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WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana was a recent guest on VOC Nation’s Wrestling with History podcast following his return to the WWE on Saturday Night’s Main Event. He talked about finally signing a WWE Legends contract, how it came about, and the good and bad of working with Vince McMahon over the years. Here are some highlights:
On Recently Signing a Legends Deal with WWE: “They wanted us to be part of restarting Saturday Night’s Main Event. Me and Koko (B Ware) just recently signed a (Legends) contract with the WWE and from what I understand, they want to start using the legends (more often). I appreciate this because, you know, they’re giving us credit for being the pioneers (and for helping to get) the business where it is right now… I (initially) said, ‘you guys have treated me like crap all these years and you have done nothing with Tito Santana for years, and I’m ok. I don’t really need it. I don’t need you guys.’
The person that I talked to said, ‘look, we’re not Vince anymore. We’re a different organization. We hold the legends (in high regard). We respect the legends and we want to do something with you guys. Finally they offered me a (Legends) contract and I signed the contract about three weeks ago. Everything has been happening pretty fast.”
On the original green Intercontinental Championship Belt that he held: “The green belt that I wrestled Greg (Valentine) for in Baltimore - - I ended up with the belt and Greg beat it all up in the cage; it was all banged up, that’s why I got a new belt. So I brought the beat up belt home and I had it in my gym and it sat there right behind my (weight) bench. I (eventually) got tired of looking at it and 10 years later I picked it up and threw it in the freaking garbage. If I could kick myself in the butt man… The green belt was the legit intercontinental championship and then it was beat up in the cage! I mean people tell me that I (could have) gotten $100,000 (for it). I probably could!”
On His Feelings About Vince McMahon: “They weren’t very nice (to us). I’m doing ok, thank God. I had another career, and I didn’t blow my money away. But so many of my friends, you know, were just left in the dust… I gave Vince my notice - - not too many people give Vince their notice - - I gave Vince my notice in ’93. They brought me back (in 1997) to do commentary for a year, they tried to get me to be an agent, but I was done. I was done with the traveling… They tried to get me back on several occasions, and I kept saying no and no. Recently, a gentleman called me from the WWE and they wanted me to come to Philadelphia for Wrestlemania and I told him no. Then they wanted me to go to Summerslam and I said no… I didn’t have any bad feelings. Should Vince have done a lot more with Tito Santana? I feel like, Yeah. But I could have also done a lot worse without Vince McMahon. I appreciate everything he did. I was there longer than anyone else… I got there before Hulk in 1983, and I was there when he left… Him and I were the only ones that were there for Wrestlemania one through nine… I think we should have gotten paid more than what we did, especially for our merchandise. This new company is paying us more than what the WWF was paying us. They could have taken (better) care of the boys, but I don’t really hold any grudges.”
On his future with WWE: “Don’t expect me to be on the road with them again, I’m not going to do that. But it would be nice if they started putting out some merchandise of Tito Santana. A lot of fans always ask me, they want some new stuff. So do I!... Supposedly they’re going to be making (action) figures and putting me in (WWE video) games. I’ll believe it when I see it… The most memorable figure for me was (the LJN figure) with the purple tights. The very first one. That’s supposedly pretty expensive if you can find it in the box, especially with a signature. I heard it’s getting well over $2000 on Ebay.”
On the money that was possible in WWE vs other territories in the 80s: “Mr Wonderful (Paul Orndorff) was my best friend. They didn’t put the belt on him because he was a walking bomb. He’d lose (his cool) and they didn’t trust him. I’d tell him, ‘Paul, don’t mess up here, where are you going to go and make the same kind of money? There’s no place to make the same kind of money.’ … Paul was making close to $500,000 a year. Do you want to be happy making 150 grand? Or do you want to be miserable making 500 grand; it’s a no brainer as far as I was concerned, I look at the business side.”
On the allegations about Vince McMahon: “I hate to make a comment either way because I was not there (and) I have no idea. I was not there, I have never hung around with Vince McMahon (or) partied with him. I can’t say anything that I don’t know for a fact. Did I hear some of the stuff? Yeah, but it’s hearsay.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/74Fu79GQDf7UiljcZMyCjx?si=BFixEUTBQXmGexN51VGgPQ
VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of the greatest moments in pro wrestling history.
Past and present show hosts have included legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former NWA champion Manny Fernandez, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more!
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