From the late 1950s into 1978, Tito was a mainstay in Arizona, holding independent versions of the World Tag Team Title and the Arizona title several times. He also had a run as an Indie US champion which he won from The Spoiler (Mac McFarland) and lost to Jody Arnold. He was considered the Cage Match Champion, an unofficial title given to him by his fans, as he lost only one such match in his career, again to Jody Arnold.
Tito's feud with Jody Arnold lasted several years, from the point where he was introduced to wrestling as "Don Arnold's nephew" until he left the ring.
The Jody vs. Tito thing was a natural, for Tito and Don Arnold had likewise had a long-lasting feud in Arizona that spanned over a decade..
Others Tito faced in his Arizona years, usually in an extended series of grudge matches, included Don Kent. The Comancheros, Kurt Von Steiger, Charlie Carr, Jimmy Kent, Chuck Karbo, Tony Hernandez, Maniac Mike Gordon, Blas Corona, The Medics, Don Fargo, Bobby Mayne (Jaggers), Jim Osborne, Karl Von Brock, Woody farmer, Bearcat Wright, Killer Kane, Henry Pulusso, Sputnik Monroe, John Shane, Duke Keomuka and The Lumberjacks.
tito was one of my favorites. It was sad to read of his passing, as I recently began to search for some of the names that reminded me of my childhood in Phoenix. He was ALWAYS a crowd favorite at the Phoenix Madison Square Garden. RIP....
ReplyDeleteI was curious whether Bulldog Kent is still around? it would really be nice to see some regular "where are they now" updates on some of the names
ReplyDeletefrom back in the day. some of the names I remember are Kangaroo Carson, Don Arnold, The Comencheros, Armand Hussein and Cowboy Bob Ellis. To catch up with some of these folks would be great, while we still can. Just a thought