Santino Marella Coming Out Of Retirement?

Three years after retiring, is the cobra set to strike again?

by Andy H Murray
Santino Marella Cobra Elimination Chamber 2012
WWE.com

Santino Marella was last seen on WWE television in December 2015, and hasn't wrestled for the company since 2014, when a serious neck injury forced him into an early retirement. Once one of WWE's most popular wrestlers, he was released from his contract in May 2016, and has since spent the bulk of his time focusing on his Battle Arts Academy wrestling school.

According to WrestlingInc.com, it now looks like Santino could be coming out of retirement soon. On Saturday June 3rd, his school hosted a six-man tag between the two promotions that run shows there - Destiny World Wrestling, and Battle Arts Professional Wrestling. The stipulation stated that if Destiny won, Marella would have to come out of retirement to wrestle on a future card, and they were indeed victorious.

No official announcement has been made yet, but Marella is currently advertised to appear on a number of forthcoming Destiny shows. Mounting a full-time comeback would be tricky for the 43 year old, as the injury that forced his retirement was the third major neck issue he'd suffered throughout his career, making a one-off match the most likely scenario for his return.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.