Santino Marella hasn’t been on wrestling fans’ screens on a regular basis in several years. He’s popped up here and there for segments and whatnot but his recent role as an IMPACT Wrestling authority figure is his most significant on-screen in some time.
Former WWE Star Santino Marella Hints at Possible but Limited In-Ring Return
When a Metro UK interview turned to an in-ring return, Marella explained that he was cleared to do lighter stuff but credits his physical condition to physically demanding sports in his youth.
“I can wrestle a little bit. I can’t wrestle a full time schedule. I think my body’s a little too beaten up. I was already pretty beaten up because I had a full judo career from the age of nine right through university. Judo’s pretty hard on the body, as well as amateur wrestling, football, that kind of stuff.”
Obviously, it’s not rare to see collegiate and even professional athletes enter wrestling after a career-ending injury. In American sports, it’s often the dreaded ankle or leg injury that literally takes an athlete out of the game. Marella was a wrestler who made the transition to wrestling after years of athletics without coming off an injury.
However, by the time he had reached WWE’s system, he was already beaten up from years of practicing combat sports while wrestling professionally. While they were probably nagging injuries when he came in, after years with WWE, those injuries have left to where he can wrestle on occasion. Santino Marella explained:
“I showed up and my neck was already bothering me a little bit, I already had knee surgeries and that kind of stuff. So, long story short, I can wrestle here and there. I’ll pay the price in the few days following the match in terms of stiffness, whether it’s in my neck or my back.”
Santino Marella last wrestled in December 2022. That year, the 48-year-old former IC and U.S Champion wrestled seven matches, mostly in Ontario for different promotions.
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