5 Things you didn't know about Santino Marella
It's been 12 years since Vince McMahon hand-picked Santino Marella out of a crowd in Milan, Italy to challenge the then-Intercontinental Champion Umaga. Marella scored an upset victory and the Intercontinental Championship to boot in one of the biggest upsets in wrestling history.
Marella would go on to have a successful seven-year WWE run that saw him partner with both Maria Kanellis and Beth Phoenix. He quickly became known for his comedic prowess and provided a decade's worth of slapstick moments for wrestling fans all over the world. This included his run as Santina Marella, his masculine "twin sister," who often unsuccessfully competed in women's matches. Wrestling fans will likely also remember his unforgettable "I wasn't ready" elimination at the 2009 Royal Rumble, as well as his zany finisher: The Cobra.
In a testament to his ability as a performer, most know Marella exclusively as his eccentric WWE character, but there is much more to The Milan Miracle than his over the top mispronunciation of classic phrases like "Can of ass whip."
Marella was recently interviewed by Lilian Garcia on her Chasing Glory podcast and opened up like never before. Get ready to laugh and learn all about Santino Marella in this latest edition of 5 Things You Didn't Know.
#5. Marella did not have an ego & that helped him stand out
Santino Marella was different from many of the wrestlers around him. He kept things in perspective and was always appreciative of what he had been able to accomplish.
Marella also refused to believe in any of his own hype and never got caught up in his own ego.
He told Chasing Glory host Lilian Garcia,
"That was one of the things that made me different. I wasn't one of the guys that had a massive ego and I think that was refreshing for some people - like a lot of the guys, I'm their wife's favorite or I'm their grandma's favorite because everyone's putting on that macho bad ass cool guy and this guy isn't even trying to do that. He's just having fun and being silly. I think that's what made me stand out."
While many wrestlers were reluctant to delve into self-deprecating comedy, Marella's uncanny ability to make light of himself helped him stand out as a character and as a human being.
When other wrestlers sulked and complained about not being able to get over, Marella kept things in perspective,
"There were guys backstage that weren't happy being top guys or whatever. I said, 'Dude, we're professional wrestlers for a living. It's all good, man. It's all good."