Tito Santana

Roster
 3-Beating Rick Martel at Summerslam 1989

## Aerial Barbers(1985-1986)

Tito Santana debuted at Superstars 2 interrupting Roberts who wanted to be the inaugural intercontinental champion, they had a match which Roberts won. At SNME May they had another match which Roberts won to become the first intercontinental champion. At SNME June he had his first match teaming with Brutus Beefcake in a loss to Hart Foundation.

Junkyard Dog did an open challenge putting the WWF title on the line and Tito responded but the match never happened as Piper beat up JYD before the match. Jack Tunney decided to give the title match to him at King of the Ring which was Tito's only main event and he was defeated.

Tito and Beefcake decide to regularly team up, they were involved in a NO1 contendership match against Terry Funk and Bob Orton Jr. which ended in a draw after tag team champions King  Kong Bundy and Big John Studd attacked them as they wanted both teams. At Summerslam, Tito and Beefcake defeated the 2 teams to become tag team champions, they also defeated Bundy and Studd in the rematch at SNME September. They were recruited by Dynamite Kid to team up along with Jim Duggan as they defeated Davey Boy Smith, Iron Sheik, Jim Neidhart and Tama in a Survivor Series Elimination match.

At SNME December, they finally got a team name as they were called Aerial Barbers and they defeated King Kong Bundy and Paul Orndorff, at Royal Rumble they would lose the titles to US Express in a match that also involved Dream Team. Tito entered a 7-men ladder match for the IC Championship at Wrestlemania 2 which was won by Ricky Steamboat.

After Wrestlemania 2, Rick Martel debuted and kept getting beaten up by Heenan Family members, Tito Santana extended his hand to Martel helping him out, this now trio was defeated by Kamala, Paul Orndorff and Haku at SNME May. Tito started regularly teaming up with Martel as Beefcake was starting to go into a manager role, at King of the Ring Tito and Martel got a tag title shot and they won but the replays revealed that Tito's feet were on the ropes so the match was restarted and they ended up losing to British Bulldogs. At Summerslam Tito, Martel and Beefcake were scheduled to face Greg Valentine, Dino Bravo and a mystery teammate, the mystery teammate was revealed to be Brutus Beefcake as he turned heel attacking Rick Martel and Tito joining Dream Team

## Strike Force(1986-1989)

Tito Santana started a feud with Beefcake wanting him gone from WWF, at SNME September they had a backstage brawl which ended with Tito winning after spearing Beefcake and electrocuting him, Beefcake challenged Tito once more this time to a steel cage match seeing how Tito tried to kill him. At G1 Finals, the ref hadn't even closed the cage and Brutus slided out of the ring through the ropes to get the win in 2.5 seconds, the feud continued with Tito, Rick Martel, Koko B.Ware and Jim Duggan defeating Beefcake, Billy Jack Haynes, Bam Bam Bigelow and Honky Tonk Man in a Survivor Series Elimination match. It finally culminated at SNME December where Tito and Rick Martel defeated Beefcake, Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine in a handicap match to become NO1 contenders for the tag titles.

Tito managed to get into the final 4 of Royal Rumble 1987 but was eliminated by Bam Bam, Tito and Rick Martel were named Strike Force and were in the tag team battle royal for the vacant tag titles at Wrestlemania 3 but failed to win.

At SNME May 1987, they failed to defeat Ted Dibiase and Virgil but Rick Martel seemed like he only cared about the 24/7 title now as he fought to get it back, at SNME June Strike Force defeated Demolition who were the 24/7 champions so Martel became champ again, he would lose it in 2 weeks to Ultimate Warrior. At Superstars 100, Strike Force defeated Full Nelson Bam to win the tag titles for the first time, afterwards they were backstage as Martel was jumping with adrenaline, he saw 24/7 champion Warrior, jumped onto him and Warrior sent him flying, only 3 days after at King of the Ring they were forced to vacate the titles as Rick Martel was confirmed injured from that bump. Tito entered the G1 but didn't do much, he only hyped up that Martel would be back before Wrestlemania and they'd become tag team champions again.

At Superstars 114, an injured Rick Martel showed up just to pin 24/7 champion a WWF microphone and win the belt which pissed Tito off, Snake's Pit started taunting Tito Santana because his Rick Martel only cared about a meaningless title, they tried to get Tito to join them and form a group but Tito respected Martel too much. At SNME December, Jake Roberts defeated Tito, they tried to lure him into the group again when Rick Martel returned, took out Roberts and Piper and laid down in the ring to let any man win the 24/7 title to show that he cares about Tito, Tito saw that as a sign of respect and refused that he lost the 24/7 title so they brawled with the wrestlers instead. At Royal Rumble Strike Force defeated Snake's Pit gaining a tag title match.

