A surprising cross-promotional clash is set to take place next week on WWE NXT, as TNA’s Director of Authority Santino Marella will step back into a WWE ring to challenge for the NXT North American Championship.

Marella will face current champion Ethan Page on the Tuesday, July 29 edition of NXT. This marks Marella’s first WWE match since his brief appearance in the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble, and his first singles bout under the company banner in over a decade.

Page debuted a brand-new custom version of the North American Title during this week’s NXT broadcast, complete with a strap featuring the Canadian flag. He used the moment to deliver a passionate promo praising his Canadian roots while disparaging the United States. The segment was interrupted by Marella, who issued a challenge on the spot for the title match next week.

Though widely known today as an on-screen executive in TNA, Marella has not fully retired from the ring. After stepping away from full-time competition in 2014, he has continued to make occasional appearances in the ring, particularly on the independent circuit. In 2025, he has been more active than at any time in the past decade, making appearances for MLP, AAA, TNA, and several indie promotions.

Now, Marella is set to make an unexpected return to WWE competition, chasing championship gold against the brash and outspoken Ethan Page.