Santino Earns Wrestlemania Match

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WWE's creative team plugged Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov into the Eight Man Tag Team Match with The Corre at Wrestlemania XXVII after it was decided that Christian would be in Edge's corner when "The Rated-R Superstar" defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio. Christian and Kofi Kingston were originally pegged for the match.

It also said that Marella had "earned a spot on the card" based on his tenure with WWE. Management reportedly feels he "hits a home run" with whatever he is told to do on television and since he hadn't yet worked a WrestleMania match (WrestleMania XXV notwithstanding), he was to be rewarded.

I think that's brilliant recognition. Santino is one of my faves and he deserves it.

what did he use before the cobra - I really cant remember

Yeah the Cobra's got to go.

Give him the Overdrive / Playmaker. It seems like everyone who's come into WWE over the last 10 years has had this as their finisher at one point, maybe Santino's the guy who can actually make it not horrible!

He needs something he can hit from anywhere that wins quickly and is believable.

Something like the Tazz mission choke hold/ Million Dollar dream.

Hobo wrote:He needs something he can hit from anywhere that wins quickly and is believable.

Something like the Tazz mission choke hold/ Million Dollar dream.

Yeah agreed, but it needs to be something surprising as well, that opponents wouldn't expect him to do, submission would be perfect.

KB while i like that you've put good thought into it why would Santino survive when his big angry partner couldn't, why would you risk damaging Wade Barrett either and why would you turn Jackson face when the Corre needs stability, why would Jackson have an attack of consciousness and how do you take Barrett to the next level when you have him needing snookers against someone ar perenially weak as Santino

If he could use the Cross-face Chicken Wing then that would be a good move for someone like him

the-gaffer wrote:KB while i like that you've put good thought into it why would Santino survive when his big angry partner couldn't, why would you risk damaging Wade Barrett either and why would you turn Jackson face when the Corre needs stability, why would Jackson have an attack of consciousness and how do you take Barrett to the next level when you have him needing snookers against someone ar perenially weak as Santino

Cause Kozlov can't fall over the ropes properly?

You're talking a storyline based over a few months, Gaffer. Not 3 weeks. As for damaging Wade, how? He comes off strong because Santino will mainly be feuding with The Corre members to get to Barrett, it's only in the final weeks that Barrett's interaction becomes relevant, from the end of this you can build it further, Barrett and Jackson continue to have an infeud, Jackson costs Barrett a shot at the WHC, they feud, Barrett wins, gets his shot at WHC and wins.

Because you would basically giving Santino the Cena treatment against the Corre when they where Nexus, it would hurt a group that looks like itr doing well and I dont think you could get months worth of Santino v Slater/Gabriel/Jackson before Barrett gets involved, Barrett for me is the Corre and intentionally holding him off would diminish major intrest in any Corre story,

the-gaffer wrote:Because you would basically giving Santino the Cena treatment against the Corre when they where Nexus, it would hurt a group that looks like itr doing well and I dont think you could get months worth of Santino v Slater/Gabriel/Jackson before Barrett gets involved, Barrett for me is the Corre and intentionally holding him off would diminish major intrest in any Corre story,

If you read it, i only suggest that he cleans house once. The rest of the time he either gets beaten down by the group, if you like they can be cheered on by Barrett, or he's winnign one on one, and if you play him in a plucky face role he doesn't have to dominate, just get the win somehow.

I still dont think its realistic tho, The Corre are taking out guys like Kane and Show and would put Kozlov on the shelf, so I just dont buy into Santino overcoming odds like that when he has never been booked more than light relief in his time in the E

the-gaffer wrote:I still dont think its realistic tho, The Corre are taking out guys like Kane and Show and would put Kozlov on the shelf, so I just dont buy into Santino overcoming odds like that when he has never been booked more than light relief in his time in the E

I hate quoting Take That but, Everything Changes.

Why is giving Santino a chance less appealing than sticking Kofi in another pointless feud?

After his return, would Koslov be Back For Good?

Who is to say its between Kofi and Santino tho? Why not use Danial Bryan in that role? He has had good PPV matches, had a long stint as the US Champ and has history with Barrett, and also hasn't been treated like a joke for his entire run

hasn't been treated like a joke for his entire run

No. Just the last 4 or 5 months of it.

Bryan isn't liked by Vince, isn't exactly a fan favourite and doesn't set the world alight, at least Santino has something you can work with.

King Beer wrote:

hasn't been treated like a joke for his entire run

No. Just the last 4 or 5 months of it.

Bryan isn't liked by Vince, isn't exactly a fan favourite and doesn't set the world alight, at least Santino has something you can work with.

