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. 

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.

Quotes via WrestleZone

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.

The Announcement

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.  

Impact Wrestling will hold a set of TV tapings on Saturday night that will feature the fallout from this show. 

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.

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Santino

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.”

• Santino Marella Speaks On His Release From WWE & A Possible Return

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 Marella participated in a 25-woman battle royale at WrestleMania XXV, dressed in drag as “Santina Marella” which was allegedly Santino’s twin sister. Santina went on to win the battle royal and was crowned “Miss WrestleMania”. Santina would then defend the Miss WrestleMania title for a few weeks until she was “fired” by Donald Trump on Raw.

Santino spoke to Chris Van Vliet for an interview and discussed the Santina character and revealed many interesting tidbits about it. Santino says that he was proud of playing the character. His friends and family were skeptical at first and said that there was no coming back from dressing up as a woman, but Santino thinks Santina was his best work in terms of acting.

Marella revealed that he was initially told that Santina was going to be a one-off thing, and he agreed to do it thinking it would be a funny and memorable WrestleMania moment. But after Santina’s WrestleMania appearance, Vince McMahon wanted to see more of her and Santino took the ball and ran with it.

“Well, when I was first told, I was kind of told that it would be a one-off thing. So I was like, ‘Okay, it’s gonna be funny, it’s gonna be a memorable moment. It’s a WrestleMania moment. [laughs] Probably my most significant WrestleMania moment ever, actually. And then the following week, ‘Vince wants the Santina thing again,’ and [the week after] ‘Vince wants the Santina thing again.’ Like, ‘Oh, man.’ But you know what? My philosophy has been, you give me lemons, and I’m gonna make lemonade.”

Quotes used in article transcribed by 411mania.com

Santino Marella made his WWE debut in Italy and won the Intercontinental championship that very same night. During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Santino (who is from just outside Toronto, ON, Canada) says WWE’s creative team called him when he was working in OVW and asked him if he could speak Italian. Santino recalled telling WWE he could speak the language, even though that wasn’t necessarily the truth.

“I get a phone call and it was Mike Bucci, who was Nova with ECW and he knew that my background – my Dad’s from Italy and Anthony Carelli is my real name – and he just called to see if I could speak Italian,” Santino said during the show.

Santino would continue to say he didn’t speak Italian at the time but did have a cassette tape of “Tourist Italian” that helped him repeat enough Italian that it convinced WWE’s creative team he could speak the language.

“I just repeated a couple of phrases from this tape that I would listen to and I believe it was ‘Voglio mezzo chilo di formaggio’ which means ‘I want a half kilo of cheese.’ Like the most random expression and then I said ‘My name is Anthony Carelli, where is the hotel?’ or something like that and then I could literally see them looking around at each other going, ‘sounded good, yeah, ok yeah that’s good, we’re going to fly you out tomorrow to Italy’”

Santino Marella Becomes The Milan Miracle

Santino also said during the interview that he learned from Dusty Rhodes never to say he was unable to do something and that is why he told WWE he could speak Italian.

“A month earlier Dusty Rhodes had called a guy who was playing a character named Fearless Jack Bull and said ‘Jack Bull, Dusty Rhodes, can you ride a motorcycle?’ and he goes ‘No’ because he thought someone was ribbing him because everyone does a Dusty impression, right? And he goes ‘Well, can you learn to ride a motorcycle?’ and he goes ‘No’ and he goes ‘Ok, well thank you very much for your time,’ and then he looks down on his phone and sees a 203 area code and has a coronary.”

“Dusty Rhodes came down to speak to OVW and said ‘If anybody ever asks if you can do anything, the answer is ‘yes’ and then you better learn how to do it.’”

The full interview with Santino Marella and Chris Van Vliet can be viewed in the player below:

When Santino Marella debuted for WWE, winning the Intercontinental Championship in the process, he was billed as being from Italy. Although he is of Italian descent, the former Superstar was actually born in Ontario, Canada.

Catching up with Lilian Garcia for her podcast, Chasing Glory, Marella discussed his impressive Italian debut. He also spoke about how his lack of ego helped him gain popularity.

Milan Miracle

Marella recalled learning basic Italian phrases while stuck in horrific Toronto traffic during his daily 115-minute commute. Turns out these phrases would help change his life.

“I didn’t really learn to speak Italian, but I can say things on the tape so when they [WWE] called me and asked me to say something in Italian I just said ‘I want to buy a half kilo of cheese’ in Italian. It was on the tape. I can hear them looking around with each other and thinking that it sounded pretty good even though they don’t know what I had said, so that was it. I had said another phrase and they were sold.”

He continued, “They flew me to Italy and me winning the IC title had [been planned] the night before… I got the phone call Friday, flew out Saturday, landed Sunday and debuted Monday, so it was a crazy whirlwind of, like, ‘what just happened here?’ I didn’t even really believe it until it happened. I didn’t want to almost believe it and then something changes last minute, but it happened, and that was it.”

No Ego

Synonymous with comedy sketches and matches, Santino believes that his lack of ego helped him grow as a WWE Superstar.

“[…] one of the things that made me different was that I wasn’t one of those guys that had a massive ego and I think that was what was refreshing for even some people. For example a lot of the guys I am the wives’ favorite, or I am someone’s grandmother’s favorite because everyone is putting on that macho, badass cool guy and this guy isn’t trying to do that. He is just going out and having fun and being silly which is what made me stand out as a character and as a person too.”

Santino Marella is currently scheduled to appear at GCW’s BloodSport II event on September 14th. He will be competing under his real name, Anthony Carelli.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Josh Barnett has revealed that another former WWE Superstar will be a part of Game Changer Wrestling’s upcoming BloodSport II event.

In a recent Tweet, Barnett shared that former WWE Intercontinental and United States Champion, Santino Marella, is set to appear at the show.

There is no word on who Santino, whose real name is Anthony Carelli, will be competing against at the event at this point in time.

“From Judo to Battlearts and MMA, this man has all the credentials for Bloodsport.

Anthony Carelli is coming to score the ippon Sept 14th.

Live on @FiteTV@GCWrestling_#Bloodsport @BattleArtsMMA“

Carelli actually has an extensive history with Judo, having trained in the martial art since he was 9 years old.

Given that GCW’s BloodSport II intends to be a hard-hitting blend of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts, it appears that the former Santino will fit in nicely with the promotion’s efforts.

After initially retiring a few years ago, Carelli has since been competing in the odd match. He has competed and appeared for Destiny World Wrestling, Battle Arts Academy, and Impact Wrestling. He recently returned as Santino Marella for a short skit during WWE’s RAW Reunion show.

BloodSport II takes place on September 14th. It will be available live via FITE TV.

Santino Marella has been announced for DDT’s show on August 25th, 2019 inside Tokyo’s famed Korakuen Hall. Marella most recently appeared on the RAW Reunion show for WWE last week.

The comedy-based promotion sent the following out on social media to announce Marella’s debut for the promotion:

What Is DDT Pro Wrestling?

Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) Pro-Wrestling is a comedy-based promotion based out of Japan which was founded in 1997. It has gained popularity worldwide through their over-the-top comedic bouts.

International fans can follow the promotion through DDT Universe streaming service.

One popular act in DDT is the giant panda known as Andreza Giant Panda. Video of the large panda in action can be viewed in the player below:

Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship

Another notable component of DDT Pro-Wrestling is their 24/7 title, the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship. The title has changed hands 1379 times since its inception in 2000.

Several intimate objects have held the championship at one time as well, including the title belt itself.

Joey Ryan is a former holder of the title and once lost it to Vince McMahon’s star on the Walk of Fame:

Santino also runs the Battle Arts training academy and promotion based out of Mississauga, ON, Canada.

• Backstage Talks On WWE Launching Another NXT Brand

Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella (real name Anthony Carelli) recently joined Busted Open Radio. During his appearance, Marella discussed his last run with IMPACT Wrestling.

Marella currently runs his own professional wrestling gym out of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada called “Battle Arts Academy.” IMPACT Wrestling has now become a Canadian-based company.

Working Relationship

A working relationship between the pair developed, as Marella allowed IMPACT to use his gym to film some of their content. He has even become good friends with Impact Wrestling vice president Scott D’Amore:

“Impact Wrestling moved their head office to Toronto,” Carelli said. “I mean we’re here, right? It started off as Scott D’Amore has become a very good friend of mine and they need different venues.

