A couple of weeks ago, Santino Marella hinted at a possible return to WWE for the upcoming Clash in Italy event. A new report now indicates that the idea was also discussed internally.

According to WrestleVotes Radio, an idea was pitched within WWE creative to bring Marella in for the May 31 show in Turin. There is no confirmation on whether the pitch advanced beyond the discussion stage, but the concept was reportedly considered.

The idea carries clear storyline logic given Marella’s history with Italy. His WWE debut took place during a live episode of RAW in Milan, where he was introduced as a fan from the crowd. In a memorable moment, he defeated Umaga to win the Intercontinental Championship in his very first match.

Despite portraying an Italian character, Marella—real name Anthony Carelli—is actually from Canada. The Santino Marella persona was billed from San Fili, Calabria, Italy, adding to the character’s comedic appeal during his WWE run.

Marella is currently working with TNA Wrestling as an on-screen authority figure. He has also made appearances in WWE in recent years, including a return on the NXT brand in 2025 as part of the working relationship between the two promotions.

His original WWE tenure lasted from 2005 to 2016, during which he captured multiple championships, including two Intercontinental Title reigns, one United States Title run, and a WWE Tag Team Championship. He was also part of the well-known Santina Marella storyline, where he portrayed his own “twin sister” and won the Miss WrestleMania crown at WrestleMania XXV.

The Clash in Italy event is already set to feature several major matches, including Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther, Roman Reigns facing Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship, Brock Lesnar taking on Oba Femi, and Rhea Ripley battling Jade Cargill for the Women’s Championship.

Santino Marella WWE Return Was Pitched for Clash in Italy Event

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