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WWE Hall Of Famer & former WWE Intercontinental Champion, Tito Santana, was one of the special guest on this past week’s live edition (08/25/08) of Monday Night Mayhem, hosted by The Big Mosh, Blade, & DFL (presented by Sweet Sunshine Sauces: “the official finishing sauce of The Mayhem”) — which can be heard live & in streaming audio every Monday night (at 8PM ET/7PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.OnlineWorldOfWrestling.com, & www.ITunes.com).

Tito’s return appearance on The Mayhem, as part of “The Summer of Mayhem 2008,” is now available for FREE in Windows Streaming Media, or via podcast/the MNM On ITunes (which will be re-launched on Friday, September 5th, containing The Mayhem’s finest since 2005).
 
Tito Santana’s MNM Interview (Windows Streaming Media): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/082508.wax &
www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/aug08/titosantana.mp3

 
Tito Santana’s MNM Interview (Official MNM Podcast/MNM On ITunes): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/aug08/082508.mp3
 
Here are some of the highlights from Tito’s interview on the show, provided by The Mayhem’s host, John “The Big Mosh” Masiulionis:
 
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Tito was welcomed back to The Mayhem, coming off the heels of the sold-out first print of his autobiography, “Tito Santana: Tales From The Ring,” published by Sports Publishing LLC. As many of Tito’s fans know, he has ventured into the career of education, as he has been an elementary school teacher for several years since retiring full-time from professional wrestling. Mosh asked Tito if it is more difficult gearing up for the first day of school or preparing for a match. Tito’s surprising reply was getting ready for the first day of school, because that day is very important/crucial in laying the foundation & the groundwork for how the rest of the year will flow from there. He compares getting ready for a match almost to “riding a bicycle,” as after he has done that so many times, it comes natural to him.
 
You would think someone of Tito’s stature would have an “star struck” effect on some of the children he teaches. On that subject, Blade asked Tito whether or not any of his students ever wanted to “grapple” with him. Tito has no problem separating Tito Santana: The Teacher from Tito Santana: The Wrestler. When there is a little down time, Tito takes some questions from his students, and that there is a tremendous respect factor between himself & his kids. He breaks some possible bad news to those parents who want Tito to teach their child/children: You will not get any extra credit/bonus points by wearing an El Matador T-Shirt to class.
 
Tito has seen “an unbelievable response” to his new book, “Tales From The Ring.” Over 5,000 copies were sold through the Sports Publishing website, Amazon.com, & several online retailers — to the point where a second printing should be announced shortly. He believes he is the only person to have copies left of the book, so for those who want to get their hands on a copy & for those who do not want to wait for the second printing through Sports Publishing LLC, you can contact Tito via his official website, www.TitoSantana.net, and order one through Tito directly, or head over to his hair salon in New Jersey to pick one up live & in person! “It’s a great feeling to know that the fans still care…I told my wife that as long as the fans don’t chant ‘You old fart,’ I gonna’ keep doing it.” Tito loves being able to have a one-on-one interaction with his fans at various conventions/appearances/independent events throughout North America.
 
Mosh, Blade, & DFL brought up the archived footage of some of Tito’s best matches & moments in the WWE that have recently been seen as part of WWE’s 24/7 & WWE’s MSG Classics. Between that & YouTube, Tito has been blown away the number of newer fans that he has made long after his retirement from the business & several years after his induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame. He believes that those watching his matches & those of some of his peers can see the quality of the performances & the wrestling vs. some of what people even seen today. He is very blessed & thankful that he was able to perform in front of “the parents,” and in turn, is able to also do that in front of “the parents’ kids.” Generations of families have been able to follow his legendary career, and he considers himself fortunate for that to be the case.
 
Tito is glad that some of the superstars he worked with are still very successful today: including “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker. He made a valid point that both guys have been able to give back to the young, up & coming talent, but that such talent as HBK & “The Dead Man” are only able to work with one or two talents at a time. He wishes that there could be more talented individuals willing to give of their time such as them. Tito also is impressed with the work of the current WWE Champion, Triple H & “The Legend Killer” Randy Orton, and how they have carried the torch for the fans of today.
 
We are counting down the months to WrestleMania XXV @ Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. Tito has a very fond place in his heart for “The Showcase Of The Immortals,” and having the abilities to be a part of the first WrestleMania through the ninth installment at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV. “It does not make any difference who you went up against…The key was to be a part of it. Not everyone was able to be a part of WrestleMania. It was a real honor for me to be a part of the first nine WrestleManias.”
 
Tito was honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2004, with some of his fellow long-time colleagues: Jesse “The Body” Ventura, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Sgt. Slaughter, Don Muraco, The Junkyard Dog, Big John Studd, Harley Race, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, & Greg “The Hammer” Valentine — who many classify as Tito’s greatest opponent of all-time. Tito is surprised that certain individuals have not been enshrined along with him to this point in time: including “The Macho Man” Randy Savage & Terry Funk. Tito feels that a lot of the superstars he worked with will still get “the call” & join him in the WWE Hall Of Fame, but there will be some individuals who will not get in, simply because of their bad relationship with Vince McMahon.
 
The Ultimate Warrior’s recent comeback has been a hot topic of conversation amongst wrestling fans, and Tito had several opportunities to work with The Warrior — including the 1990 WWE Survivor Series, as he teamed up with Hulk Hogan & The Warrior in “The Ultimate Match Of Survival,” against “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & The Visionaries. Tito was very impressed with the way the fans took to The Ultimate Warrior, and in the process was selling plenty of merchandise…almost on the same level & maybe even more than Hogan. The Warrior captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship, and that catapulted him to stardom as the WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI. Tito believes that with how popular The Warrior was he actually did not even need the IC Title. He gives props to The Warrior, as well as Hulk Hogan for selling out buildings around the globe, despite not necessarily being the best in-ring workers in the company.
 
Unfortunately, he does not respect The Ultimate Warrior for the comments he has made about some of their fellow WWE colleagues & the business as a whole over the past few years. Tito said that The Warrior went from being very humble & respectful starting off, to not being able to handle the success he got/received.
 
Many fans of the late Curt Hennig will be able to re-live some of his greatest career moments & memories next week, as World Wrestling Entertainment will release “The Life & Times Of Mr. Perfect.” Mosh mentioned to Tito one of early childhood memories was watching the finals of the WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament, which featured Tito vs. Mr Perfect, and as they say…the rest was history. Tito wanted to add in for the record that he wrestled Curt in his first-ever match, when they were both part of the AWA. Reflecting on Curt’s career: “He was a natural…right off the bat…I knew that he really had it.” Tito strongly believes that Curt was one of the best superstars ever to work both babyface & heel. He was surprised however at Curt’s untimely passing, as he never felt Curt was one of the guys to use drugs or steroids on a regular basis.
 
To close the interview, Mosh & Blade ask Tito if there has ever been any “die-hard” fans of his that have ventured out to “The Garden State” of New Jersey, asking Tito to cut their hair at his salon. Tito again had to break the hearts of some of his fans by saying “I don’t cut hair…but there are always wrestling fans that come by.”
 
All this & much more in this 40+ minute interview with Tito, including his uncensored thoughts & takes on the passing of dozens of superstars/Tito’s colleagues over the years, due to performance enhancing drugs/alchol (and why Vince McMahon is “not a babysitter” for those who were/are in the industry), whether or not a championship belt was truly needed to get certain talents “over” in his WWE run (and whether that is true or not today), to the importance of “taking care of your friends” in the business, whether or not the career longevity of Shawn Michaels surprises him, if he ever sees Bruno Sammartino heading into the WWE Hall Of Fame (and why the WWE will continue to grow, no matter who is inducted into their Hall Of Fame), when he knew it was time for him to walk away, how the professional wrestling has evolved from the ’70’s & ’80’s to the “sports-entertainment” of today, & whether or not he would watch Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s rumored reality-TV show…Would “Chico” dare watch Jesse “The Judge?” Only on The Mayhem will you find out these answers & much more!
 
If you loved Tito’s return appearance on The Mayhem & want more Tito goodness, then be sure to check out our original interview with him from April 24, 2006 (www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/MNM/waxfiles/042406.wax), where he talks in-depth about teaming up/splitting away from his former Strike Force tag team partner, “The Model” Rick Martel, his thoughts on the elimination of the WWE Intercontinental Championship prior to it being brought back, the importance/significance of performing in front of the fans at Madison Square Garden, & why he originally did not know what he was going to talk say as part of his WWE Hall Of Fame induction speech.
 
Remember to check out www.SportsPublishingLLC.com, and demand the second printing of “Tito Santana: Tales From The Ring.” Tito also welcomes all of his fans around the world to head over to his officially-endorsed & approved website, www.TitoSantana.net. See if Tito will be coming to your city or town!
 
*If you fans have missed any of the action of “The Summer Of Mayhem 2008,” then you are in luck! Monday Night Mayhem’s worldwide exclusive with former five-time NBA Champion & one of the contestants of “Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling,” Dennis Rodman, our live & on-location remote from the world-famous Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant (w/NFL Hall Of Famer, Jim Kelly), MNM’s ’08 WWE live Draft Night Special, plus interviews with w/former NFL DT & the author of “Hero Of The Underground,” Jason Peter, WWE Hall Of Famer “Superstar” Billy Graham, the founder of TNA Wrestling, Jerry Jarrett, “The Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan, “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko, legendary WWE manager/the author of “Wrestling With The Truth,” Bruno “Harvey Whippleman” Laurer, former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Diamond Dallas Page, 1/2 of the TNA World Tag Team Champions, Beer Money Inc.’s Robert Roode, TNA Knockouts Angelina Love, Traci Brooks & So-Cal Val, former WWE diva Dawn Marie, mixed martial arts fighter/American Gladiator, Erin “Steel” Toughill, & former WWE Head Of Security, Jimmy Noonan, are now available in streaming audio, as well as via the MNM Podcast/MNM On ITunes. If you have enjoyed everything to this point in time, you have seen nothing yet…
*As we near the close out “The Summer Of Mayhem 2008” this week, Monday Night Mayhem’s Crew of The Big Mosh, Blade, & DFL, wish to thank our loyal fans around the world who have helped us get to where we are at now and for your continued dedication, loyalty, & support. We strongly encourage all of our fans around the world to support all of our fine advertisers/sponsors that help make “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio” possible:

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– The Rise Of “Hulkamania.” The Dominance Of The Horsemen. “The Era Of Extreme.” Compiling over 60 years of the most detailed ring results in print or online, The History Of WWE.com has become the one-stop source for the glorious memories of World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling, & Extreme Championship Wrestling. WWE Superstars, WWE Monday Night RAW, WCW Nitro, & WCW Saturday Night: The memories & the goodness will never be forgotten & will live forever. Re-live “The Monday Night Wars,” The War Of ’84, Black Saturday, Taboo Tuesday, Center Stage Theater, & even The Elks Lodge. No other website gives you as much wrestling history at your fingertips. From the moments & moments you may have missed to those you will never forget, The History Of WWE.com is wrestling’s true record book.
 
And if you love The History Of WWE.com, make sure to tune in every month (beginning this evening, September 1st) to “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio,” as “professional wrestling’s walking encyclopedia,” Graham Cawthon becomes the newest member of The Mayhem’s WWE PPV Preview tandem (joining Scott Hudson & The Monster Factory’s Jim Molineaux) for the most in-depth analysis & previews of World Wrestling Entertainment Pay-Per-Views!
 
*All new & old Mayhem listeners can still check out the archived programs/shows of “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio” from our six+ years of audio excellence, featuring the official Monday Night Mayhem WrestleMania XXIV Countdown Special (w/J.J. Dillon, The Orlando Sentinel’s Andrea Adelson, SLAM Wrestling’s Bob Kapur, The Baltimore Sun’s Kevin Eck, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Dan Murphy, & many more), The Mayhem’s WrestleMania 23 Countdown Special from Detroit’s Hilton Garden Inn, the official Monday Night Mayhem Dream Reunion II On-Location Special from Kokomo, IN — featuring: former WWE Diva search contestant Jessica Hatch, Al Snow, Marty Jannetty, Chavo “Classic” Guerrero Sr., “Nasty Boy” Brian Knobbs, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Rosey, The Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton), “The Genius” Lanny Poffo, & The Orient Express’ Pat Tanaka, & our “Best Of 2007” show (featuring the top three interviews of 2k7 heard on The Mayhem), plus current WWE superstars (Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Candice Michelle, Charlie Haas, & D-Lo Brown), WWE Hall Of Famers (Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Jim Ross, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, “Superstar” Billy Graham, “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart, The Iron Sheik, Tito Santana, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, & Don Muraco), the finest from Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA President, Dixie Carter, Jeff Jarrett, Terry Taylor, Jim Cornette, Kevin Nash, “The Instant Classic” Christian Cage, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Team 3-D, Scott Steiner, Kip/BG James, “The Notorious 187” Homicide, Beer Money’s Robert Roode, Eric Young, Kaz, “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal, & Lance “Rock” Hoyt — along with TNA Knockouts Traci Brooks, Christy Hemme, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, & So-Cal Val), Ring Of Honor’s warriors (ROH Champion Nigel McGuinness, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, & ROH head booker Gabe Sapolsky), ECW originals (ECW’s founder Tod Gordon, Rob Van Dam, “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, Raven, The Sandman, Francine, 2 Cold Scorpio, New Jack, Axl Rotten, Jerry Lynn, Lance Storm, “The Pitbull” Gary Wolfe, & Danny Doring), the most-beautiful some of the greatest managers in the history of our business (Percy Pringle III/Paul Bearer, “The Doctor Of Style” Slick, JJ Dillon, & the late Gary Hart), the voices that have called the sport/sports-entertainment for years (World Class’ Bill Mercer, the Mid-Atlantic/NWA’s Bob Caudle, & WCW/AWA’s Lee Marshall), the beautiful managers/valets that have graced the squared circle (Missy Hyatt, Terri Runnels, Lisa “Ivory” Moretti, Dawn Marie, Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald, Jackie Gayda Haas), wrestling legends/personalities from over the years, past & present (Bruno Sammartino, Jerry Jarrett, Terry Funk, Dory Funk, Jr., Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “The Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan, “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko, Tully Blanchard, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, “Bushwacker” Luke Williams, The Honky Tonk Man, Barry “Smash” Darsow, Virgil, Diamond Dallas Page, Vader, “Nasty Boy” Brian Knobbs, Konnan, Bruno “Harvey Whippleman” Lauer, “The Wildman” Marc Mero, Scotty 2 Hotty, David “Gangrel” Heath, Chris Kanyon, Nick “U-Gene” Dinsmore, Chris Nowinski, Low-Ki, & Tomko), & some of the most well-known athletes & entertainers from the football gridiron, the basketball court, stage, & screen (including: Dennis Rodman, NFL Hall Of Famer Jim Kelly, former NFL Defensive Tackle/Nebraska All-American/author of “Hero Of The Underground,” Jason Peter, Dave Coulier of TV’s “Full House,” VH-1 “Best Week Ever’s” Greg Fitzsimmons of VH-1’s “Best Week Ever,” Dustin “Screech” Diamond of TV’s “Saved By The Bell,” Howard Stern’s Gary The Retard, Erin “Steel” Toughill & Dan “Nitro” Clark from “American Gladiators,” “Mad TV’s” Aries Spears, & Comic Relief founder Bob Zmuda). All this & so much more…now available on www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.OnlineWorldOfWrestling.com, & www.ITunes.com.