“So I implemented a little OVW in Battle Arts where we have a little arena in the middle of the gym it transforms into an arena it holds 500 people pretty comfortably.

“Impact started using our venue to do one of their platforms there. They have the Global Wrestling Network and they have Twitch.”

Marella On IMPACT Wrestling

Marella appeared on IMPACT Wrestling TV, however, he did not compete. Instead, he sent Battle Arts Academy’s Dustin Quicksilver to represent the school. Quicksilver was defeated by Austin Aries.

Now, Marella isn’t ruling out a future appearance with IMPACT but isn’t up for a long storyline:

“Somehow they got me on [the show]. I was talking to Scott [D’Amore], I really didn’t want to appear as a character anywhere, I’m just enjoying everything else.

“But you have to be determined to make a long answer short. I might do something, I don’t know. It might be here or there, I’m not going to be a regular, that’s for sure.”

Discussion: Would you like to see more of Marella on IMPACT Wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfwvgfD3TIE

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Anthony Carelli (a.k.a. Santino Marella) was recently hosting his Twitch show, Behind The Lights, and offered his thoughts on various professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) topics. Marella first discussed the personnel changes to IMPACT Wrestling:

“I tell you what, IMPACT Wrestling, this is such an interesting phenomenon, because they’ve had different incarnations — TNA, IMPACT Wrestling. Sometimes there’s somebody new at the helm and then people wonder, ‘How is this going to turn out?’. And sometimes, ‘ah it’s kinda the same thing, they’re shuffling old guys, whatever, whatever’, and it hasn’t really connected in the past in terms of that renaissance.

“But this one here there’s a different feeling — again, Scott at the helm and Don — there’s real change. It was getting a reputation in the past of being, ‘Oh they’re just recycling old WWE guys’, you know, hand-me-downs, and that was the reputation they had for a while. Now that’s not the case. Now they’re developing fresh, new talent that’s not… I mean if there’s someone there from WWE that’s fine, but the roster’s not comprised of leftovers anymore.

“The mentality, the direction they’re going in, it’s very good for the business because you need competition. There was a long time when there was no competition to WWE. Now there’s places to go.”

As for IMPACT Wrestling’s recent Redemption pay-per-view (PPV), Marella explained why he loved the event:

“I thought it was awesome. It solidified the notion of the change of direction for me. It’s funny because to be competition with WWE already means that you’re on the map, you’re on the radar. But you can’t compete with the budget. You can’t compete with the juggernaut marketing machine that they have.

“But you don’t have to have a massive budget to have that one creative genius especially with the different platforms we have today to be able to get out there. So before it was only TV, and now because of all these different mediums you can compete with TV.”

Marella also told fans to enjoy this evolution that IMPACT Wrestling is currently going through, and predicts a legendary moment in wrestling is coming:

Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella will be hosting a new weekly show for Impact Wrestling.

Santino (real name Anthony Carelli) and Destiny Wrestling’s ‘Iceman’ are the hosts for Beyond The Lights, a weekly series looking at the worlds of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.

Beyond The Lights premiere Wednesday, May 2nd at 4pm ET on Impact Wrestling’s Twitch channel.

BREAKING: A brand new weekly @Twitch show featuring @milanmiracle and @DestinyWrestle's Iceman talking all the latest news in the world of pro wrestling and MMA will debut THIS WEDNESDAY at 4pm ET at https://t.co/nFjjBnGAfb! pic.twitter.com/UjJuWDH1oW

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 30, 2018

Destiny World Wrestling, which operates out of Santino Marella’s Battle Arts Academy facility in Ontario, has a working relationship with Impact. Destiny will present Impact’s upcoming One Night Only taping on Sunday, June 3rd from Toronto.

