The latest guest on Insight With Chris Van Vilet was Sabatino Piscitelli (Tino Sabbatelli in WWE), who spoke about his several stints with the company and how he was grateful for the opportunity at the times he had them. Sabatino later details why he was cut on both occasions, and whether he would ever return. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says he is grateful for his time in WWE:
“I was extremely grateful for the opportunity because I was going through a transitional phase in my life. I played 6 years in the NFL and was very grateful, but I was very bitter. I was just cut like that, I had started my last game on TV and had 8 tackles, but never played again, which was a mental struggle. But WWE came along and Canyon Ceman offered me the opportunity. I’m like really? OK. I was a casual fan, not a die hard, but he offered me this opportunity. They flew me out to Orlando for a try-out and they offered me the opportunity, which I thought about for about 3 months. I was extremely honored to be a professional athlete in a whole different industry. So I took it, moved to Orlando and I humbled myself, because you are starting right at the bottom. The tough thing about that is that you suck. You are not good at something when you start something new.”
On why his second release from WWE happened:
“Oh I know why it happened, but they are not allowed to publicly say. NXT is all different now, and Vince is in a fad all of a sudden. I think it’s a business plan but he wants young. I couldn’t wrap my head around that for 2 reasons. First, they all think that I am in my 20s, but is anyone built like me? If I am out of shape then fine but really? I had a conversation with John Laurinaitis, and at the end I wanted to ask him if I knew who I was. The conversation was so generic, like he was talking to a script. He told me personally that I couldn’t fathom. He couldn’t say age, but it was age. I think Vince saw the name Tino, been on NXT for 6 years and not a star? Then get him out.”
Whether he would ever return to WWE:
“The sad thing is, what I heard about the age thing is I say no. Personally I think if Vince saw me face to face then I hope so. But if I saw Vince face to face, I don’t know what I would say. This is just my opinion of being in the business for 5 or 6 years, I want to say this right. Personally I think that the character of Tino was a huge dropped opportunity for WWE. For me, it’s like how do I walk away from it all now? I fell in love and respect the business, I want to become great at the business. But they amped me up and never gave me a shot? If they gave me a shot and then I failed then OK, thank you. But I never got that or anything, and that’s what still beats me up.”
(Thanks to Chris Van Vilet for sending us quotes)