Santino Marella isn’t going anywhere when his current TNA deal runs out. The Director of Authority has revealed that he’s officially re-signed with the company for another year, saying TNA’s current momentum made staying an easy decision.
Speaking on The Johnny I Pro Show, Marella addressed all the recent talk surrounding TNA contracts coming up at the end of the year. According to Santino, TNA President Carlos Silva got ahead of the situation and approached him about sticking around.
“Okay, yeah, I mean, there’s a lot of talk about TNA contracts expiring at the end of the year. Carlos is very proactive, and he talked to me last week and said, ‘Of course, we’d love you back.’ So, I signed for another year with TNA.”
Marella didn’t sound like he needed much convincing either. He pointed to where TNA is heading right now and the momentum surrounding the company since Impact moved to AMC as major reasons why another year felt right.
“It feels like the right thing to do. It’s the right time — the direction we’re going, the momentum we have. Ever since we started with AMC, it’s been incredible. The locker room continues to shine.”
Interestingly, Santino is even enjoying some of the negativity TNA has been getting online. He sees the increased criticism as a sign that more people are paying attention, especially after he felt the company proved doubters wrong heading into Bound for Glory.
“I notice there’s more hate online this year, which is a good thing. They were doubting us going into Bound for Glory — we showed it to everyone, threw it in their faces.”
Marella has remained a major on-screen part of TNA throughout the company’s recent changes. His Director of Authority role has allowed him to make matches and oversee the roster while also putting him directly into several storylines rather than simply having him appear as a traditional authority figure.
That became especially noticeable throughout 2025, when Santino’s real-life daughter Arianna Grace became heavily involved in his TNA storylines through the WWE-NXT partnership. The two even teamed together in TNA, while Santino’s problems with Robert Stone eventually led to him fighting to retain his position as Director of Authority.
Things got considerably more personal by the end of that year. After Santino teamed with Mike Santana, Steve Maclin and The Hardys against Team NXT in a Steel Cage match, Grace turned on her father and sided with Stacks, giving Santino a low blow after locking herself inside the cage with him.
His authority role has continued to evolve in 2026 as well. TNA’s AMC debut introduced another wrinkle when Daria Rae arrived as Director of Operations, immediately clashing with Santino and claiming she could do his job better than him.
That power struggle is something Marella expects to keep playing with now that he’s sticking around. He sees himself as someone making decisions with the audience in mind, while Daria approaches things from a much more business-focused perspective.
“Being an authority figure, of course, we have an issue with Daria Rae, who’s imposing her authority. She’s business-oriented, but I think I come from the perspective of fans more, and we butt heads a little bit. It makes for entertaining TV.”
That rivalry has remained part of Impact throughout 2026, with Santino and Daria occasionally battling over decisions involving the roster. As recently as August, both were involved in making and disputing matches while Daria continued adding talent to the Knockouts division.
Santino has already been through family drama, WWE-NXT crossover stories and an entirely new authority battle during his latest stretch with TNA. Now that another year is officially locked in, his ongoing issues with Daria Rae won’t have to be wrapped up because of an expiring contract.
What do you think about Santino Marella re-signing with TNA for another year, and do you want to see his power struggle with Daria Rae continue? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
