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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Brock Lesnar is not expected to wrap up his WWE run following this weekend’s Clash in Italy Premium Live Event, according to a new report.

Per WrestleVotes Radio, Lesnar is scheduled to continue appearing for WWE beyond the May 31 show in Turin. However, he is not currently advertised for the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden.

Lesnar is currently involved in a storyline with Oba Femi that dates back to WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi at the event, Lesnar left his gear in the ring and embraced Paul Heyman, a moment widely viewed as signaling his retirement.

That perception changed on the May 18 episode of RAW when Lesnar made a surprise return, attacking Femi. The angle continued with Heyman delivering a signed contract to Adam Pearce, making the rematch official for Clash in Italy.

Looking ahead, Lesnar is heavily rumored for SummerSlam 2026, which is set to take place August 1-2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota—his home-state market.

The return has drawn mixed reactions. Eric Bischoff described it as “clunky as hell” on his 83 Weeks podcast, stating he would have preferred Lesnar remain retired after WrestleMania 42. Jim Ross suggested on Grilling JR that the decision was related to contract management, while Kevin Nash said on Kliq This that the return “made me sit the f*** up in my chair.”

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes noted during an ESPN appearance that he had assumed Lesnar was retired and is picking Femi to win the Clash in Italy rematch.

Backstage Update on Brock Lesnar Future After WWE Clash in Italy

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Eric Bischoff believes WWE needs a creative shake-up and has suggested that turning Cody Rhodes heel could be the move that refreshes the product.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff discussed WWE’s current direction heading into Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship defense against Gunther at Clash in Italy on May 31 in Turin.

“I’d turn Cody heel. Cody probably has no interest in it. I don’t know if he does or doesn’t, but I need to hit the refresh button here. It’s great and all, but it’s been great and all for a long time. I need something that’s a little different in order to engage, not that it’s not good, it’s great.”

Bischoff made it clear that while WWE is performing well from a business standpoint, he feels the on-screen product has become stagnant.

“It’s great business-wise, maybe there’s no reason to make any changes, and it’s all about the business. It dictates what you do, but if the business is not what it once was, and there’s an opportunity to light a new fire under it and create new business, I’d be all about it, especially right now. WWE has kind of reached a flat line. I said it, that doesn’t mean it’s dead, that just means it’s kind of cruising along, just doing the same old stuff every week. That’s not good TV. Good TV grows.”

He also pointed to the current time of year as a key opportunity for WWE to build momentum before the summer.

“For certain times of year, it’s a little harder. It’s harder this time of year for a lot of reasons. It’s harder in the fall when football kicks in. But there’s a period between the end of the football regular season into the playoffs, and about now when the NBA playoffs get hot. So you got a window there in a couple of months, you can really heat things up, so that you could go into the summer with the audience engaged as best you can.”

Bischoff added that he would like to see a change specifically in Rhodes’ character presentation.

“I’d love to see a different character out of Cody.”

In addition, Bischoff briefly commented on the Tribal Combat match between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, suggesting that WWE should be careful in how Reigns is handled.

“From a distant perspective, on the outside looking in, I think my instinct would be to protect Roman. This might not be the best opportunity or the right time.”

Rhodes has previously addressed the idea of turning heel, noting that he is not opposed to it but does not believe the timing is right.

Eric Bischoff Calls for Cody Rhodes Heel Turn Says WWE Has “Flat-Lined”

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