Santino Marella recently shed some light on his release from WWE back in May. In an interview with the Jordan Garber NOW Podcast, Marella revealed the circumstances of his departure from the company.
“The contract just ran out, and they just opted not to renew it,” he said. Santino says the split wasn’t negative at all, and his experience was “amazing.”
The former Intercontinental Champion also sang the praises of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Marella says he “loves” Vince, and that the second-generation promoter was a mentor to him.
“Vince is the man, he doesn’t even know how much of a mentor he is to me,” he said. “When I watch him work and the hustles he has it’s unparalleled it’s amazing. He’s just the man”
Santino also talked about getting his comedy gimmick as a result of the WWE creative team losing faith in his original gimmick. He says when they turned him heel, more personality came out of him and Vince “loved it.”
You can listen to the entire podcast with Santino here.
– ECW Originals Joel Gertner, Tommy Dreamer and Taz are among those interviewed for WWE’s “OMG! ECW’s Top 50 Craziest Moments” DVD and Blu-ray that releases on 11/15.
– Paul Heyman will be releasing a new Brock Lesnar UFC 200 interview tonight. He tweeted the following teaser:
– Santino Marella is featured in The Huffington Post’s newest Uber Experiment video, seen below. The former WWE IC Champion talks about his wrestling career, family and more:
– The WWE Cruiserweight Classic tapings were previously announced for the week of June 20 at Full Sail University but F4Wonline.com reports there may be changes made to the tapings schedule. We will keep you updated on any changes.
– Santino Marella tweeted these comments on his WWE career following his release from the company:
This August would've been 10 years with #WWE, not bad for a guy who had his first match at age 29, it took me 3 HARD yrs to get there
As noted, two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella was released on Friday. Marella took to Twitter to comment on WWE releasing him, writing that his next chapter “shall be even greater.”
Worry not my friends for the next chapter shall be even greater! It was a dream come true, thank you #WWE
Marella signed with WWE in 2005, and started on the main roster in 2007. During his time with the company, he also held the United States Championship and the Tag Team Championship with Vladimir Kozlov. Marella retired from in-ring action in 2014 after suffering his third neck injury.
Santino made several appearances for WWE after announcing his retirement. Most recently, he presented a Slammy Award in December, then worked an angle with The Ascension ruining his Christmas party the next night on SmackDown with Neville and Titus O’Neil coming to his aid.
– It looks like popular indy tag team The Mighty Don’t Kneel (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) may be headed to NXT. The team is scheduled to return to Pro Wrestling NOAH next month.
TMDK gave a farewell a few months back and were expected to join WWE shortly thereafter, but the the Wrestling Observer notes that their next set of shows is when they will finish up.
The team attended a WWE tryout last summer and were offered contracts. At the time they were reportedly waiting for visa paperwork to process and medical testing to be done.
– Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella recently filmed pilot episode for his Battle Arts Professional Wrestling promotion based out of Canada. He noted that they have a weekly TV show airing soon on a local Rogers cable affiliate in Mississauga, Ontario, and that product is a lot better looking than what we see in this pilot.
Posted February 28th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: Santino.
– On Monday’s RAW, Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger challenged Rusev to a match at Battleground, so it looks like that match will be taking place at the pay-per-view.
– Recently retired WWE Superstar Santino was backstage at Monday night’s RAW in Montreal.
– WWE returns to the Bell Centre in Montreal on October 17th for a live event. Tickets are now on sale.
– Here are this week’s RAW fallout videos, featuring backstage interviews with The Usos Bret Hart and Chris Jericho.
The Usos and referee Dan Engler speak about the confusion that happened during Jimmy & Jey’s match against The Wyatt Family.
As previously reported, Santino Marella announced his retirement from WWE at Sunday night’s live event from Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday night.
After suffering a third neck injury, there had been talk that Santino would soon be ending his run as an active WWE Superstar.
He stated in a recent interview that he hopes to stay with WWE as an on-air character, possibly hosting a show on the WWE Network, being an authority figure or possibly being an analyst on WWE’s kickoff shows.
Here’s the video of Santino’s retirement announcement:
WWE Superstar Santino spoke to Newsday.com this week to promote WWE’s anti-bullying campaign and revealed that his in-ring career is “definitely winding down” –
“I realize I’m one of the older guys in the locker room, and I’m 5-foot-10. These young bucks are 27 years old and 250 pounds,” said Marella. That way I’d be able to stay on the program and entertain people and be an even bigger part of the show . . . I’m definitely winding down.”
