Tito Santana on WWE Choosing Bret Hart to Become Champion

– During a recent interview with Wrestling Then and Now, WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana discussed WWE choosing Bret Hart over him to become champion in 1992. Santana revealed he holds no ill will over the matter, but he did express his confusion over Bret Hart leaving in 1997 when his Canada vs. US angle was really getting over. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):

Tito Santana on WWE choosing Bret Hart to become champion: “There was a time that they were going to put the belt on me. They were going to go, the WWF, was going to go into Mexico, South America, Central America, Spain. I beat The Undertaker in Spain. They were building me up when I came back as El Matador. All of a sudden, they dropped the South America, Central America, Mexico [tour]. They went into Canada, and they chose Bret.”

On Bret Hart leaving WWE when he was really getting over: “The whole Canadian thing was on fire, it was like the Canadians against the Americans. And then all of a sudden, I hear that Bret’s going to be leaving and I just said to myself, ‘You know, it took all this time to get over, and now they’re going to take the belt away from him?’ I just couldn’t understand.”