Tony Salantri

Infobox Wrestler
name=Tony Salantri

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img_capt=
names=Tony Santorelli
Tony Stradlin
Tony Salantri
height= height|ft=6|in=1
weight= convert|200|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date = birth date and age|1980|10|4
death_date =
birth_place = San Antonio, Texas, United States
death_place =
resides=
billed= Los Angeles, California
trainer=UPW staff
debut=2001
retired=2008|

Tony Salantri is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Tony Santorelli or Tony Stradlin, who competed in North American independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and Deep South Wrestling, a developmental territory of World Wrestling Entertainment. [ cite web |url=http://www.dswrestling.com/tonysantarelli.html |title=Deep South Wrestling: Tony Santarelli |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2006 |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060617124825/http://www.dswrestling.com/tonysantarelli.html |archivedate=2006-06-17 |quote= ]

One half of the tag team High Impact with Mike Taylor, he and Taylor were the first DSW Tag Team Champions holding the titles for a record 4 1/2 months.

Career

Early career

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Salantri started wrestling locally for Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Academy in 2001. During 2002, Salantri began wrestling for NWA Wildside participating in a battle royal for the NWA "Beat the Champ" Championship on April 19. He was the last man to be eliminated by Destiny. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/wildside/wild-btc.html |title=N.W.A. Beat the Champ Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

In July, he made an appearance at CZW Deja Vu losing to M-Dogg 20 and, the following year, he performed for Bill Behrens' NWA Wildside forming a tag team with Todd Sexton. Known as TNT, he and Sexton would feud with the Lost Boys over the NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship holding the titles on two occasions.

Salantri moved on to Ultimate Pro Wrestling teaming with Kid Vicious, he lost to MTV celebrity wrestler "The Real World"'s The Miz and Lil Nate on July 11, 2003. During early 2004, he would defeat Lil Nate in a singles match and later won the Mat Wars championship tournament defeating The Miz in the tournament finals. On May 16, he lost to Tatsuhito Takaiwa in a match for the vacant NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship in Tokyo, Japan on May 16. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/int-j.html |title=N.W.A. International Junior Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Briefly feuding with Frankie Kazarian, he and Tommy Wilson began teaming together defeating Frankie Kazarian & Andrew Hellman on June 12 and Supa Badd & Shawn Riddik on July 17, 2004. After appearing on WWE Velocity against Último Dragón on December 13, [ cite web |url=http://www.oowrestling.com/recaps/excess/20031213.shtml
title=WWE Saturday Night Block Recaps: If At First You Don't Succeed... |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2003-12-15 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=OnlineOnslaught.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/features/default.asp?aID=9 198 |title=WWE Velocity TV report |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author=Eckstrom, Nathan |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2003-12-13 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Wrestling Observer |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] he joined Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in October 2004 although had little success, [ cite web |url=http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com/results/2005_results.html |title=Pro Wrestling Guerrilla - Results |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2005 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=ProWrestlingGuerrilla.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] he did score later victories over Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels and Colt Cabana.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Deep South Wrestling

On March 17, 2005 Salantri signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) although he continued wrestling for NWA Wildside during early 2005 teaming with Sexton losing to Azrael & Tony Mamaluke and, in a 6-man tag team match with Brandon Thomaselli and Todd Sexton, defeated Caprice Coleman, Sal and Vito Thomaselli on April 16. Making his last appearance on April 30, he and Sexton lost to Caprice Coleman & Tony Mamaluke after both he and Sexton were put in submission holds.

Eventually assigned to WWE's developmental Deep South Wrestling territory under the name Tony Santorelli, he formed High Impact with Mike Taylor and made their debut at Deep South Wrestling's first televised event defeating The Regulators (Mike & Todd Shane) on September 1, although they would loose to the Shane Twins in a rematch at a WWE live event three days later as well as to Team Elite on September 8.

Defeating Kid Kash & Johnny Parisi and the Slaughter Boys later that month, they would also wrestle Team Elite to a 30 minute time limit draw on September 30. Facing Team Elite and The Regulators in several matches during October, Salantri would also face Mike Knox in a singles match losing to him on October 27. Defeating Nunzio & Big Vito on November 3 due to outside interference by The Regulators, he would also defeat Palmer Cannon during the opening rounds of the DSW Heavyweight Championship Tournament before being eliminated in the semi-finals by Mike Knox on December 1, 2005.

After defeating Team Elite on December 15, Salantri began wrestling singles matches defeating Eric Perez, Johnny Parisi and The Freakin' Deacon during the next few weeks before losing to Mike Know in a match to decide the number one contender to the DSW Heavyweight Championship on January 26, 2006. He and Taylor eventually appeared in a dark match on Monday Night Raw defeating Team Elite (Mike Knox & Derrick Neikirk) on February 6.

