10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 12)
6. Santino Marella Thought He Was Going To Be SmackDown's General Manager
Speaking of comedic touches, few perfected the art of drawing laughter from WWE fans like one Santino Marella. Originally supposed to be a serious character, Santino developed into someone who nestled nicely onto the mid card with his dramatic prat falls and superb affinity for comedic timing.
Retiring in 2014, Marella made sporadic appearances until being released by the company in May, 2016. Even though he had seen his contract terminated, Santino still held out hope that he would be invited back to fill a non-wrestling role in WWE. Specifically, Marella had his eye on what would happen with SmackDown following the brand extension over the Summer.
Speaking with Main Event Radio, Santino Marella said that he really believed he would be the one to get the nod in the General Manager slot for the blue brand. Of course, that role eventually went to Daniel Bryan, and it's not even clear whether or not Santino was ever in the conversation between management.
Still, Marella thought he was. Never destined to happen, being SmackDown Live GM was a role that nonetheless appealed to him.