Phoenix Region, Miami Subregion: First Round: (13)Dusty Rhodes vs. (20)Tito Santana

[Dave]

The following contest is a first round match in the Phoenix Region.

This match takes place in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

#13 Dusty Rhodes

Vs.

#20 Tito Santana

This contest is one fall with a 20 minute time limit. The match will take place in a 16 x 16 ring with no ramp leading to it. Any traditional managers for either competitor will be allowed at ringside.

As for voting, vote for who you think would win this match based on the criteria you choose. Some suggestions would be (not limited to): in ring ability, overall skill, their level of influence at the highest point in their career, ability to connect with the crowd, experience in major matches or simply personal preference etc.

The most votes in the voting period wins and in the case of a tie, the most written votes wins. There is one written vote per user, meaning if a poster make ten posts saying Bret should win that will count as a single vote. In the event of a second tie, both men are ELIMINATED, no questions asked. Only winners advance.

Voting is open for four days and all posts must be non-spam.​

 

[D-Man]

Think of Tito Santana as a poor man's Dusty Rhodes in this match.

Tito Santana was good in the ring but mainly got by on his charisma and popularity. He was a former Intercontinental Champion in the WWE at a time when the title ranked up there with the world championship.

Dusty Rhodes did everything Tito Santana did, except about 100x better. Dusty captivated a nation with his contagious charisma, destroyed more-than-formidable opponents (including members of the Four fucking Horsemen in their heyday), and won world championships from untouchable antagonists like Harley Race. This guy is so underrated that it's disgusting.

Rhodes wins here, and by a LONGshot.

 

[Tanned Sheamus 2.0]

Think of Tito Santana as a poor man's Dusty Rhodes in this match.

Tito Santana was good in the ring but mainly got by on his charisma and popularity. He was a former Intercontinental Champion in the WWE at a time when the title ranked up there with the world championship.

Dusty Rhodes did everything Tito Santana did, except about 100x better. Dusty captivated a nation with his contagious charisma, destroyed more-than-formidable opponents (including members of the Four fucking Horsemen in their heyday), and won world championships from untouchable antagonists like Harley Race. This guy is so underrated that it's disgusting.

Rhodes wins here, and by a LONGshot.

agree completely. Santana was a poor mans Dusty Rhodes. And Rhodes is hugely underrated. Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Ace Sleeper]

Yup, everything you two just said. Dusty had it all. Especially in the charisma department. He could persuade, get boos or cheers and make people laugh. Did I mention he was a pretty good wrestler too? Along with his bazillion of titles, I'd have to agree Santana was a poor mans Dusty. Dusty and Dustin for that matter are guys I've always like, so this one is a no brainer in all divisions.

Vote goes to Dusty.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I'll go with Dusty. It was harder then I thought, though. I do really like Tito Santana. But the more I began to think about this match, Tito is out of his league. I think Dusty is one of, if not THE most overrated wrestler ever.

He did great things wherever he was at. The WWF/E didn't give him a fair shake. It wasn't like he was a jobber there, but he was almost booked as some sort of joke. That being said, he still remained popular in WWF/E and was involved in some pretty good feuds there.

What is deceiving about Rhodes is how good of a wrestler he is, given his size. Or actually his physique. He was as flabby as flabby could be, and he got that blubber rolling. His use of his elbow was like an actual hammer coming down on his opponent's heads.

His promos are on another level compared to MOST of the other participants in this tourney.

I would give my vote to Tito Santana over most people he would be matched up against. BUT, Dusty Rhodes is not one of them.

I urge any of you that doesn't know who Dusty is, or connect him as just a booker. Or just as Cody and Goldy's Dad, and are going to vote for Tito, based on that. To go to Youtube and start watching some of his promos immediately. It might just change your mind.

 

[Shocky]

If you're basing your vote solely on in ring ability, then Tito Santana wins this bad boy hands down. However, professional wrestling isn't about in ring ability, but the total over all package.

I'll be the first to admit, I simply don't understand the appeal of Dusty Rhodes. This probably has to do with having an education above the fifth grade level, not living in the rural south, and not drinking moonshine while bitching about hard times daddy. That being said, he struck a chord with his audience, and rose to the top, winning the NWA title multiple times.

I love Santana, but he was a career mid carder, at best. Santana had the one good IC title run in the mid 80's, and floundered around for several years after. He was a guy that helped develop younger talent, but never got himself to the next level.

 

[Tastycles]

Tito Santana was essentially the R-Truth of his day. Popular, and routinely on the PPV card, but never in any serious danger of becoming a full time main event. Rhodes, despite being a fat, excitable man, was a world champion and consistently over for several years. Santana would probably put in a tonne of effort, but I sincerely doubt he'd get the job done, and end up losing valiantly.

 

[X]

Tito Santana was essentially the R-Truth of his day.

This statement makes me want to curl up and die inside.

Tito is getting a bum rap in this thread man, sure Dusty was more successful with heavyweight titles than Santana, but he carried the Intercontinental title, which IMO held just as much weight at the time because of it's reputation as the "best worker's belt" and he wrestled with just as much heart and soul and charisma as Dusty Rhodes ever did. Just look up some of Tito's matches with Greg Valentine, they were some of the best matches of the 1980s. Same with his great feuds with Randy Savage and Don Muraco. Tito not only held his own against those guys, he often-times carried them with the best damn babyface act the WWF had outside of Hulk Hogan. Nobody could work an MSG or Boston crowd like Tito could. Dusty more often than not needed someone to help guide him like a Ric Flair or Tully Blanchard to truly deliver those big-time matches when all of the talking stopped and we got to the actual wrestling.