Destiny presents No Fear Sun June 3rd @IMPACTWRESTLING

ONE NIGHT ONLY – TV TAPING in Toronto and already confirmed @PENTAELZEROM @MrGMSI_BCage @TheMooseNation @findevan
@DezmondXavier @IAmDJZ @TheEddieEdwards @Walking_Weapon

PLUS many more stars to announce for this show! pic.twitter.com/5G5Hohirwb

— Destiny Wrestling (@DestinyWrestle) April 20, 2018

Destiny is honoured to present the Legends Award to Don Callis VP of @IMPACTWRESTLING @CyrusOverHuge for his amazing contribution to the world of wrestling! Thank you. #ICONS #destinywrestling pic.twitter.com/ShZUVSZmnC

— Destiny Wrestling (@DestinyWrestle) April 30, 2018

Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella and Jim Cornette got into a heated altercation earlier this month at a wrestling convention where they exchanged some words with one another. Marella wrote an open letter explaining what happened at the convention and Cornette responded on an episode of his podcast, Talking Sense.

When video emerged of the altercation Marella called Cornette “a racist mother f***er,” while Cornette said that he has slapped Marella multiple times in the past and would do it again. Their beef with one another stems back to 2005 when Cornette slapped Marella at WWE’s then-developmental program of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). The incident led to Cornette losing his job as OVW booker.

Marella’s letter explaining the incident claimed that Cornette had left him a scathing message. Cornette originally denied that accusation, but it seems that he’s now changing his tune on the matter:

“I may have very well called Santino Marella and left him a nasty message (laughs),” Cornette said. “As I said, I have no memory of this and I’ve never had this guy’s phone number, etc., etc. But he gave more details, he said that a friend of his immediately texted him afterwards and said, “Oh my God, dude, I didn’t know he was going to do that.” … So apparently by that evidence I’m able to at least entertain [that I did that].”

Cornette claims that fans regularly come up to him and ask him to cut promos on their friends over the phone, noting it’s also possible a fan approached him with the opportunity to do this to Marella:

“So I assume now, since I have no memory of this because it was so important to me, that some knucklehead came up [to me] and said ‘Hey, I’ve got Santino Marella’s phone number,'” Cornette said. “At which point did he ask me to cut a promo on him, or he thought I wouldn’t do it, or was I in a grumpy mood, or did I even believe it? I don’t f***ing know because I don’t remember it. But it is a correction that I will admit that I could’ve happened.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella issued the following statement to Fightnetwork.com regarding his altercation with Jim Cornette at a wrestling convention over the weekend in Detroit.

You can see video of what transpired between them here.

“Hi everyone, ok so here’s my one-and-only official statement regarding Cornette. He can definitely dish it out so lets see if he can take it too. You will soon identify a reoccurring theme here, he’s complete bullshit, from head to toe. My original stance from day one was to just let him rant and NOT to stoop to his level, and I tried to for a long time, but sometimes a brother gots to set things straight. Its important to note that Cornette has been lying for so long about all this stuff that he actually believes it like an actually memory. Some would say he’s a good bull-sh**ter. But it’s actually called being a compulsive liar.

12 years ago I moved to Louisville to train at OVW, after a month of the beginners class I was invited to the intermediate class where I would train with the legendary Rip Rogers. At that time I was also invited to come and watch an OVW TV taping. Upon arrival to my first ever TV taping I was told I could sit in the student area in the audience. Keep in mind I’m with my daughter and simply a member of the audience, or so I thought.

The show starts, its great, and then there’s the debut of the bogeyman who was supposed to leave the arena through an emergency door directly behind us, no one gave me the 411, so as bogeyman was leaving he turned right towards us and I thought he was gonna do me a solid and scare my daughter thus creating a memory that she would never forget, so as a dad I was pretty stoked, and yes I was definitely smiling. The bogeyman then jars the guard rail, we all run, and he exits out the door. It’s all on YouTube if you care to see it. Actually I encourage one to do so, so you can see for yourself that I’m not laughing. Hence BS #1. There was never any agenda to the whole thing. I wasn’t trying to be anything other than a fan. I wasn’t part of the show, heck it was my first time there for show. Gosh when I look back now I was so green to everything but I was definitely enjoying a pro-wrestling show with the rest of the audience. The eagerness, the learning, the dedication, they’re all fond memories.

