King Pitcos Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 At a house show last night, Santino said he's suffered his third big neck injury and he's jacking it in. He's hardly been around the last year it seems because of injuries and his gym, and his act wore thin when he was wrestling Fandango every week for six months, but it's still a bitter blow to the roster to have him gone. One of the most interesting wrestlers below the main event. His Royal Rumble ending with Del Rio was one of the most fun there - he was absolutely perfect as the underdog who might finally win a big one. Did the same thing a year later with Bryan, too. Apart from those moments, his best stuff was his 2007-2008 heel run, peaking with the Honk-a-Meter IC title reign... Sadly ended by a misjudged title switch onto Regal. Santino was the king of maximising one's minutes. Â Â Goodbye, Santino. And thank you. Â Edit: This should have been its own thread from the start, you fuckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane O' Mac Version 2 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I don't think this is really goodbye. He definitely has a place as an on-screen character. He could be someone's wacky manager, strike someone with the Cobra and celebrate while doing the trumpet. Santino's act has never been about the wrestling matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted July 7, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted July 7, 2014 Troll. Â I nearly started a thread when I read about it. Seems appropriate for someone who has been on WWE TV for the best part of 7 years and has had to quit rather than being let go. However, the more I thought about it, I realised it was almost completely unmemorable. Â His Royal Rumble runner-up spot was obviously the highlight. Enjoyed his team with Kozlov and some of the early IC Title run. Other than that, I'm a bit stumped for 7 years of work. Â I do know that for most of it, I found him harmless and often funny. At some point in the last 2 or 3 years, he crossed over into massive FF material. I don't know when I last watched anything with him in. Â Agree with Pity though. He's made a hell of a career out of very little. Strange that he's so prone to neck injuries given that his ring style is seemingly easy. Can't argue with how popular he's been. Audiences genuinely loved him. No wonder wrestling fans are held in such contempt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Invisible Boy Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Yeah I'll miss seeing Santino wrestle, he was a comedy wrestler but that's what made him different and so entertaining. From what he said in his announcement though it seems he'll be sticking around and yeah I would so love Santino as GM! Â Here's a link to the video by the way: Santino Announces Retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted July 7, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted July 7, 2014 I remember quite a bit of Santino's work, even though I've not seen much of his stuff the last two years. Â The Royal Rumble bit was awesome, as was the Honk-a-Meter, but he also had some great moments as a heel, like when he cheap-shotted Lawler and nicked his sandwich, or when he was feuding with Austin over "The Condemned" ("Maybe it's Tom Hanks with the AIDS" must be one of the funniest lines I've ever heard in WWE). "Santina" was downright stupid, but had some funny moments, and whilst the Beth Phoenix thing wasn't great comedy material, it was memorable. Being a dick boyfriend to Maria Kanellis was a good little storyline (even if it did lead to that stupid WM moment of Snoop Dogg basically cheating on his wife with her). Â His debut was also pretty memorable, to be fair - sure, he wasn't the comedy character yet, but it was a neat little piece of booking to debut an Italian character in Italy, having him "picked from the crowd" to win the IC straight away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Dammer Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Had a great run for a comedy character and for a while was one of few I wouldnt fast forward when watching RAW. Hes responsible for some of the most memorable pops of the last few years too ranging from the Rumble spot, the Chamber where he nearly did over newly heel champions Daniel Bryan and then one of the loudest roars I can remember when he won the IC or US title on Raw during the Teddy Long/Laurinitis feud. Exceptional at what he does and should be given the chance to continue it into a manager role or something similar. Â EDIT: Havent seen it in years but I remember an interview he and Zach Ryder did with Tim Lovejoy over here. The difference in the two is so noticeable, Santino completely in character entertaining the host and audience whilst Ryder sits there looking out of his depth and comfort zone and grinning like a dick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinc Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Santino's great and has been since he turned heel the first time, don't understand anyone who thinks otherwise even now. I was part of the Santino-has-main-event-potential crowd back during his Honk-a-Meter heel run and I still maintain that he could've