He added that after he retires from the ring, he wants to continue being a part of WWE, including hosting a talk show on the WWE Network or being an authority figure on RAW or SmackDown. When asked about his career highlights, Santino mentioned the 2011 Royal Rumble, when he was the last man eliminated, and almost winning the World Heavyweight Championship at last year’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. What makes those moments so special to him is his connection with the fans.
“I always had a special relationship with the fans because I came from the audience, and we’ve shared a lot of laughter together. So it’s not like they put me on a pedestal. They believe I’m one of them. So instead of fans and a role model, it’s more like we’re friends. So to have one of your friends come that close to becoming world heavyweight champion, it was exciting.”
Despite never being a serious main event competitor and WWE’s recent talent releases, Santino feels that his job is secure because he’s such a versatile character.
“The guys who were released maybe were not as flexible. They couldn’t fit into everywhere. I’m versatile. I can do anything. I can sing, dance. I can do it all,” Marella said. “I can stay here for another 20 years.”
At first glance, Alexander Rusev seems like a rehash of a character WWE fans have seen countless times: the monster foreign superstar who feasts on unworthy foes while being accompanied by a manager who serves as his mouthpiece.
Some have contended that the character is so unoriginal that it was completely lifted from a Rocky movie of all places, as he has drawn comparisons to Rocky IV villain Ivan Drago and his wife Ludmilla.
Despite the fact that many believe he is a recycled, cliché character, Rusev has managed to make his way through the WWE’s NXT division and to the main roster in a relatively short amount of time.
Rusev has been booked as a monster, but do fans actually view him as one?
Since making his debut on the main roster, Rusev made a brief appearance in this year’s Royal Rumble and has been feasting on jobbers ever since. Unlike some of his critics, I believe that Rusev can be successful at the main level, but only if he is booked differently from similar heels in the past.
In recent years, the WWE has chosen to rely upon the tried-and-true formula of debuting a monster heel and serving him a hearty portion of heels (see Ryback for example). They expect that if the heel is shoved down fans’ throats long enough by competing in squash matches, they will eventually realize his dominance and he will be over in no time.
It appears they are attempting to take the same course of action with Rusev, as he has competed against only jobbers and will face R-Truth and Xavier Woods in a handicap match at Extreme Rules. Hell, they even threw Rusev into the coalition of jobbers that worked to beat down the Shield during the 11-on-3 handicap match a few weeks back on Raw.
Here are some off-air live notes from Monday’s WWE RAW, as reported by the WWE website:
– Santino Marella spoke to WWE.com following his surprise return on RAW from Toronto, where he defeated Antonio Cesaro. During the match, Santino used a Judo throw on Cesaro, which he credited to Yuki Ishikawa – the co-founder of his new BattleArts academy.
– After getting beat down by The Shield on RAW, Christian was checked out by a trainer backstage. Christian’s neck and shoulder were in pain.
– After Goldust was defeated by WWE Champion Randy Orton, he was escorted to the back by WWE referees and was cheered by the live crowd.
– Brodus Clay and Natalya will be hosting the first WrestleMania Reading Challenge of the year later today in Texas.
– Santino Marella suffered a neck injury at Friday night’s WWE live event from Austin, Texas. He’s been taken off the road while docdtors evaluate the extent of the injury. Jamie Noble filled in for Santino on Saturday night, wrestling Tensai.
– NXT is getting a lot of focus in WWE lately, especially with Triple H now overseeing things. There is a feeling that developmental system is currently very strong, which bodes well for the future of WWE and the flow of talent getting called up to the main roster for years to come.
– Speaking of NXT, Bo Dallas worked another match at last night’s WWE live event from Tyler, Texas. Dallas teamed with Justin Gabriel and Yoshi Tatsu to defeat 3MB. Dallas has been getting great reviews for his ring work and he’s seen as one of the most promising developmental wrestlers.
– Friday’s Trendrr.tv social media score was 84,001, down about 3.5% from the week before but still #1 on cable for the night. This is the fifth week in six weeks that SmackDown was #1.
– Meanwhile, Syfy’s Haven, which featured Edge, ranked in the top 4 with a 27,094 in social media activity.
– Here is this week’s episode of Santino’s Foreign Exchange, which features Johnny Curtis auditioning against Yoshi Tatsu to be Santino’s “international correspondent”. Curtis auditions with a VHS sizzle reel with a cameo by Kaitlyn. Santino has asked the fans to vote on who gets to be his correspondent.
– World Heavyweight champion Sheamus retained his title in controversial fashion at WWE SummerSlam. After hitting Alberto Del Rio in the head with Ricardo Rodriguez’ shoe, Sheamus pinned Del Rio 1-2-3. Del Rio had his foot on the ropes – but the referee didn’t see it and Sheamus was awarded the victory.
