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A WWE superstar could be following in the footsteps of one of the greats.
Santino Marella is delighted to see his daughter Arianna Grace making waves on NXT, but the 51-year-old wrestling legend thinks she will surpass his own legacy and become the next Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
TNA Wrestling’s on-screen director of authority exclusively told Metro: ‘We used to call her “The female Rock”. We wanted her to be the female Rock, right?
‘You know, have a wonderful career, and then use that platform for good and branch out to do whatever you want, really. But she has the potential to be a female Rock, with regards to her brand.’
Santino always figured his daughter was destined for bright lights, although he didn’t think she’d necessarily make wrestling a family business.
‘I didn’t even think about it when she was little. I just thought she was going to be like on television in some capacity, but not as a professional wrestler,’ he said.
‘But then when she graduated university, I was like, “Do you want to do this, because it’s pretty fun”. And as a parent, you try and instill the value of travel. And this comes with that, building your brand and entertaining.’
The former Intercontinental Champion pointed out how a career in WWE can be an ‘excellent living’ to make, and his daughter has been impressing her coaches.
‘It’s gonna be fun to watch her have her moment and do her thing and just sit back as a parent and watch,’ he said. ‘But everywhere I go, anytime I’m meeting fans, they’re always singing her praises, and everyone’s excited for what the future holds.
‘Even when I go to the PC, all the coaches always talk about her work ethic and her positivity. It’s fun as a parent to hear those really good reports.’
While Arianna is clearly putting in the work to make her dreams come true, Santino admitted she’s also a clear ‘natural’ in the wrestling world.
‘She’s a natural, she was like that since she was a child,’ he smiled, noting how Arianna understands the little details and facial expressions to make things work.
He added: ‘She gets that part, and her wrestling is definitely good enough now. I mean, the caliber of wrestling on the main roster is pretty elite these days. But she’s right there, she’s ready at any time.’
Santino Marella will be in the UK for GrandSlam Wrestling in Portsmouth and Dorchester on October 30 and 31. WWE NXT airs Tuesday nights at 1am on Netflix. Keep up with all the nonstop TNA Wrestling action via the TNA+ app.
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