On February 1st during a house show, Strike Force defeated The Naturals to become 2 time champions, this reign lasted 83 days until Wrestlemania 4 where Demolition defeated them but they quickly gained it back at SNME June to become the first ever 3 time champions of the belt. At Summerslam 1988, they faced Jacques Rougeau and president of WWF Jack Tunney, Tito kept his heart of gold and just couldn't bring himself to beat up his president, Tunney responded with a rollup as Strike Force lost the tag titles in a huge disrespect to the tag team division. After this, they still won tag matches but Rick Martel was showing himself to be more and more unmotivated, Demolition challenged Strike Force to a rehash from last year at Wrestlemania 5 and Strike Force lost again, this was the last straw as Rick Martel turned heel and attacked Tito oficially ending Strike Force.

## Feud with Rick Martel and New Generation(1989-1992)

Tito Santana won the 24/7 title for a brief time asking if this is what he needed to get Rick Martel's attention as Martel wasn't answering any of Tito's calls and he just wanted to talk this through. At SNME June, he had enough of being the good guy as he attacked Martel during his MITB match costing him the briefcase. At Summerslam 1989, they had a match where they proved they were vastly underrated and Tito defeated Martel to enter the G1. Tito had the best showing out of everyone but was sadly eliminated midway through as someone attacked him and put him out of action, he was replaced by Jimmy Snuka who gained all of his points and ended up winning the G1.

Tito returned at Superstars 200 squashing The Mountie and called out Rick Martel knowing he was the one who put him out of action, at Survivor Series 1989 Tito reunited with Brutus Beefcake along with teaming with The Rockers to defeat Rick Martel, Greg Valentine, Honky Tonk Man and The Undertaker. Martel keeps saying it wasn't him who put him out of action but still accepts the challenge at Royal Rumble. At Royal Rumble 1990, Martel leaves the ring and shows on the titantron security footage which reveals that Jimmy Snuka was the one who attacked Tito, Martel took advantage of this distraction and rolled him up to get the win and end this feud. Tito blamed Snuka that this was supposed to be his breakout year and yet Snuka entered the G1 midway through with his hard gained points and got out like nothing happened, Tito defeated Snuka at Wrestlemania 6.

Tito didn't do anything of relevance in 1990 only wrestling matches when an upper midcarder needed a win.

In 1991, he entered the King of the Ring but was eliminated in the first round by Jake Roberts, after this came the best segment of Tito's life as he called out WWF Champion Haku on all his bullshit about him being the top star of New Generation when no one has even been given a chance like Haku was given, Haku was a Bobby Heenan guy since 1985 and he has earned nothing he has, he also proceeded to manage to take Haku down and brawl with him which was the first time anyone other than Andre The Giant had taken Haku down in 1 year, Haku decided to put the WWF title on the line in a gauntlet match at Summerslam to show he has everything he has because he's the best, Haku made Tito tap out in under 2 minutes in the first match of the gauntlet.

Tito fell out of the spotlight again with his only noteworthy segment being when Rick Martel won the WWF Championship and called out Tito and Beefcake as his career starters and now they aren't even included in shows while Martel is at the top of WWF, Martel defeated Tito on that night. Tito Santana got the recognition of being the first ever man to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 8.

## Strike Force reunion(1992-1993)

Tito Santana was SD's 11th pick in the draft. He was involved in the 8 men battle royal to become the inaugural world heaviweight champion but was the first man eliminated by Shawn Michaels.

At In Your House 3, Tito Santana was Rick Martel's surprise tag partner against Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels and Strike Force picked up the win. After Summerslam, Strike Force announced that they had reunited as they felt like at this point in their careers, they're better as a unit, they challenged the men who had 2-1 over them, Demolition and the match finally happened 2 months later at Smackdown where Strike Force got the win. Strike Force defeated Men on a Mission at Royal Rumble 1993 to win the Survivor Series Tag Tournament, Strike Force started targeting tag team champions Steiner Brothers with ladders and their match was scheduled as a ladder match at Wrestlemania 9 where Strike Force won the titles back

On the smackdown after Wrestlemania, Tito shockingly announced his retirement as he said that he wanted these titles one last time before retirement, Martel had no idea about this and looked pissed but he simply cheered his tag partner on

## Post-retirement appearences(1993-1994)

Tito showed up at RAW 96 when Martel was NO1 contender to the WWF title so he was in the contract signing to back Martel up while Four Horsemen backed WWF Champion Bret Hart, Bret tried to get Martel to beat up Tito but it just led to a brawl.

Tito Santana was inducted into the 1994 Hall of Fame by Rick Martel.

He showed up again in the 1997 Hall of Fame ceremony to induct Rick Martel

## Championships and accomplishments

* World Wrestling Federation
* World Tag Team Championships(5 times) - with Brutus Beefcake(1), Rick Martel(4)
* 24/7 Championship(2 times)
* Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal(1992)
* Survivor Series Tag Team Tournament(1992) - with Rick Martel
* Hall of Fame(Class of 1994)