I’m then summoned to the back where Cornette is flipping out and proceeds to slap me several times. He claims 17 but lets just call that Bullsh**#2. I had no idea what he was even talking about. I remember saying just that, which of course got him even more mad. I remember him saying “you are nothing in this business”, and I’m like yeah no sh** I literally just signed up here a month ago lol. He knew I couldn’t do anything, he took complete advantage of the situation, and he assaulted someone, period, and probably should have been arrested and charged for that matter. He acted completely unprofessional and very much disrespected the business he claims to love, I say claims to love cause all he ever does is go on completely negative rants about various aspects and his personal opinions. All that hatred and negativity must be such a heavy burden to carry around all the time. He has become his own prison sentence, left to marinade in his own negative filth. Thank God he has become a non-entity and quite frankly irrelevant for some time now. His overall contribution to the industry has been quite damaging and by no means, is he an authority. He was merely tolerated and permitted, by real men, to be around the business during one of the best eras in history. Hey don’t get me wrong I’m not an authority either but I’ve been around great men in this business that truly are and trust me he is NOT on that list. Most people in the industry generally think him of as an asshole and loser today. Most, but not all. There are those few that do like him and that’s 100% fine by me.

He also said that Bogeyman was furious at me and wanted to kick my ass, so years later and after I got to know Marty pretty well I asked him about that night and he said he was just upset at his “wardrobe malfunction”. They failed to calculate the effect that the ring lights would have on Bogyman’s makeup and it was proving to be an issue. Thus the original source of that segment’s frustration is what I always thought. So what are we at now, BS #3?

Cornette was subsequently fired and pretty much resented me ever since. I don’t hate him. I don’t hate anyone but he was in the wrong and everyone knows it, especially him. That is why he so desperately tries to put me down and make excuses as to why he acted the way he did. The answer is simple Jim, because you are and insecure poor excuse of a man.

I would get asked about it from time to time but mostly down played it as it really didn’t bother to too much. I’ve endured much more than a slap, or 7, in my life. I actually do have a few friends in the business that still like Cornette so I thought that perhaps we could have had a good working relationship if things had been different. I was not opposed to learning from him, in fact I regret not being able to. I was taught to respect my elders in life in general, and my seniors in the pro-wrestling business, and until this moment I have.

Fast forward 10 years and I’m now forced to retire due to 2 neck surgeries. My WWE career was a dream come true, an amazing 10 year chapter in my life, and I am forever grateful to all the fans all over the world. I sacrificed everything important to me and risked it all to make it. I gave it more than 100% and am quite proud to say that I made it on my own merit. When I got hired almost 2 years after the incident and thanked Johnny Ace for not holding the incident against me he didn’t even know what I was referring to. I had to actually remind him, which was nice cause it reassured me that my employment was by my own hand. So trying to say that I was gifted my job is a big pile of BS, #4 in fact, and Cornette knows that too. I get it, it’s quite simple, he’s just trying to press my buttons and stay relevant. However it’s the time I spent away from my daughter that I will not allow him to diminish.

My intention was not to be a comedy wrestler, (check out my Boris Alexiev videos on YouTube) but I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity and I ran with it, just like anyone would do in my position. Looking back I actually love the fact that I was able to bring laughter into people’s homes, and for so many years. It’s entertainment. It’s my absolute favorite thing to hear from fans, that I made their family laugh. I think laughter is the greatest indicator of having a good time. I don’t know if he was just jealous because he was not athletic enough to make it in the ring as a wrestler or what, but he’s definitely made some poor comments over the years. I actually heard through a pretty good source that he can’t even cast a fishing rod. Now that’s uncoordinated. You might as well hand your balls in if you can’t cast a fishing rod. Look I’ve been given the stamp of approval by people that actually matter so I’m able to rest well at night when it comes to my in ring ability. Sorry buddy but comedy is an essential component of Sports Entertainment. Honestly shouldn’t you actually know that? And btw Kay Fabe was ruined long before I ever laced up my boots. I too wished it hadn’t been, but it is what it is. We work with what we have, whenever we get our chance to do so. The business has evolved, and it will continue to evolve. Those that can’t adapt, can’t evolve, get left behind. And please don’t hate on WWE, it makes you look really pathetic. Vince has done a million times more for this business than you will ever be credited for. Bottom line is he is one of the most successful people in the world, and well you are definitely not Vince. Put it this way, when I grow up I wanna be like Vince, but if I ever end up like you, I will consider my life a failure.

