Santino Marella addresses the crowd | Image Credits : IMAGO/PicturePerfect
Sportshadow got the opportunity to interact with former two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and current TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella as a part of its Wrestleshadow podcast series.
In Part 1 of the interview, the Milan Miracle shares how he got the opportunity to debut in Italy from the crowd, his interactions with celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump, and invention of the Cobra.
Here are the edited excerpts for clarity.
"I was in developmental at OVW, just trying to learn and become the best I could, basically waiting for an opportunity. On that fateful day, the opportunity came. I received a phone call asking if I could speak Italian."
"Of course, I said yes, and I said some things in Italian. They said, "Okay, great. Vince has an idea for a character to come out of the audience in Italy."
"They told me, "We’re going to send you your passport. You’re going to fly to Italy tomorrow, and you might debut." I couldn’t believe it was really happening, but I was prepared for it. That was the goal and the reason I was training, so I wasn't scared—but a little nervous, for sure."
"Behind the scenes, he’s very respectful and really nice. When I came into the office, he turned around, put his phone and glasses down, and gave me his undivided attention."
"I thought it was really classy the way he lets you know that you have all his attention right now. It’s very respectful, actually."
"There are things that everybody has in common with celebrities of that level. They’re generally very hard-working and not lazy; they’re willing to do it over and over again until you get it right."
"They’re all generally nice people, because if you’re not a nice person, the odds are you’re not going to go very far."
"There are talented actors and actresses everywhere, but why do some people make it and some don't? One of the reasons is they’re really good at working well with other people. A casting director or a professional wrestling booker has to like you."
"You have to know how to be a likable person—hopefully naturally—but even if you're not, you have to learn how to pretend to be likable."
"Everybody had a really good personality and was easygoing. You could tell they have discipline. It was cool for me because I was able to see that, skill-level and entertainment-wise, I’m on the same level as these people."
"Even though they’re very famous, they’re very respectful and complimentary of your work as well. It was an excellent opportunity for learning, networking, and confidence."
"Snoop Dogg didn't crack up on my accent. You would be surprised. I remember one time we met in New York to do some pre-tapes and he's all about business."
"When it’s time to work, he’s there to work. He has a great sense of humor and he’s easy to be around, but when there’s a job to be done, he’s very focused."
"It was super loose because President Trump was busy. While we prepared backstage, we waited for him. When he showed up, someone gave him the gist of it: "You come here, Vince does this, you fire Santina." He said, "Okay, I got it."
"He did it in about two takes and was off to the next thing. Seeing someone operate at that level gave me a glimpse into how a mind like that works."
"I didn't know what he was going to say, so I just had to respond and guide the pre-tape toward where we needed it to go."
"The Cobra to me is still almost a mystery. I was in Japan and somebody showed me this little funny thing he would do with his arm, like making it into a puppet."
"Five years later, I remembered it and incorporated it into one of my matches as a finish. The people were laughing right away, even before they saw it on TV, so we knew we had something good."
"I did it for a year or two before we introduced the snake sleeve, and then it went to the next level. I remember being surprised about how quickly it spread and that people really loved to see it."
"Even the "smarks" would cheer, and I remember being shocked, like, "Really? You like it that much?" The old-timers love the fact that it's something I can do forever. Even when I'm an old man, I can still do it."
"I would only do it on the live events, not on TV, because you have more creative freedom and time to tell a fuller story there. One day I went to Raw and Ricky Steamboat came up to me."
"He said, "It’s going to be you and Zack Ryder on Heat. Vince wants you to win with the Cobra; he wants to see it."
"I didn’t even know Vince knew about the Cobra. It turns out the producers have to write a report about how the live shows went, and Vince reads them."
"When I heard he wanted to see it, I was shocked. Ricky Steamboat confirmed, "He reads the reports." I did it that night, and within three weeks, it caught on and became a phenomenon."
This is an exclusive interview by Sportshadow. Media outlets using quotes from this article are requested to provide a backlink to this article or the website's homepage alongside embedding the video interview published on Youtube.