8 People You Won't Believe ALMOST Became A Wrestling Champion

7. Tito Santana

Wesley Snipes Blade
WWE.com

Perhaps an odd choice for a list such as this considering the two thirds of WWE's original triple crown he managed to capture between 1986 and 1998, but Tito Santana's snaring of the secondary straps was perfectly in keeping with how midcarders were pushed in the Hulk Hogan era.

The company expanded with its dominant babyface champion philosophy from Hogan's January 1984 win all the way through to Yokozuna's 1993 squashing of 'The Hulkster', but even the most optimistic El Matador aficionado wouldn't have had the perennial jobber-to-the-stars earmarked to be part of the select few that broke the glass ceiling during that time.

They should have, according to the man himself.

Referring specifically to the day Vince McMahon whimsically decided to put Bret Hart over transitional heel titleholder Ric Flair in 1992, Santana has suggested in his best Dolph Ziggler voice to multiple sources that it should have been him as part of a directive to break South American markets. McMahon's shortlist was clearly rooted in loyalty and workrate - both Santana and 'The Hitman' had paid their dues for the good of the cause - but the Chairman's eventual choice was fittingly excellent in its execution. Tito's 10-year relationship with the company was mutually terminated less than a year later.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett