Anthony Carelli, former WWE star Santino Marella, made his Impact Wrestling debut tonight at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view.
Carelli is able to use the “Santino Marella” name because WWE abandoned the trademark some time ago and it was registered by attorney Mike Dockins last month.
Marella walked out after Moose hit a low blow to defeat Joe Hendry. Marella, who is now in the role of the Director of Authority, restarted the match and Hendry ultimately won. As you can see in the clip below, he was in full Santino mode with the faux Italian accent.
The Director of Authority role was a staple of the early TNA years. This is Marella’s first TV role in years. He retired from WWE due to neck issues and he has been running the BattleArts school/promotion in Toronto.
.@milanmiracle is HERE and is the BRAND NEW Director of Authority! @TheMooseNation and @joehendry CONTINUES! #HardToKill pic.twitter.com/CY68Ndy8hF
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 14, 2023
