Tito Ortiz On Having Talks With WWE In 2000 & 2019, Still Wanting To Wrestle

In a recent interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Tito Ortiz reflected on first talking to WWE in 2000 and his desire to have a wrestling match. Here’s what Ortiz had to say (via Fightful):

Tito Ortiz on first talking to WWE in 2000: “I went to WrestleMania, they came through Anaheim, I was champion at the time. It was 2000. I went and did…I thought it was going to be a normal interview like this, sit down and talk, but they were looking to see what kind of personality and character I had. I didn’t know that. I wish I would have known that because I would have sold myself way better. I was too mellow [mild] mannered. They wanted to see the crazy Huntington Beach Boy, and no one told me anything or said a word to me. I went and was being polite and respectful. Never heard anything back.”

On his talks with WWE in 2019: “2019, Shane McMahon reached out to me and said, ‘What do you think about coming in and trying out?’ I went and did it and, once again, I didn’t think about this, ‘that’s why they didn’t do it.’ I wasn’t over the top. They want someone over the top and be, not crazy, but be an eye-catcher. I went to [The Performance Center], and went and trained with Norman Smiley, an amazing teacher. I was learning stuff that it took some guys six months to learn. he was like, ‘Wow, you really got this.’ Then COVID came and I never heard anything.”

On still wanting to have a wrestling match: “I would like to do some matches. I think I have what it takes. It would take a lot of hard work, I get it, but it’d be fun. It’s a lot of training, but I did it. I did the two weeks, training twice a day. I put myself through it and it was hard, but it was like being in college wrestling again. My body is subdued, no problem at all. I had no pain. After I was done, I thought I’d have neck problems, I’ve had four neck surgeries, but I didn’t have any problems. It was good.”