A Modest Blog on the destruction of Santino’s career

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I don’t usually demand to know specifics, but I absolutely need to know who decided to turn Santino Marella face. He was the single funniest, rudest thing to hit WWE in ages, drawing legitimate heat everywhere. He was the best Intercontinental Champion in ages, as his cheating and Honk-a-meter gimmick had the real potential to draw if it were let to grow. People hated him, laughed at him, and wanted to see him get beat up. It was the perfect set up, one that hasn’t occurred since the Honky Tonk Man had the I-C title over 20 years ago. So what does WWE do? They turn him face.

As a face, the audience is expected to laugh with Santino, but he’s utterly ridiculous. His lack of skill and big mouth make him worthy of contempt, but now we’re supposed to get behind him just because he’s making fun of heels who have accomplished far more than he ever will? Marella is not the Rock- he can’t be a total jerk and get away with it by being so damn cool since Santino is the epitome of a lame in over his head. Since the audience doesn’t want to support the annoying Marella, he’s now often being held off Raw entirely besides his occasional weak comedy skit and appearing on Superstars as a pure jobber. This is the fast track out of the company for any wrestler, let alone one whose skills are as limited as Marella. It’s a shame that the WWE has destroyed one of the most entertaining heat machines of recent years and I want to know who was responsible for it, so Meltzer, Keller, whoever else there is that still has scoops on this, get on that!

Glazer is a former senior editor at Pulse Wrestling and editor and reviewer at The Comics Nexus.