Commentator, interviewer, and announcer Kathy Campanelli (real name Alyssa Marino) has joined WWE’s NXT brand and is now working under the name Kat Marino. According to SquaredCirleSirens.com, she made her NXT debut at last night’s NXT live event in Melbourne, FL.
Marino trained at the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy, having taken the school’s advocates class, which is a class to train students in the non-wrestling aspect of a wrestling show. She is the second person from the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy to sign with WWE, after Jake Atlas.
Originally Marino did a wrestler tryout at Santino Bros., which lead to her becoming a character as the Santino Bros.’ live events, Kathy from HR before transitioning into more of an announcing and commentary role.
In Southern California, Marino was a regular on Championship Wrestling from Hollywood as a backstage interviewer and did commentary for Bar Wrestling, Santino Bros., Ground Zero, and Rouge Wrestling among others. She also worked as a host for IndeppendentWrestling.tv.
Additionally, she did recaps of WOW – Women of Wrestling’s weekly show on AXS TV for this website.
Marino is the most recent personality from Championship Wrestling from Hollywood to join WWE’s NXT brand. Previously Cathy Kelley, Johnny Quasto and Christy Olson (who later left the company) had joined NXT after appearing regularly for Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.
The last Southern California event that Marino did commentary for as Kathy Campanelli was the January 4, 2020, Santino Bros. event, At Last, which was posted on YouTube this week.
Before getting into wrestling Marino went to school for four years to become an opera singer. She is also an avid fan of cereal and has a YouTube channel where she interviews wrestlers while eating cereal.
