Anthony Carelli (aka “Santino Marella”)

Biography:

Santino Marella (real name Anthony Carelli) is a Canadian professional wrestler, actor, and martial artist. He trained in judo and mixed martial arts before joining WWE’s developmental system. His WWE debut in April 2007 became one of the most memorable in company history: pulled from the crowd in Milan, Italy as a “random fan,” he was placed in a match against Umaga and shocked the audience by winning the Intercontinental Championship in his first night on the job. The storyline made him an instant fan favorite.

Over his WWE run (2007–2014), Marella reinvented himself as one of the company’s premier comedy characters. He held the Intercontinental Championship twice, won the United States Championship, and captured the World Tag Team Championship with Vladimir Kozlov. His signature finisher, the “Cobra” — a hand puppet strike with a sock — became one of WWE’s most recognizable comedic gimmicks. He also hosted the talk-show segment “The Santino Marella Show” and appeared in the all-female parody character Santina Marella, his “twin sister.”