Santino Marella added another line to a resume that already spans two combat sports and a professional wrestling career that made him a household name.
The former WWE Intercontinental and United States Champion won gold at Jiu-Jitsu Con, competing for Zenith BJJ in the Master 5 purple belt super heavyweight division. He finished ahead of four other competitors to take the top spot on the podium.
Marella, who currently serves as TNA Director of Authority, came into Jiu-Jitsu with a judo background, and that grappling foundation has clearly translated well to the mats.
The win didn’t come without a physical toll. Shortly after landing back in Toronto following the event, Marella gave fans a candid look at how the weekend had left him.
“Just landed back in Toronto. It was a hard-fought weekend to say the least. My jaw is not perfectly aligned. My back is a bit f***ed up, & my feet are bleeding, I’m afraid to take off my shoes,” Marella wrote.
Even so, he made clear the result made it all worth it.
“We got gold though so that’s a sweet feeling. Thank you to everybody is all I can say at this time,” he added.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
