A potential appearance by Santino Marella at this Sunday's Clash in Italy PLE has reportedly been discussed internally by WWE, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select.
The report states that WWE creative floated the possibility of bringing the former Intercontinental Champion in for the Premium Live Event taking place on May 31 in Turin, Italy. However, it’s currently unclear whether the idea progressed beyond the pitching stage.
The suggestion makes sense considering Marella's connection to Italy in WWE storylines. The performer, whose real name is Anthony Carelli, debuted on an episode of RAW held in Milan, Italy. Introduced as a fan pulled from the crowd, Santino shocked audiences by defeating Umaga for the Intercontinental Championship in his very first WWE match.
While the Santino Marella persona leaned heavily into Italian stereotypes, Carelli himself was actually born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. WWE nonetheless billed the character from San Fili, Calabria, Italy throughout his run with the company.
These days, Marella is signed with TNA Wrestling, where he serves as the on-screen Director of Authority. He also made appearances on WWE NXT in 2025 as part of WWE’s ongoing working relationship with TNA, and could quite easily make another cameo this Sunday.
Carelli spent more than a decade with WWE between 2005 and 2016. During that time, he captured the Intercontinental Championship on two occasions, held the United States Championship once, and the WWE Tag Team Championship with Vladimir Kozlov.
He was also part of one of WWE’s more memorable comedy storylines when he portrayed Santina Marella, Santino’s "twin sister," who won the Miss WrestleMania battle royal at WrestleMania XXV.
As for Clash in Italy itself, the show is already shaping up to be a major event. Scheduled matches include Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther, Roman Reigns facing Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship, Brock Lesnar taking on Oba Femi, and Rhea Ripley battling Jade Cargill for the Women’s Championship.
While Marella's return would likely be a one-off, it would be a fun way to pay homage to a wrestler who remains a firm fan-favourite, particularly in his "home country" of Italy.
Here's the full card for the show, in case you need a reminder:
World Heavyweight Championship "Tribal Combat" Match
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
Undisputed WWE Championship Match
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther
WWE Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca
Women's Intercontinental Championship Match
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi