
WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana recently appeared on VOC Nationโs Wrestling with History, where he talked about a number of topics including signing a legends deal with the company.
Santana said, โThey wanted us to be part of restarting Saturday Nightโs 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, theyโre giving us credit for being the pioneers (and for helping to get) the business where it is right nowโฆ I (initially) said, โyou guys have treated me like crap all these years and you have done nothing with Tito Santana for years, and Iโm ok. I donโt really need it. I donโt need you guys.โ The person that I talked to said, โlook, weโre not Vince anymore. Weโre 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.โ
On the original green Intercontinental Championship Belt:
โThe green belt that I wrestled Greg (Valentine) for in Baltimore โ โ I ended up with the belt and Greg beat it all up in the cage; it was all banged up, thatโs 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 manโฆ 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!โ
On his feelings about Vince McMahon:
โThey werenโt very nice (to us). Iโm doing ok, thank God. I had another career, and I didnโt blow my money away. But so many of my friends, you know, were just left in the dustโฆ I gave Vince my notice โ โ not too many people give Vince their notice โ โ I gave Vince my notice in โ93. 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 travelingโฆ 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 noโฆ I didnโt 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 elseโฆ I got there before Hulk in 1983, and I was there when he leftโฆ Him and I were the only ones that were there for Wrestlemania one through nineโฆ 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 donโt really hold any grudges.โ
On his future with WWE:
โDonโt expect me to be on the road with them again, Iโm 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!โฆ Supposedly theyโre going to be making (action) figures and putting me in (WWE video) games. Iโll believe it when I see itโฆ The most memorable figure for me was (the LJN figure) with the purple tights. The very first one. Thatโs supposedly pretty expensive if you can find it in the box, especially with a signature. I heard itโs getting well over $2000 on Ebay.โ
On the money that was possible in WWE vs other territories in the โ80s:
โMr Wonderful (Paul Orndorff) was my best friend. They didnโt put the belt on him because he was a walking bomb. Heโd lose (his cool) and they didnโt trust him. Iโd tell him, โPaul, donโt mess up here, where are you going to go and make the same kind of money? Thereโs no place to make the same kind of money.โ โฆ 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; itโs a no brainer as far as I was concerned, I look at the business side.โ
On the allegations about Vince McMahon:
โI 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 canโt say anything that I donโt know for a fact. Did I hear some of the stuff? Yeah, but itโs hearsay.โ
You can check out the complete podcast below.
(H/T to PWInsider.com for transcribing the above quotes)