easily taken his comedy character into the world title picture with a couple of tweaks; like Kurt Angle in 2000/01. The Honk-a-Meter was probably the ideal vehicle to start him on that road, always felt it was a shame it was dropped so soon. Â 2011 is one of my favourite years for WWE and I'm not sure I enjoyed anything more than the closing seconds of that year's Royal Rumble. Santino loading up the cobra as though he was Luke Skywalker switching off his targeting computer had me jumping round the kitchen of my student digs in the middle of the night like a mad eejit. Â Hopefully a transition into a non-wrestling role will see his character invigorated somewhat. I actually reckon he could be a more effective manager for Cesaro than Heyman at this point. Cesaro could be the Kurt Angle style comedy World Champ that Santino should've been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trout Stain Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Seven years. Bloody hell, makes me feel old now. Â He had some great moments. The sandwich stealing. The reworking of Rehab by Wino. His role in William Regal's dating game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted July 7, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted July 7, 2014 always had time for Santino, the comedy stuff on WWE broadcasts can be completely shambolic, sometimes it's embarrasing to watch but Santino is one of the few guys that always got a legit laugh out of me. Funny guy, and someone who made the most of a situation that probably would have destroyed most careers. Â How was he as a worker before he went down the comedy route? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCW Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Santino's most memorable moment for me was when he ripped the piss out of Austin's first film for weeks(including singing a piss take version of that Amy Winehouse song about it) before Austin finally came out and gave him a stunner. Â The tea party with Kozlov and Sheamus was good craic too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotlightmagnet1 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Â Sad news, at first I kinda thought 'meh' but then this thread reminded me how good he truly was. I also remember how good a foil he was for Vickie Guerrero during her super heat phase. Although looking back it was really harsh (they just kept calling her a pig) I admit I laughed silly when he squeal in her face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullyRayStoleMyKitKat Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Am a bit sad - but glad that he's going out with his quality of life intact. Â Santino is perfect proof that not all comedy in wrestling has to be cringeworthy. That's not to say he didn't have a few of those moments. Â I think the difference for me between Santino and other performers caught in the comedy spots boils down to one thing - he embraced it fully. Watching half of the Sandow crap at the moment is painful, because you can just see he feels its beneath him, rightly or wrongly. With Santino - OK, it might not have been the role he expected when he first signed up. But he embraced it - he was whose enough to know that not everyone who walks through the curtain is gonna be a 15 time champion, or a part time movie star, or the rabid fans choice. He saw that the light relief role was his niche, and one he filled with admirable talent and effort. Â My Santino Selections: Â The Maria Playboy feud: "Nobody wants to see you in these boobie magazines!" Â The Sheamus/Koslov tea party STILL has me rolling in laughter anytime I see it. Â Purely for the "What in the actual fuck" moment, the Rumble has to be in there. Â And if anyone else knows of a more magnificent unibrow, then I don't know them. Â Â Good on you, my friend: Thanks for the memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelEdge Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 The Maria Playboy feud: "Nobody wants to see you in these boobie magazines!" Â I'll always remember that storyline for when he plastered his face over Maria's on the big magazine cover above the ring then boasted about giving the audience 'an erectile malfunction' :laugh: Â He's really bugged me the last couple of years but a lot of his stuff over the years really had me cracking up. The Honk-a-Meter and nicking Jerry Lawler's Subway are the first two that immediately come to mind. I'll miss having him around tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grecian Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 A couple tha sprung to mind for me... Â He was doing something backstage with Kelly Kelly and kept calling her 'Kelly Kelly... Kelly...' and then going back an counting his Kellys with a confused look always made me chuckle. Â Watching him trying to climb the turnbuckles with his arms tied behind his back for a match with a Diva, possibly Mickie James. Can't remember the context, but Mickie was doing her best not to laugh and failing miserably. Â One of the comedy characters who did genuinely make me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Red Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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