During a recent guest spot on VOC Nation’s podcast “Wrestling with History,” wrestling legend Tito Santana spoke on a number of matters including his new WWE legends contract, his future involvement with WWE, his relationship with Vince McMahon, and much more.
Check out some key points from the podcast below:
About signing a legends contract with WWE recently: “They expressed their wish for us to become part of reviving Saturday Night’s Main Event. Koko (B Ware) and I just recently entered into a Legends contract with WWE and as far as I understand, they plan to start utilizing the legends more frequently. This is something I value as we are recognized for being the pioneers and for contributing to the place the business is at the moment… I initially expressed my reluctance as I felt I had been treated poorly for many years, but finally I accepted their Legends contract which was signed around three weeks ago. Things have been moving quickly since then.”
About the original green Intercontinental Championship Belt: “The green belt which I competed for against Greg (Valentine) in Baltimore had ended up with me. After Greg left it in a bad condition after our cage fight, I brought the belt home and displayed it in my gym. Eventually, I got tired of it and threw it away after 10 years, a decision I regret now considering it was the original intercontinental championship belt and I have been told it would have fetched me around 0,000.”
His views on Vince McMahon: “We weren’t offered the best treatment. I am doing fine now, thanks to having another career and not making irresponsible financial decisions. When I resigned in 1993, not many people dared to give notice to Vince. They had me return for a commentary role in 1997 and tried getting me onboard as an agent, but I was not keen on travelling… I declined their several attempts at bringing me back except for the Wrestlemania in Philadelphia and Summerslam. Should Vince have made more use of Tito Santana? I believe so. But, I’m also aware things could have been much worse without him. I am grateful for everything he did for me. Despite the hardships, I don’t hold any hard feelings.”
On his future role in WWE: “I won’t be travelling with them again, but I hope they start launching some merchandise of Tito Santana, as fans have frequently asked for new stuff… I am supposedly going to be featured in action figures and video games. I will believe it when I see it…The first ever figure of me in purple tights is the most memorable one, which now costs over 00 on Ebay especially with a signature.”
About earnings in WWE vs other regions in the 80s: “My best friend Paul Orndorff, who was known as Mr Wonderful, did not get the belt because he was unpredictable. I would always advise him not to mess up, as there were no other places offering the same kind of money… Paul earned close to 0,000 annually. It’s debatable, but from a business perspective, being unhappy and making 500 grand is more favorable than being happy with 150 grand.”
On the accusations against McMahon: “It would be unfair to comment as I was not present. I never socialized or partied with him, so I can’t comment on something I don’t know first hand. Although I have heard things, they remain as hearsay for me.”
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