Santino Marella challenged the man who slapped him across the face, Jim Cornette, to a cage match in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. "This loser took advantage of a situation because he knew I would not hit him back because I was a student. He freaked out and he slapped me several times. I did nothing because I think to myself: 'I am not American citizen. I don’t have green card. If I punch this guy, shatter his face the way my punches can actually do, then I’m going to be kicked out of the country.' You can’t just show up somewhere and start breaking skulls, Kevin. It doesn’t work like that."

On a more serious note, Santino said he expects his character to become more of a threat inside the ring. "I think that’s just a natural evolution, because the more popular a character becomes, people want to see him competing for something worth competing for," Marella said. "In order to do that, they must allow my real ability to choke people, armlock people, leglock people and smash people on their heads. It must–this is a good word–permeate through the character. You like that word–permeate?" To read the full interview, click here.

Powell’s POV: I like that word. Santino went back and forth between work and shoot throughout the interview, but he did it in a tongue and cheek style. A really fun read. I'm stunned that WWE hasn't tried to establish Santino as a threat in the ring because he has the potential to be a breakout star.

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