The following was transcribed by Andy J of www.wrestlingweekly.com:
On January 15th, ‘Wrestling Weekly’ hosts Doc Young and Les Thatcher were joined by their featured guest, WWE Hall of Famer, Tito Santana. Wrestling Weekly airs every Tuesday at http://www.wrestlingweekly.com
Doc begins the interview by talking about the new DVD “My Side of the Story”, which features Tito Santana & Greg Valentine, which is available at www.kayfabecommentaries.com Tito highlighted that he thought the DVD was “well put together”. Les spoke about the Valentine/Santana angle and Tito points out that Howard Finkel told him that the angle between himself & Greg Valentine was the longest running angle in WWF history. Santana continued by saying that it ran for a year & a half.
Les talked about today’s WWE & Tito Santana pointed out that “it’s a different ball game, the wrestlers there don’t think they have the talent to hold the wrestling fans attention…fans have been educated alot different to the way they were educated with us”. Les then spoke with Tito Santana about the changes in wrestling and Tito highlighted “…the only way you learn is stepping in the ring with someone with more experience…”.
Les tells the ‘Wrestling Weekly’ listeners that Tito is now teaching school & basketball. Santana said he teaches Spanish at a Middle School in New Jersey and stated that at his wife’s salon he often speaks with wrestling fans there. Tito continued by talking about his family and that he’s been teaching for eleven years.
The Wrestling Weekly listeners in the chat room were then given the opportunity to ask Tito Santana questions.
First question was about Shawn Michaels & their match at WrestleMania VIII. “Everybody saw alot of potential in Shawn Michaels, I think the only reason it took so far for him to get it was because of his personality…”. Tito spoke more about HBK and said that Michaels & Undertaker have been with WWE for 19/20 years.
Les talked about what Tito discussed on the new DVD about what babyfaces should do and he asks Tito Santana if he ever worked heel. “I wanted too, but Vince McMahon didn’t…”. Santana then talked about learning from Verne Gagne & babyfaces have “got to learn how to sell, when I learned the business…I had to learn timing”. Tito continued by speaking about a match with Mr. Fuji where he was told by Fuji mostly everything he had to do in his comeback. Tito and Les had an interesting discussion about wrestling psychology and Tito highlighted when it’s ready for a ‘face to explode for their comeback.
Tito Santana said that he wrestled at a venue in Boston and that the fans were “unbelievable there” & Les talked about how venues, such as one they were referring to, that wrestling isn’t run there nowadays. Tito said it’s “sad what’s become of our business…when we started, you had to earn the right to be in the ring”.
Tito said he does wrestling seminars ocassionally & that 85% of training was done in the ring & in the weight room. Next question from the Wrestling Weekly listeners is when did Tito leave the WWF. Santana highlighted that he was given the El Matador gimmick, spoke about what the plans for the character were and that he gave his notice & retired in 1993 and why.
Another question is about Danny Davis transition from referee to wrestler. Tito said that he thought that him and Danny had some fantastic matches “for what he (Davis) had to offer”.
Santana is asked about Rick Martel and Strike Force. Tito talks about Rick and that they were originally going to be called ‘The Border Patrol’. Tito Santana highlighted that himself and Rick (who he called one of the great workers in the business) worked hard and got ‘Strike Force’ over and spoke about Martel’s gimmick change to ‘The Model’. Doc asks Tito about how he felt being inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame. Santana talked about his induction & getting a call from Howard Finkel and that he “never realised how big it was going to be…the whole weekend, it was really unbelievable…I was proud to be inducted in the Hall of Fame”.
Doc asks about the racial comments from the heel announcers Bobby Heenan & Jesse Ventura and if they affected him. Tito Santana pointed out this was what they were supposed to accomplish & that “those little remarks helped me get over”.
Another question is has Tito found any wrestling storylines interesting. Santana notes that he doesn’t watch it, so he doesn’t know what’s going on.
Doc highlights that Tito Santana has a new autobiography out soon. Tito said the book will be out in April & will be called “Tito Santana – Tales of the Ring” and talked in more detail about his book.
One last question, how would Tito Santana liked to be remembered. “I would like to be remembered as a professional wrestler, who whenever he stepped in the ring he gave all he had…”. Tito concluded by saying that “I have always thrived and really worked on being a good role model for kids…”
Doc states that Tito has an official website at www.titosantanawrestling.com
Doc & Les then thank him for being a guest and Les says Tito Santana is a class act.
The new DVD featuring Tito & Greg Valentine is available to buy from:
http://www.kayfabecommentaries.com/DVD_MS_Tito_Greg.html
Next week’s guest will be Ring of Honor’s Jimmy Jacobs
Wrestling Weekly airs every Tuesday at 8pm Eastern at
www.wrestlingweekly.com
Wrestling Weekly is carried live by:
www.audiowrestling.com
www.showdown.net
www.wrestling-radio.com
For more future guest information, visit www.wrestlingweekly.com/ww
and www.myspace.com/docyoung (the official MySpace site for ‘Wrestling Weekly’)