Santino Marella Officially Signs With IMPACT Wrestling

Ahead of Hard to Kill on January 13, Bully Ray tore his way through IMPACT management, taking out IMPACT VP Scott D’Amore on TV and forcing IMPACT to bring in a new on screen authority figure to run the show.

At Hard to Kill D’Amore’s replacement was revealed, when Santino Marella arrived as the ‘Director of Authority’ restarting the Digital Media Championship match between Joe Hendry and Moose after Moose had cheated to get an initial victory.

IMPACT subsequently took to social media to formally announce Marella’s signing, with IMPACT registering a trademark for the Santino Marella name in December 2022.

A former WWE Intercontinental Champion, Marella last wrestled in December 2022, with the ‘Milan Miracle’ retiring from full-time competition in 2014 during a run in WWE, having been part of WWE since 2007.

Since leaving WWE, Marella has made appearances for GCW (under his real name Anthony Carelli) and DDT, as well as an appearance in the 2020 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble as his controversial alter ego Santina Marella.