Del Rio has now filed a formal complaint with SmackDown General Manager Booker T. The WWE website spoke with referee Mike Chioda and he admitted the mistake. Booker T will address the situation on Friday’s SmackDown, which will likely lead to a rematch.
– Santino Marella tweeted the following message after losing the WWE United States title to Antonio Cesaro at SummerSlam:
Simple put, I let my fans down, I'm sorry and need to digest what happened before I figure out what I do next
– WWE caught up with the Big Show after he came up short in the Triple Threat match for the WWE championship at SummerSlam. Big Show said it was unfair that CM Punk and John Cena double teamed him and says he wants a singles match for the WWE title.
– Next year’s WWE SummerSlam will once again take place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. There was a lot of talk at WWE headquarters on Friday that Madison Square Garden could host the event, but the ongoing renovations that prevented NYC from hosting the show this year will be continuing through next summer.
– John Cena tweeted that he’s going to reveal details of his nutrition and supplement routine soon:
Im often asked about nutrition and how I use supplements, it is very basic and i will have some specific info for you guys soon….
– The latest episode of Santino’s Foreign Exchange is now online.
Santino Marella is nervous — really nervous — about going on a blind date, so he turns to his fellow Superstars for advice. Hear what Johnny Curtis, Brodus Clay and Damien Sandow have to say to the Cobra in this edition of “Santino’s Foreign Exchange.” Plus, check back next week to see how his date went!
– During a recent interview with the Phoenix New Times, TNA star Rob Van Dam compared WWE to TNA:
“In Total Nonstop Action, individual wrestlers have a lot more freedom to artistically express themselves versus WWE. When we have our matches, they are known to be more athletic, more competitive in nature, and that’s what wrestling fans really appreciate. And the fact there’s more of a focus on wrestling in Total Nonstop Action over the other major company on TV. Whereas WWE has been known to feature more of the 400-pound giants that aren’t necessarily going to (perform) quite as impressively.”
– WWE United States champion Santino Marella is back with Episode 26 of his Foreign Exchange Youtube show:
– Here’s John Cena’s latest Tout, promoting his appearance in the kids movie “Fred 3,” which airs tonight on Nickelodeon:
– The latest episode of Backstage Fallout has been posted, featuring a look at Zack Ryder’s performance as guest GM on Smackdown, Dolph Ziggler, Tyler Reks and more:
– Santino Marella is back with Santino’s Foreign Exchange, with the US Champion asking various WWE Superstars and Divas about how they spent their 4th of July:
– The AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas is advertising that Brock Lesnar will appear at the August 6th RAW Supershow from the city.
The event is being promoted as “Shawn Michaels Appreciation Night” – so don’t be surprised to see WWE put heel heat on Lesnar headed into SummerSlam by having him attack Michaels, the hometown hero & longtime friend of his SummerSlam opponent.
– WWE.com has an article up comparing RAW’s 1,000 episodes to other popular shows, such as The Simpsons, Law and Order, Seinfeld, Friends, Lost, Roseanne and more. The article states, “Granted, not all of these shows ran close to 1,000 episodes, and some of them have long since ended, but each carved out its own place in the annals of TV lore.”
– On the latest episode of Santino’s Foreign Exchange:
“Santino goes all Kung Fu this week as he must fight for the honor of WWE Diva Kaitlyn. Also, the beard is back, baby!”
— The South Wales Evening Post has an article up stating that Welsh wrestler Stevie Starr has been offered a WWE development contract and will be moving to Florida, pending his medical physicals.
– WWE’s upcoming No Way Out pay-per-view will be called “No Escape” in Germany next month because Germany already ran a “No Way Out” pay-per-view earlier this year. February’s Elimination Chamber PPV was marketed as “No Way Out” in Germany due to restrictions on the “chamber” name due to national history (World War 2).
– The new episode of “Santino’s Foreign Exchange” features the one and only Santino heading backstage before a show as he “stalks … err, follows his fellow Superstars to see what they do in their spare time.”
— With the recent announcement that WWE RAW Supershow will be expanding to 3-hours starting July 23rd, there are a lot of people within WWE who are dreading the change. Aside from the logistical issues that come into play when taping RAW on the West coast (ie. RAW would begin taping at 4:30pm local time on a work day) – there is the looming risk of burning everybody out – writers, wrestlers and fans.
Some people in WWE think RAW will be back to 2-hours before the end of the year, with the possibility of the first hour eventually being moved to the WWE Network as a 1-hour pre-show.