Little does Jim know that all those countless negative comments and rants just make him look like an unconfident bitter person that has no class. That is why I never made a big deal about it because he was already doing a great job of tarnishing his own legacy. He sh**s on the comedic component and my in ring ability but duh I’m from OVW so he’s actually sh**ting on himself and the company that he partly owns. He’s also sh**ing on his “friends” Rip, Danny, and Al, that all had a hand in my development and training, plus I can list off many great and iconic comedic wrestlers, 1st and foremost however is the late great Bobby Heenan. Now you try and tell me that he had no place in wrestling and well I would have to say that you really don’t know as much as I thought you did about Pro-Wrestling Mr. Cornette.

So one day I see that I got a voicemail from my friend Josh in Tennessee, then I get a text saying “omg I’m so sorry I didn’t know he was going to do that” then I get a call from Josh and he’s all upset about Jim Cornette tricking him in to calling me and then taking the phone from Josh and going on one of his classic rants. Keep in mind I’m still in bandages fresh out of neck surgery so yeah I’m a little shocked that he could actually stoop this low.

So I mention the message he left in my shoot interview with Rob Feinstein and after it circulated a few people left messages for Cornette on social media letting him know what they thought of what he did. So now his panties are all bunched up, yet again, and he goes off on his podcast actually denying the whole thing. A blatant lie told to all of his loyal listeners, BS #5. I guess he was ashamed of what he did so he just pretended it didn’t happen, and then proceeds to say again it anyway, lol, duh you just stooged yourself off shmarts. Anyhow no skin off my back, it is what it is, and then he proceeds to call me midget, goof, etc. lol come on Jim you are known for a tennis racket, please tell me you are kidding me when you call me a clown, you were a red nose shy of being the biggest clown in wrestling history. I think they call that “projecting”, like when he accuses me of disrespecting the business, when in reality its all he ever does. He also stated that he will slap again the next time he sees me.

Fast forward to the Cobo Centre in Detroit last Saturday and his table is just 2 tables down from mine, so I know at some point we will have a chance to meet, as in actually meet, for the first time, since I don’t consider our first interaction an actual meeting, because no greetings and pleasantries were exchanged etc.

As I’m heading back down the hallway after I got a bite to eat, its Jim and I walking straight towards one another and no one is around, what a perfect opportunity to talk it over and hopefully hash things out. I say Hello sir and I extend my hand to shake hands. After all why not, peace is better then enemies right? Its funny he looked shocked to hear my real voice, lol, mark. He then proceeds to try to tell me about what happened 12 years ago like I wasn’t there lol, insults me, disrespects me, and then tries to walk away. I remember being disappointed in how poorly he was dressed that day. He made no effort at all to make himself presentable to meet his fans, visibly dirty clothing and in poor health I actually felt bad for him, until he decided to be a piece of garbage once again. I said to him that I was hoping we could walk away from this with a new found respect for one another after possibly talking it out, and that I always regretted not learning from him. I always hope for the best in people, like my mom. He laughed and said that he had no respect for me, called me a joke, and that he should slap me again, that’s when I said to myself f*** this guy, there is no way in hell he’s going to punk me off after what he did all those years ago, so I said “do it” “please”, “slap me again and see what happens” trust me Jim it was not so that I could “sue” you. That’s what you see in the video. Me cutting him off and saying “do it then”. You cant make a claim like that and then walk away, at least not where I’m from. It was at that moment that I saw his true colours. He tried to run away and actually cried out for security. I guess his wrestling instincts kicked in because he was a classic heal, brave guy when back up is around, but when its just him and the baby-face alone at the end, he begged off. What happened to slapping me the next time you saw me Jim? Then when he saw a fan and or security personnel his mock bravery started to kick in and he started to put on a show, Cornette style. He was a complete b**** as I expected he would be, if it ended up going down this way, and when it was just the 2 of us, nose to nose, eye to eye, quite frankly a coward. And believe you me I called him those exact words to his face “coward” and “b**ch” and all he did was turn another shade of red. He knows in his heart that I saw it in his eyes. He can never say anything about it again because he backed down after shooting his mouth off so that’s BS # sh** I lost count. He also said publically that he decided to leave when we all know he was kicked out, escorted out in fact. Taken out like the trash that he is. So don’t forget to add another one to the BS list. It was the perfect ending, the bully got what he deserved in the end.