I think Bryan has been given plenty of exposure and has won over his share of fans...certainly enough to put him well clear of Santino.

While it is patently true Vince dislikes small guys, he seems to be happy to give Bryan a chance. I think Santino has gone too far into the 'comical loser' persona to ever be considered a threat. Even now I think it amazing that he had two IC runs, and pinned Umaga clean!

I do however agree he deserves a Mania match.

If you were to go down this rout KB (personally I'd probably agree with Gaffer on this one and say Santino is probably fufilling a comfertable role on the undercard) you could start off with him being portrayed as inferior to the Corre after the loss of Kozlov, one night on Smackdown (which could be ideally would be promoted from San Antonio) have Shawn Micheals appear (to promote some of his outside projects) and be beaten down by the Corre for being yesterdays man or something, HBK is furious but because he is retired he is banned from facing the Corre in a WWE ring, so instead he takes Santino under his wing (they could send Santino and a camera crew to Micheals home and film enough training vignettes in one day to be interspersed over a month or two) When Santino returns he could then be portrayed as more of a threat to the Corre, I wouldn't have Santino take on all of HBK's mannerisms but possibly debut the superkick as his own finisher, then you have Santino Marella 'The Last Student of HBK' for instant crediability with a new belivable finisher to boot

How do you know he isn't liked by Vince? He had the US Title for 5 months and beat Vinces golden boy Miz cleanly 3 times in a row, he was in the Main Event of SummerSlam and fan power basically got him rehired, he is a million times better in the ring than Santino and is great on the mic if given a chance, Santino makes you smile Danialson makes you think

How do you know he isn't liked by Vince? He had the US Title for 5 months and beat Vinces golden boy Miz cleanly 3 times in a row, he was in the Main Event of SummerSlam and fan power basically got him rehired, he is a million times better in the ring than Santino and is great on the mic if given a chance, Santino makes you smile Danialson makes you think

Danial Bryan and Even Bourne are twn guys around the same stature as Santino but would be far better options for a genuine realistic push IMO

the-gaffer wrote:How do you know he isn't liked by Vince? He had the US Title for 5 months and beat Vinces golden boy Miz cleanly 3 times in a row, he was in the Main Event of SummerSlam and fan power basically got him rehired, he is a million times better in the ring than Santino and is great on the mic if given a chance, Santino makes you smile Danialson makes you think

It's been on the internet that Vince isn't a fan. Why else would you take a hard working champ with a great moveset and turn him into a ladies man who nobody cares about? And put him in a borderline feud with the Bella Twins ffs.

the-gaffer wrote:Danial Bryan and Even Bourne are twn guys around the same stature as Santino but would be far better options for a genuine realistic push IMO

I've never taken to Bourne. He's alright, a bit of a spotfest, but with an impressive finisher. But what else? Maybe it's just me, but there's no discernible charisma under there...

At least with Bryan he draws you in with his performances..

I think Bournes problem is that he is on RAW and thats always light on Wrestling, the pop he got when he teamed with Cena and when he returned against Sheamus suggests he has a fanbase, I agree that he has had little to make us care about him

I agree. Some guys are just made for SmackDown, where they can have decent matches and not have to take a back seat to promos and backstage segments with the same old.

I always shudder around draft time when RAW harvest SD's biggest stars and end up leaving them on the shelf....before the inevitable return to SD with no fanfare. It'll happen this year too, guarantee.

Alberto Del Rio's a cert for RAW in this year's Draft in my opinion, he'll be viewed as 'too good for Smackdown' and it won't be long before he's getting fed to John Cena or Randy Orton or Triple H (if he's sticking around & doesn't turn heel).

KB - It was on the internet? To be honest the dirts are hardly credible, as a face on Raw he had Cena and Orton and Miz & Punk as heels where all the stories are focused around, they tried to give him a feud with Ted DiBiase but no-one cared about Deebers, apart from the two top faces and heels and Rock who has been booked well on Raw?

I'd hope they'd let Del Rio settle on SD for a while if they do indeed make him WHC. He needs time to build and I don't really feel like he's had enough yet.

As he is hispanic you can be damn sure he'll be seen as a ratings draw and that when the time comes he'll be used to drag hispanic viewers to RAW.

One thing I always find funny though, is that when we have these 'Bragging Rights' matches, SD invariably wins, despite clearly being seen as the poor cousin to RAW! A small crumb from the top table must go a long way...

apart from the two top faces and heels and Rock who has been booked well on Raw?

Santino?

Aye right

Well who else then? He's hardly been booked badly?

Snooki.

She's looking like she'll be a force in the squared circle.