Santino Marella On His WWE Release, Talk Of A WWE Return, Bodybuilding Contest With Cody Rhodes

Anthony "Santino Marella" Carelli recently appeared on Main Event Radio for a 1-on-1 interview with Ryan Rider. They discussed his WWE retirement, Battle Arts, picks for tonight's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view and more. They sent us these highlights, you can download the full interview by clicking here.

His health:

"Health is awesome. I recently did laser light therapy on my lower back and my back feels like I'm in my 20's. Unbelievable. I tried it on my neck though and after double fusion [surgery] it's not bringing my neck to how I want it to be. My mobility for day-to-day life is perfect."

His WWE release:

"Because I was off with my injury, they had the option to extend my contract for as long as I was off. At first they were going to do that and be extended until 2017, and instead they decided not to invoke their clause and have my contract expire in June [of 2016]. And that was it. They treated me and my family really well. It was a weird day. I was about to leave on a trip to Florida with my wife and I saw the office calling. That was it, the run came to an end. It was liberating though, life after WWE here we go."

Possible WWE return:

"There was discussion with WWE of me taking on a non-wrestling role. I thought it was going to be Smackdown GM but I guess they decided to give it to someone else but that's fine. If I did go back now it would have to be on a one-day a week schedule and I could probably swing that.

"People come up to me in public all the time and say it isn't the same without me. It's all the time that I hear this. Must be something to it that people are missing you. I was the real people's champion. I came from the audience, 5'10, not overly muscular. I see a lot of kids looking up to me. Every dog can have its day, miracles can happen. People related to it, they can visualize themselves as seeing anything being possible."

Bodybuilding contest with Cody Rhodes:

"Cody was young and brash and we were jawjacking back and forth. He called me fat. And I said yeah maybe I am fat but I could lose this weight and if I do I'll have a bodybuilding contest and beat you. Everyone was egging us on so we set the date for the Wrestlemania [25] afterparty. Months and months of preparation and I went from 230 pounds to 203 pounds. I did my hour of cardio every day, I got a posing instructor and professional tights. Kid Rock was hanging out and jamming with the bands. When they called for Muscle Mania (what it was called), Kid Rock said "okay I'm out of here," and he left the stage. I won. I basically used competition to bring out the best in me."