Folks, wrestling just gave us one of those wholesome moments you didn’t know you needed—Arianna Grace, the rising star of WWE NXT, reunited with her father, the legendary Santino Marella, at TNA Victory Road 2024. While Grace is all business, her father remains, well, pure Santino—bringing his signature charm, hilarity, and, of course, his struggle with basic pronunciation.
This family moment was brought to you courtesy of WWE and TNA’s ongoing partnership, where Grace, in her role as the official “NXT/TNA Liaison,” stepped into her father’s comedic world. The segment opened with Marella gleefully embracing his daughter, only for Grace to immediately put on her professional hat. “I’m here to be serious, Dad,” she insisted. But Santino Marella being Santino, he couldn’t resist a little fun—mispronouncing “Liaison,” naturally—leaving Grace to correct him as the internet collectively chuckled.
Grace, clearly proud of her role, echoed her father’s comedic tone, posting a reaction online: “As Miss ‘NXT’ and the new liaison of NXTNA, I must say that I do look forward to working with you Mr. Marella.” If this back-and-forth is a sign of things to come, this TNA/WWE crossover could be comedy and wrestling gold.
It’s still up in the air how this father-daughter dynamic will play out in the partnership, but one thing’s clear—fans loved this rare televised reunion. Santino Marella is as proud as ever, and Arianna Grace continues to prove that she’s taking the wrestling world seriously… even when Dad’s around.