Tito Santana: Almost WWF Champion??

[James Lofton]

"Santana then adopted a Spanish bullfighter gimmick and the nickname "El Matador" in 1991. Under this gimmick, he faced Shawn Michaels in the opening bout of WrestleMania VIII at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. Santana claims that at the time he was being considered for a run with the WWF Championship but says that the spot was given to Bret Hart; the WWF was considering expanding into South and Central America, and felt that having Santana, its most high profile Latino wrestler, as champion would aid its cause. The plan was eventually scrapped and the decision was made to expend into Canada, thus making the Canadian-born Hart a more viable option as champion.


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That is insane. Mcmahon really dodged a bullet. Nothing against "Chico", but there is no way in hell he could have carried the company in a post Hulkamania era. When he won the IC title a couple times in the mid 80s was as far as he was ever gonna go.

I cant hardly believe this was even considered. If WWF had planned flooding South America with wrestling, I think a heel would have been more successful than giving Santana the belt.

Does make you wonder how things would have turned out in a Tito era. The WWF's heels would have been entirely different in the mid 90s because they never would have had Yokozuna facing off against him. He would have been dealing with wrestlers such as Mr. Perfect, Terry Taylor, Bret, and probably a few wrestlers from various mexican promotions.

[Hammy]

Thank God for small mercies that they didn't do it, to be honest, in my wrestling lifetime I wasn't a fan probably since in my time of watching I remember him most as the awful El Matador.  From the old VHS Tapes I've watched over the years, I quite like Strike Force but really, when I think of Tito I think, worse 'Mania record ever!  I'm pretty sure he has it, its either him or Crush.

[More Cowbell]

I thought has atleast. 1 win, didn't he defeat doink at a WM.

[Hammy]

I thought has atleast. 1 win, didn't he defeat doink at a WM.

Nope.  Doink was 1-1 at 'Mania's as far as I know.  I think Tito's only 'Mania win was at the first one where he beat a masked dude.

After that he jobbed to/put over: The Funks at Wrestlemania II where he lost to them along with Junkyard Dog in tag team action.

At Wrestlemania III he teamed with The British Bulldogs in a losing effort to Danny Davis & The Hart Foundation

At Wrestlemania IV as part of Strike Force he lost to Demolition

At Wrestlemaia V Strike Force lost to The Brain Busters

Wrestlemania VI he jobbed to The Barbarian

Wrestlemania VII The Mountie squashed him in 1 minute 21 seconds.

And in his final Wrestlemania appearance, #8, he lost to Shawn Michaels.

He did though win a Dark Match at Wrestlemania IX against Papa Shango.

[James Lofton]

Tito's popularity faded as Hulkamania took over. Once Savage won the belt, like Hammy said, he basically became a glorified jobber. Success with Strike Force an anomaly, and after Demolition won, he became a jobber on a full time basis.

The height of his popularity was in 84, and he was never gonna regain that even with a world title run. It would have made more sense to let Snuka have a run in the early/mid 90s, and he didn't deserve it either.

One other thing.....

Had we seen a Tito era, we probably would have also been subjected to a Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine reign, at least a short one. That was Tito's biggest feud, and Mcmahon would have been forced to rekindle it.

Wrestlemania IX Main Event: Tito Santana vs Greg Valentine


I laugh and shudder at the thought.

[Hammy]

By that point Greg Valentine was too far gone, he wasn't even a jobber in a visual role like Tito.  He'd never recovered from Rhythm & Blues and he had a look which by that point wouldn't have cut it in WWF land.  He was technically decent but his look was something you'd only get away with in the 80s.

This has actually given me an idea for another thread...

[James Lofton]

I realize Valentine was **** at that point, but McMahon would have been forced into doing it. Other than Muraco, he was Tito's biggest nemesis. You cant let a guy like that carry your company without using his past, and that is THE highlight of Tito's resume.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if Mcmahon realized this and it played a major role in pulling the plug on the idea.

Hart was risky(at the time), but Tito would have been a huge gamble. The choice could have destroyed the entire company.

The house that Hulkamania built torn down by a flying burrito..... 

[Hammy]

But the point is nobody at that point the kids then, the fans wouldn't really remember the history or know there was any history to remember I sure as hell didn't.  I honestly don't think they would have dug it up, Mcmahon would have never, at that point used Valentine merely for the sake of history, at least with the Santana thing, if they were trying to crack his country, there was a point.  The one thing that would have worked in Valentine's favour then, and I say it as the one thing was they were trying to push the non-steroid guys (in the wake of the scandal), or the less obvious ones lets say, so Valentine did fit that mould (probably too well).