Episode 62's guest is someone who is and will be fondly remembered in WWE lore for decades to come, and that is Santino Marella. This episode is a real treat, as we get a look at more of the man than the character, getting into Santino's legit past in MMA, and find out how he made his way down to OVW where he was trained, and signed from by WWE. He mentions the trainer who he learned the most from, as well as what he thought about working under Paul Heyman with a very different gimmick than what he eventually debuted as. Santino Marella is, of course, that gimmick, and we discuss his big debut in Italy, beating Umaga for the Intercontinental Championship. Shortly thereafter, he lost the title back to Umaga, and eventually turned heel. He talks about how and why he believes the original way the character was portrayed didn't get over with the audience, and briefly covers working with Maria Kanellis. From there, Santino always seemed to be in the mix with big name returning stars, and celebrity guests, showing the trust the company began to have in him. We covered his times mixing it up with names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Snoop Dogg, and even possible Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump! Santino wasn't very impressed with Trump's abilities as an entertainer, and he explains why. We go over the "Glamarella" team, his second IC title run, and the Honkameter. He also had some unique appearances in the Royal Rumble, including one of the quickest eliminations of all time, and lasting until the final two with Alberto Del Rio in 2011. Santino then talks about the audience's unique connection to the character in an almost "Rocky Balboa" like way, as he would always be so close to winning a big one or climbing further up the ladder, only to ultimately lose. We discuss his championship team with Vladimir Kozlov, and how their association changed his character. We go over many other things, including wrestling conventions, working with John Laurinaitis both behind the curtain and in front of the camera, how he came up with "The Cobra," and the ultimate battle between his Cobra and Mick Foley's "Mr. Socko," the return of Brock Lesnar, CM Punk's departure and his chances at succeeding in the UFC, the WWE Network, the neck injuries that ultimately shortened his in-ring career, and finally, the problems with NXT gimmicks not working on the main roster, as well as working with Emma, and what may have shortened their team and their angle together. We also discuss Santino's "Battle Arts Academy," what inspired it, what he hopes for it in the future, and if it could ultimately become a feeder program for NXT. You can visit Battle Arts Academy at battleartsacademy.ca and you can follow Santino on Twitter at @milanmiracle. Please support Creative Control by going to prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney and checking out our t shirts. The first fan to buy one of each of our three shirts wins an AJ Styles autographed figure!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3475952/advertisement