the wake of the criticism Marella has received from fans online for booking Scurll, he responded momentarily with a Tweet that read, “Everyone deserves a second chance to redeem themselves.”
Santino Marella quickly deleted the Tweet. It remains unclear whether or not he will keep Scurll booked in the wake of the blowback.
Scurll himself has since responded to the accusations with the following statement.
“I am aware that a young woman has bravely come forward with her account of sexual abuse by some members of the wrestling community in the UK 5 years ago, a community I was a part of.
“Although I truly believe that our encounter that evening was consensual, and the fact that the encounter was legal; is almost not the point. I understand that she now views our encounter as part of a bigger problem within the wrestling community.
“What concerns me at this moment is that from what I have been reading, she is a fan of wrestling and was made to feel unsafe within that community. This is not acceptable. I also understand that people have been attacking her on social media, and I implore you to please stop. She has a right to her voice and it is our responsibility to listen.”
Santino Marella is receiving quite a bit of blowback for booking Marty Scurll for his upcoming show.
Marella, real name Anthony Carelli, announced on Twitter that he\’s booking Marty Scurll for his upcoming Battle Arts promotion show in Toronto. The announcement also included a video from Scurll saying that fans will see a side of \”The Villain\” that they\’ve never seen before.
He concluded by saying that \”sh*t gets real\” on August 13. Check out the announcement here below.
Carelli is receiving quite a bit of blowback for booking Scurll for the show given the accusations made against him back in 2020. He\’s accused of having slept with a 16-year-old girl in the UK.
As a result, Scurll has found it difficult to get booked for wrestling shows, slowly making his return to action over the years. He responded to the accusations with the following statement.
\”I am aware that a young woman has bravely come forward with her account of sexual abuse by some members of the wrestling community in the UK 5 years ago, a community I was a part of.
\”Although I truly believe that our encounter that evening was consensual, and the fact that the encounter was legal; is almost not the point. I understand that she now views our encounter as part of a bigger problem within the wrestling community.
\”What concerns me at this moment is that from what I have been reading, she is a fan of wrestling and was made to feel unsafe within that community. This is not acceptable. I also understand that people have been attacking her on social media, and I implore you to please stop. She has a right to her voice and it is our responsibility to listen.\”
The Royal Rumble edition of WWE\’s The Bump featured stars such as Charlotte Flair, Tegan Nox, and Santino Marella talking about the upcoming PPV event among other things.
The episode started with the former WWE star and they opened the discussion with Santino\’s Royal Rumble debut in 2008 at the Madison Square Garden:
“Well, I wouldn’t call that [debut] fortunate, but it was a special moment for me because it was at Madison Square Garden,” said Santino Marella. “I was hoping that I would come out later after everyone was tired.
I looked to the left, and I looked to the right, and all of a sudden, I was in the locker room trying to figure out what happened. That was a quick one. But I was honored to share the ring with these guys.”
During the interview, Marella also shared some exciting news about his personal life and the former United States Champion revealed that his wife is pregnant:
“Because this is called The Bump, my wife upstairs she has a little bump – baby bump. We’re going to have another baby! of course, my daughter Bianca is 25. She’s training to become a professional wrestler.
She is very good. You’re going to see her become a superstar. And my little son Marko, he’s two. And now, we have one more coming!”
Santino Marella entered the 2008 Royal Rumble at #3 after Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Though he didn\’t stay in the bout for very long and the former champion was eliminated from the match in just 25 seconds by the Undertaker.
![\"Santino](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2022/12/santino-marella-1200x675.jpg\")