Sorry to all the fans that came out to the convention and show. I really tried to put it all behind us. Cornett had other plans. Sometimes we just have to take a stand.

I hope the show was still a blast, well I’m sure it was because there were a great bunch of guys performing that night!

So I now get to have some closure from the original incident. I get to return to my wonderful Canadian life, and come home to my hot Polish fitness model wife. This week we are going camping up north to enjoy the beauty of mother nature, kayaking, hiking, fishing etc . . . . . let me guess you’re gonna go on a few rants this week. Truly pathetic bro, sad, but hey enjoy them cause for a brief moment people are taking about you. And we all know how important that is to you. In the wrestling business you are always one headline away from having your spotlight taken away. And since the shield has reunited . . . .well I guess its gone.

The End!

Sincerely (so help me Jesus)

Anthony Carelli”

A video has surfaced of Jim Cornette and Santino Marella having a heated argument today at a wrestling convention in Detroit, Michigan.

Jim Cornette & Santino Marella got into an argument at a wrestling convention. Credits to Shaun Sisk on FB for the video. pic.twitter.com/jjAcWFhSTh

— Deagle (@SuperDeagle) October 7, 2017

This public spat took place at the Cobo Center, which saw past and present wrestling stars come together for the XICW Cobo Legends Convention.

According to Cornette on Twitter, he left the event early following the confrontation.

Sorry to anyone I missed at Cobo, some comedy midget wanted me to slap him AGAIN so he could sue since he's unemployed. Walked out instead. https://t.co/ezgCj7mqLV

— Jim Cornette (@TheJimCornette) October 7, 2017

@TheJimCornette please tell me you haven't left the Cobo Arena show yet :(

— Jonathan (@Brody_Potato) October 7, 2017

There has been heat between the two dating back to 2005. Marella, real name Anthony Carelli, began training that year at Ohio Valley Wrestling, which served as WWE’s developmental promotion at the time. During an angle at a show in July 2005 where he was supposed to act afraid of The Boogeyman, but instead laughed, Marella was shouted at and slapped by Cornette, OVW’s head booker, and co-owner. This incident led to Cornette being fired as OVW booker by WWE.

• Facts on Lars Sullivan you need to know

Former WWE Intercontinental, United States, and Tag Team Champion Santino Marella recently participated in a Judo tournament for the first time in nearly 20 years.

As many fans already know, Santino has an extensive Judo background and also competed in a few mixed martial arts fights during his time in Japan before signing with WWE and Ohio Valley Wrestling back in 2005.

Santino posted this video on Twitter from the Judo tournament:

My final match yesterday for the bronze, as you can see it was late in the day & many had left #judo @IntJudoFed @JudoOntario @JudoCanada pic.twitter.com/dfNCeuCLTn

— Santino Marella (@milanmiracle) October 2, 2017

Former WWE star Santino Marella recently spoke to Main Event Radio about his release from the company this summer, and if he’ll return to either RAW or SmackDown. Santino explained that WWE had an option to extend his contract while he was out with his injury, but decided not to and let his original deal expire.

“It was a weird day,” Santino said of his release from WWE. “I was about to leave on a trip to Florida with my wife and I saw the office calling. That was it, the run came to an end. It was liberating though, life after WWE here we go,”

He said that the company treated him and his family well, and that there were talks of him taking on a regular non-wrestling role. Santino says that fans approach him in public all the time to say WWE “isn’t the same without” him. Santino says fans related to him from his debut storyline where he came from the crowd as an underdog.

“I was the real people’s champion,” he said. “I came from the audience, 5’10, not overly muscular. I see a lot of kids looking up to me. Every dog can have it’s day, miracles can happen.”

Santino noted that he’s had laser back surgery and “feels great” now, but that his neck still isn’t 100%. You can listen to his entire interview on Main Event Radio.