Within months of their debut, High Impact won the DSW Tag Team titles in a championship tournament defeating Cocki Siaki & Bradley Jay, Team Elite and the Gymini in the tournament finals on May 18 to become the first DSW Tag Team champions. During the next several months, he and Taylor would successfully defend the titles against The Bulldogs (Kid Kash & Jamie Noble) and Urban Assault. He, along with Mike and Tracy Taylor, appeared at Six Flags in a commercial for the supercard Park Slam on June 9. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=16506 |title=Deep South Wrestling TV report |accessdate= |author=Goodman, Larry |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2006-06-08 |year= |month= |format=
work= |publisher=Wrestling Observer |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

In September, Salantri lost to Bradley Jay in a DSW title match. On October 5, 2006, lost the titles to the Untouchables. On October 19, 2006, he lost a singles title match to Bradley Jay. In their last appearance with the promotion, he and Taylor lost to DSW Tag Team Champions Gymini when Salantri was pinned by Jesse Gymini in January 2007; [ cite web |url=http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/showreports/2007/148.html |title=Show Reports: January 14, 2007 |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007-01-14 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] Tony, as well as Mike Taylor and their valet Tracy Taylor, were released on January 20. [ cite web |url=http://www.angrymarks.com/news/View.php?ArticleID=765 |title=01/20/07: Even MORE WWE Releases |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007-01-20 |year= |month= |format=
work= |publisher=AngryMarks.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] [ cite web |url=http://dailywrestling.com/articles/171330341.php |title=Four More Developmental Talents Released, Total Up To 20 |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author=Pena, Dan |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007-01-20 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=DailyWrestling.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] [ cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/01/19/3407911.html
title=Tatanka, Bill DeMott and WWE prospects latest WWE cuts |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007-01-20 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=SLAM! Wrestling |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Independents

Continuing to team with Taylor on the independent circuit in early 2007, they would eventually return to the NWA wrestling in Georgia Championship Wrestling winning the GCW Tag Team Championship on April 18 before losing the titles on May 30. Several months later, he resurfaced in NWA Anarchy feuding with his former tag team partner Todd Sexton and eventually teamed with Andrew Pendelton III against Sexton and Wesley Grissom, losing to them in a televised match during mid-August. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1187639498.shtml |title=PWU’s ‘Diamond Anniversary’ 9/15; TV Debut Info; More Added to 11/3 at SportsPlex; 8/18 Results |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author=Martin, Adam |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007-08-20 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=WrestleView.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

He later formed an alliance with Melissa Coates and continued to taunt Sexton on Anarchy TV during the next several weeks although, at one point, he was later escorted from the NWA Arena after a storyline confrontation with promoter Jerry Palmer during an Anarchy TV taping on September 10. During an in ring interview with Coates on September 15, he was finally confronted by Grissom who was attacked by Salantri and Coates before Sexton ran them off. However, Salantri abruptly left NWA Anarchy to move to California and has since retired from professional wrestling. [ cite web |url=http://nwa-wildside.com/news/viewnews.cgi?category=all&id=1190042137
title=NWA Wildside/Worldwide News: September 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-10-26 |author=Behrens, Bill |authorlink= |coauthors=Larry Goodman |date=2007-09-17 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=NWA-Wildside.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Championships and accomplishments

*Deep South Wrestling
**DSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Mike Taylor - first champions [ cite web |url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttdsw.html |title=DSW Tag Team Title History |accessdate= |author=Tanabe, Hisaharu |authorlink= |coauthors=Brian Westcott |date= |year=2007 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Solie's Title Histories |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*National Wrestling Alliance :Regional :*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Mike Taylor [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-t.html |title=N.W.A. Georgia Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Todd Sexton [ cite web |url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/gttmcw.html |title=DSW Georgia Tag Team Title History |accessdate= |author=Tanabe, Hisaharu |authorlink= |coauthors=Brian Westcott, Eric Roelfsema and Jim Dupree |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Solie's Title Histories |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked him # 320 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2006
**PWI ranked him # 329 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2003

References

External links

* [http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/t/tony-santorelli.php Profile at Online World of Wrestling]
* [http://www.bodyslamming.com/dsw/tonystradlin.html Other Superstars - Tony Santarelli]
* [http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/santarelli.html DSW Superstars - Tony Stradlin]
* [http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1796&worker=Tony+Santarelli CageMatch.de - Tony Santarelli] ger