Marella Says TNA Offers More Creative Freedom
Santino Marella says TNA gives performers more individual creative latitude than WWE or AEW, though it operates with fewer writers and producers.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Wrestling
Santino Marella, a TNA authority figure and recently re-signed contract holder, said on the We R Wrestling Podcast that TNA performers enjoy more creative freedom than those at WWE and AEW. He noted that TNA does not employ 15 writers or 15 producers, the staffing levels he attributed to WWE.
Why it matters
The comments frame creative control as a point of differentiation for smaller wrestling promotions competing with larger rivals. Television broadcasts also require quality control to avoid content that could offend sponsors, which shapes how much freedom performers can ultimately exercise.
Marella's remarks rest on his own account of WWE's staffing, with WWE reportedly using 15 writers and 15 producers. The figures are not independently verified in the source, and no comparable headcount is given for TNA beyond the statement that it does not employ those numbers.
The players
Santino Marella
Santino Marella is a former WWE wrestler and manager who later became a prominent authority figure and ambassador for TNA Wrestling.
The details
Asked on the We R Wrestling Podcast what separates TNA from WWE and AEW, Marella pointed to individual creative latitude for performers rather than corporate-level direction. He acknowledged that television promotions must manage content to avoid offending sponsors.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Article published with Santino Marella's comments on TNA creative freedom.
Season Trajectory
Marella's comparison places TNA within the ongoing rivalry between WWE and AEW, where promotions compete on how their creative structures affect talent. TNA's pitch of performer latitude challenges the larger writing and producing operations that Marella attributes to WWE.
The comments signal that TNA is positioning performer autonomy as a selling point, which may influence how wrestlers weigh offers between promotions. Fans tracking talent movement may watch whether that stated freedom shows up in TNA's on-screen storylines.
The takeaway
Creative autonomy is becoming a recruiting argument for smaller wrestling promotions, but the claim rests on one executive's account. Readers can judge the difference by comparing storylines across TNA, WWE, and AEW over time.
Further reading
For more on how promotions compare, see Wrestling coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fightful.
