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WRESTLER OF THE DAY: SANTINO MARELLA


RIPPA

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I am being totally honest here. I don't hate Santino anywhere near as much as the other guys I have named this week. But I hated that Emma was saddled with him (and that recency effect is what is putting it over the top) and I definitely never wanted to see him wrestle again (at least with the Santino gimmick). But I can't work up as much venom for someone so into BattlARTS

 

Since there was plenty that irritated me over time - I figured I would roll him out today anyway for an appropriate retrospective. I still think he would be perfect for the comedy GM role left vacant by say Teddy Long or Vicki. I just don't know if I ever ever want to watch it.

 

Funnily enough I did like that time the WWE kept teasing he was going to win a major match

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgvoio_wwe-royal-rumble-2011-parte-11-11_sport

 

(The VQ sucks but forward to 10 minutes in)

 

 

 

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Aw, Santino is not my favorite guy but hating on him is kinda like hating on Kikutaro or the Florida Brothers. 

 

 Santino was the first guy in a long time to remind Americans that comedy had a place in pro wrasslin'. Anything that brings rage to the eyes of the WRESTLING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS~! faction makes me happy.

 

The only really negative thing I can say about Santino that we've seen his schtick for so long that it has become cliche.  There are few things worse than a comedian that lives by telling the same joke over and over again and refusing to acknowledge his sell by date has long since expired.

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The travesty of the cage match isn't Santino.  It is mushmouthed Jack Swagger having a kick-ass entrance theme performed the Rage Against The Machine sound alike band..

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Santino was the first guy in a long time to remind Americans that comedy had a place in pro wrasslin'.  Anything that brings rage to the eyes of the WRESTLING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS~! faction makes me happy.

 

There are two guys I feel that do comedy better than anyone else in US wrestling: Archibald Peck and Chuck Taylor. 

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There are a couple of times Santino's comedy really works - like that bit where he eliminates himself from a Battle Royal on a house show is pretty outstanding

 

http://youtu.be/M_Pt5Zo4ycE

 

The problem would be when they would send him out there for like 15 minutes to fill time.

 

I trying to think of a Santino match I liked and I am drawing a blank

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Did you like the mixed tag from NXT? 

 

Havent gotten there yet. I am still ridiculously behind.

 

I mean I just got to the FIRST women's tournament

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I trying to think of a Santino match I liked and I am drawing a blank

 

Now you see!  We're getting somewhere!

 

Whenever I talk about Santino with the guys at work, the conversation goes something like?

 

Me. So you like Santino?

 

Dude:  Yeah, that guy is great and funny as hell!

 

Me: So what is your favorite Santino match or favorite feud he's been in?

 

Dude.  Uhhhhhhhhhh...

 

As much as I like Santino as a comedy worker, he hasn't been in jack for matches in his career that really stand out to me, not even when he was a semi-serious heel opening up cans of the ass whips and getting beaten down by Steve Austin.

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Did you like the mixed tag from NXT?

I can't remember a match with more ridiculous hyperbole surrounding it. I saw someone post "It's a legit top 5 MOTYC." Wow. It's inoffensive but nowhere near the talk it's recieved.

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I really liked Santino before he went too far into the comedy schtick, and they had a chance to give him a big rub when he was cutting promos against Austin, and had The Rock call him out at the Hall of Fame. I thought maybe he would get a legitimate push. Shortly later, I took a small sabbatical from wrestling. When I started watching again, he was a full bore comedy act.

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Emma/Santino vsSummer/Fandango was one of the best matches of 2013. It's the best comedy match in eons. Everyone played their part wonderfully well. Those matches should be appreciated just as much as the "serious" types of matches. They're harder to execute in a lot of ways, since it plays directly in the face of what we expect out of wrestling matches. But they're still just as important.

Wrestling is a big tent, especially the WWE. The WWE really does try and put out there a little bit for everyone. There are smark favorites, superheros like Cena, and silly comedy stuff.

There are only a few performers in the WWE who constantly knock it out of the park with their roles.

Santino was NOT one of them. He was hit-or-miss, just like 95% of all professional wrestlers. But when he hit, it was golden.

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Man, anyone who hates on Santino has a black stain on their hearts. He played his part perfectly and was a highlight every time he was on TV whether that was against the Honkadonk Man or getting the ass whip off Stone Cold

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I trying to think of a Santino match I liked and I am drawing a blank

 

Now you see!  We're getting somewhere!

 

Whenever I talk about Santino with the guys at work, the conversation goes something like?

 

Me. So you like Santino?

 

Dude:  Yeah, that guy is great and funny as hell!

 

Me: So what is your favorite Santino match or favorite feud he's been in?

 

Dude.  Uhhhhhhhhhh...

 

 

As much as I hate to admit it, this is the same way I feel. And I love me some Santino.

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