World Wrestling Entertainment's performers don't get a lot of time to themselves, so when the WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella spoke to nzherald.co.nz on his day off, we made the most of our moment with the Italian wrestling star.

Santino Marella is looking forward to visiting Auckland. Photo / Supplied

Santino Marella is looking forward to visiting Auckland. Photo / Supplied

He's sports-mad, well-groomed, loves the Old Country, and he injects a hefty dose of passion into every word he speaks. In every way, Santino Marella is your typical modern Italian man.

He's also a surprise worldwide hit with pro wrestling fans after only a year in the big league.

Dubbed the "Milan Miracle" for his heroics during one exceptional night in Italy where he won the Intercontinental title during his debut match, Marella has taken the nasty-foreign-guy role made famous by the likes of the Iron Sheik and turned it into a phenomenon all his own.

"I like to start anger," Marella says of the people he's agitated - a list which includes former WWE Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. "I make them feel alive!"

"People want to see controversy," he confesses in his accented English. "It makes the money."

The 29-year-old is a globetrotter among globetrotters in WWE, having moved between the USA, Italy, Canada and Japan where he spent a number of years studying Judo.

Now he holds the second-tier championship on WWE's flagship television show, Monday Night Raw. It's not the biggest banana in the bunch, but Santino has no intention of losing the title before Raw's stars travel to Auckland in July to perform for Kiwi fans at Vector Arena.

Penguins and scientists, take note: The WWE Intercontinental Champion could be bending bones in your neighbourhood soon.

"When you are Intercontinental Champion, you represent all the countries," he says. Even Antartica? "Yes! I will defend it anywhere. I am the champion of Earth."

Marella says he has no interest in pursuing Raw's top title, the World Heavyweight Championship presently held by Canada's Chris Jericho. At 102kg, Marella is more comfortable punching near his weight rather than above it.

"I'm not a super heavyweight like stupid Batista."

Batista is a multiple-time holder of the World Heavyweight Championship. He's scheduled to make his third appearance in New Zealand where the fans' adoration of him, particularly among the younger ones, is second only to Raw's biggest drawcard - wrestler, rapper and film star John Cena.