Tino Sabbatelli: The Character Tino Was One Of The Biggest Dropped Balls WWE Had

Tino Sabbatelli was a well known name in the sports world before he made it to WWE as a second round pick in the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Sabbatelli’s NFL career ended in 2011 after six seasons and he made his way to the world of wrestling. 

Sabbatelli spent most of his career in NXT and was rarely used as a regular despite his look and athletic background. 

Speaking on his Power Alphas podcast, Tino gave his thoughts on why he believes WWE dropped the ball with him. 

“I’ll be honest with you, the character Tino, in my eyes, I’ll say it, was one of the biggest dropped balls and missed opportunities that WWE had. I had people tell that to me, I believe it, I’ll never vow away from it. That being said, I’m not going to get mad, I’m not going to be bitter, I’m going to be grateful for that opportunity. I’m going to shake their hand and say ‘thank you’ because I know I’ve been successful. I know the work I’ve put in. I know who I am as a man. You’re not going to dictate, you’re not putting me on stage or not writing me in a story, it’s not going to make me go home and be sad,” he said. 

He continued, “It’s just a shame that, that character Tino didn’t get the push it deserved. I would have loved to see where that character went because I had people, legends like Scott Hall, Dusty Rhodes, rest in peace. They both pulled me aside and said, ‘Kid, you got the it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t.’ Those were the moments that kept me going. I wasn’t good at wrestling, at first, it was hard. For me, to hear the boos when I would go out. I would remember The Revival [FTR], they said to me one time, ‘I’ve never seen a heel, when their music hits, get hated like you with no push and no storyline. I can’t wait to see when they actually start to push you.’ That’s what kept me driven.”

Tino’s fiance and co-host Mandy Rose praised him for his attitude and work ethic, relating to his experiences with her own. 

“I used to hear all the time, ‘wait until Vince McMahon sees you.’ The last thing about Tino, which was sad to me, I won’t name names, but there was a writer that was in the business for 15 years and a writer for Vince for 10. He texted me about a month after we parted ways. ‘I’ve been in the business 15 years. I’ve never seen or witnessed a bigger dropped ball on a megastar than you.’ I was grateful for that. To this day, I believe Vince could hear this or not, Triple H could hear this or not. I don’t know if they ever had a character with the total package of being a former NFL starter, a former elite world-class athlete. The character was built like Superman. I don’t know, arguable or not, that a guy who could talk, had presence, had all that. He used to say to me that I had all that, but he wanted me to get better in the ring. I needed time to do that, and I did. For me, I truly believe, I promise you, that industry has never a seen total package of a guy like Tino,” he stated.

Tino noted that Brock Lesnar was an insane athlete, but Brock didn’t make it in the NFL like he did and that other former football players in the WWE never had the success he did in the NFL. 

Tino was released by WWE in April 2020, briefly appeared on AEW television, re-signed with WWE in October 2020, and was released again in June 2021. 

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