— Matt Striker acted as the ring announcer at last night’s RAW live event in South Carolina. Announcer Justin Roberts was at home in Arizona and is headed to Raleigh, North Carolina for Over the Limit and this week’s RAW and SmackDown tapings.
— Albero Del Rio’s personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez is featured in the latest episode of Santino Marella’s Foreign Exchange, which you can check out below:
– WWE United States Champion Santino Marella wrote on Twitter that he’s been working with a sore back.
– Alberto Del Rio, replacing the the suspended Rey Mysterio, is currently in Tokyo, Japan doing promotional work for WWE. Del Rio will be attending a baseball Hanshin Tigers baseball game on Saturday in Shibuya, Japan and will be shooting t-shirts into the crowd. Later in the day, he’ll have an autograph signing at the Tower Records in Shibuya.
– The WWE Youtube channel has posted the following video looking at the most devastating slaps in WWE history:
– Here’s this week’s SmackDown “Backstage Fallout” video [sort of] featuring interviews with Damien Sandow, A.J. Lee and Intercontinental champion, Cody Rhodes:
This week’s episode of Santino’s “Foreign Exchange features Santino attempting to audition for other TV shows, including Man vs. Food and Ghost Hunters:
– WWE is still in the early stages of deciding who Brock Lesnar will fight at WrestleMania 29, with The Rock, The Undertaker and Steve Austin all under consideration. WrestleMania 29 will be the final match on Lesnar’s 1-year contract.
– WWE Superstar Percy Watson has changed his Twitter handle to @WWEPercyWatson. His account was hacked earlier this week.
– On Friday’s SmackDown, Hornswoggle was paired with Brodus Clay as his new comedic sidekick. There had been talk of pairing Hornswoggle with Santino Marella, but those plans were apparently scrapped.
– Mick Foley will be going on the road with WWE in a few weeks and will serve as the special guest referee for the main events of several upcoming live events.With Dean Ambrose also on the road with WWE recently, expect to see more between Foley and Ambrose.
– WWE Champion CM Punk will be appearing at the Chicago Cubs baseball game on May 8th. Punk will be singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch.
– WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper tweeted the about his experience on WWE Legends House:
“Legend House was hard! Don’t know when it will air. Don’t know how it will be excepted! New ground. I love doing Original Stuff.”
Piper and his wife will be featured on the Biography Channel’s “Celebrity House Hunters” this coming Thursday night at 10pm EST.
– Here is the latest episode of Santino Marella’s Foreign Exchange featuring his special guests, R-Truth and .. Little Jimmy:
– As we saw on RAW, WWE has licensed the Metallica song “The Memory Remains” to hype the The Undertaker and Triple H match at WrestleMania 28.
– Speaking of the Hell in a Cell match at Wrestlemania, there is a lot of speculation about how WWE is going to set up the structure, considering there is no roof on the stadium to hang the massive cage from. Jim Ross Tweeted the following about how WWE will make it happen:
“One can assume WWE is going to erect a massive structure outdoors at WM28 to not only hang the ring lighting but also the Hell in a Cell.”
– Santino Marella recently thanked the fans for supporting him as of late:
“I just want to say grazie to all the fans of late, it’s amazing what u can accomplish with the supports and couragement”
According to a WWE source, Santino’s recent “underdog” push is actually inspired by NBA breakout star Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks.
– WWE’s YouTube channel has posted the latest “Backstage Fallout” video, featuring post-RAW backstage interviews with R-Truth and Kofi Kingston, David Otunga, and Santino Marella.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in it entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Orton’s Elimination Chamber Replacement: “Saw on WWE.com where Santino was replacing Orton in the Smackdown elimination chamber bout. That’s a jaw dropper.”
Divas Division Picking Up Steam: “It seems as if the Diva division in WWE is slow beginning to be more significant. Beth Phoenix is evolving into an intriguing character while Tamina has been evolving steadily. Of course, folks are clamoring for a Kharma vs Phoenix match which will likely happen some day. Kharma only gave birth to her son on New Year’s Eve so her coming back full time is likely still a ways away.”
Undertaker Cuting His Hair: “Why did Taker cut his hair? Beats the hell of of me but I’m sure that matter will be addressed when the time comes. Until then, I, like many of you, will stay tuned. I’ve never gotten so many questions on one topic on Twitter as I have regarding Undertaker’s hair. Wow.”
American Badass Returning: “Is Taker coming back as the American BadAss character? I honestly do not know. I enjoy knowing less, enjoyng the TV shows more, and seeing how things organically play out. I don’t have the desire to know every detail of what’s going on in advance of it happening as do some.”