Santino Marella Says TNA Wrestling Can Overtake AEW as Number Two Promotion

Santino Marella isn’t just enjoying his time in TNA Wrestling—he sees it as the fastest-rising promotion in the game. In a world where WWE remains the top dog and AEW dominates headlines with Tony Khan’s billionaire backing, Marella believes it’s TNA that’s truly leveling up. And he’s not holding back when it comes to making bold predictions.

During a conversation with Lucha Libre Online, Marella reflected on how far TNA has come, saying it wasn’t long ago that they were pulling in just a few hundred fans at shows in cities like Nashville and Toronto. But those days are behind them now. With bigger crowds and consistent sellouts, Marella believes Bound for Glory in Lowell, Massachusetts will only keep the momentum rolling.

“Yeah, it’s incredible — and people from TNA’s past are happy for us. The current locker room is ecstatic about the growth. When I came here, it wasn’t like this. Sometimes we were in Nashville or even Toronto with 350 to 500 people, but we believed in ourselves. Now we’ve got an audience size that feels right, and we deliver every time. Every time we’ve had a sold-out crowd, we’ve never missed. We’ve never wasted an opportunity, and Lowell, Massachusetts, at Bound for Glory is going to be another one.”

Marella then zoomed out to talk about the bigger picture in the wrestling world. While WWE is still far ahead of the pack, he’s confident that the number two spot is up for grabs—and he thinks TNA can grab it.

“We’re going to capitalize on that audience and send a message to the wrestling world: we’re here, we’re knocking on the door — and you better look out, because once we get that TV deal, we’re number two. I know people say Tony Khan has lots of money — I get it. But the fans speak. The fans decide who’s number one, number two, number three — not a bank account. WWE is number one, of course. They’re so far ahead we’ll never catch them in my lifetime. But number two? That’s definitely attainable. Number two is absolutely something we can do.”

With reports that TNA is currently eyeing a $10 million media deal for a weekly live show, it’s clear the company isn’t sitting still. They’re moving with purpose—and Santino Marella’s confidence may not be misplaced.

TNA might not have Tony Khan’s wallet, but they’ve got the heart, the shows, and a loyal fanbase—and if that TV deal lands, the power rankings in pro wrestling might shift sooner than expected.

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