Don't get me wrong, I like Dusty. Outside of his usually shit booking ideas, he always entertained me. If Dusty wins this match-up, which it very much looks like, I wouldn't feel like Tito got cheated out or something. But damn, I'm shocked by the lack of Tito support, where's FTS and KB when I need my fellow Santana marks?

 

[Theo Mays]

Tito Santana is awesome and I'd probably make a case for him over some others, but despite my love for Tito Santana I love Dusty Rhodes that much more. Dusty is about as entertaining as they come. He could get the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand and has to be one of the most charismatic guys in wrestling history. Rhodes could work in the ring despite not having the look. Dusty is awesome and I can go on about how awesome he is all day. Shame Santana got this draw as I would have loved to see him advance because he was really talented in the ring, but I just can't put him over Dusty.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

It's Alberto Del Rio's dad vs. Goldust and Dashing's dad. The SON OF A PLUMBAHH vs. ARIBAAAAHHHHHH! The Common Man vs. Chico.

Anyway you swing it, Dusty wins this. I agree with X and say that Chico deserves more support, especially from the Latin fan base. He's a former Tag and IC champion when those belts meant a whole lot more. But Dusty was a 3 time NWA World's Heavyweight Champion when that belt was THE Worlds Heavyweight Championship in pro wrestling.

It's a toss up really, but I'll go with Duthay... in public if you wheeeeeeel.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Dusty Rhodes is one of the most charismatic men in wrestling history. He connected with the audience in a way that few others could. He became a superstar despite not even looking like an athlete, and is quite rightly regarded as one of the all-time greats. Hell, he was even the idol of the Nature Boy Ric Flair, which says it all.

Tito Santana was very good, and deservedly held the IC title when that championship was extremely highly regarded, but in this one, once Duttthhty has the fans behind him (and he will), the momentum will be with the Dream, and this would help Rhodes to the victory.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Dusty Rhodes was arguably the most over man in the biggest Wrestling Company to never win it's World Championship. I never knew why, and question if it was simply because Hulk Hogan had roided up muscle as opposed to flab in places most people don't even have places.

Anyways, Rhodes won't win many stamina match-ups, unless someone wants to prove otherwise - but he doesn't need to wrestle a 20 minute match to win. Rhodes has power, and he knows what works to win.

The most I remember out of Tito was being the Marty Jannetty of Strike Force, then turning into a Bull Fighter wannabe. Either way, I'm still shaking my head at how he managed to become an Intercontinental Champion when Dusty didn't win a single WWF Championship of any kind.

Dusty wins for me, to rectify him not winning a title and somehow Chico pulled down 2 IC title reigns.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

Who I like better will play a part in how i vote but it will get the smallest consideration when I put in my vote.

i like them both but Rhodes squeeks by

How they did at the height of their careers in the country they predominatly wrestled in (In the case of Hart vs KENTA I would look at Hart 'srecord, title wins and drawing power[I supopse this part is non-kayfabe as well] in North America and Kenta's in Japan). I really don't think it's fair win a case like this to only look at one country a man like Kobashi ,who is one of the best, has wreslted only 3 matches in North America.

Both wrestled predominatly in North America but Rhodes won World titles while Santana was winning Tag & IC titles. Rhodes also helped sell out Arenas something Santans can't claim.

Who the fans liked more (again in their respective countries)

This one goes to Rhodes as well. the fans cheered for Santana but the went 100% bat shit crazy for Dusty Rhodes

Who worked a better match with their opponents.

This one is a tie. Both men worked great with the opponents they faced. Duxty was wrestling awesome matches with Flair for the NWA title and Tito had great matches with Greg Valentine over the IC title.

Who I think would win the match if the 2 opponents met in their prime is another one.

Tito is smaller & fasterthan Dusty but then again so is just about about every one Rhodes faced so he knows how to counter act the smaller men. This would be a very close match but Dusty would catch Tito and win this match clean.

Also where the match takes place is something else I will take into consideration. In the case of ted Dibiase Vs JBL Dibiase would get the edge here because he was billed from West Palm Beach, FL (Spring residence) and the match takes place in Miami

Both men are from Texas with one being billed from Mexico. Dusty gets the advantage here because he spent a ton of time in his early career wreslting in Florida for Championship Wrestling from Florida so he has a bigger Florida fan base.

 

[X]

The most I remember out of Tito was being the Marty Jannetty of Strike Force, then turning into a Bull Fighter wannabe. Either way, I'm still shaking my head at how he managed to become an Intercontinental Champion when Dusty didn't win a single WWF Championship of any kind.

That's such an uneducated viewpoint Will. You REALLY need to watch some more old-school WWF from 82-87 before they stuck Tito in Strike Force (and Rick Martel was hardly a runaway success either so calling Tito the Jannetty of that group is pretty laughable when Santana achieved more than Martel ever did in the WWF). Tito had off-the-charts charisma and was without a doubt THE most over guy the WWF had outside of Hulk Hogan, he could work an MSG crowd into a frenzy playing the babyface in peril and then he could send them WILD with the comeback and eventual win. He was so beloved that they booked him alongside none other than Bruno Sammartino when he made his brief return to the ring in the mid-80s in the main event scene to feud with guys like Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis. They had an infamous tag team cage match at the Garden that to this day is remembered as one of the bloodiest battles of the 80s.

You're definitely underrating Tito and writing him off unfairly Mr. Willster, he was just as capable of making the crowd eat out of the palm of his hand as Dusty was.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

I'm going for the upset on this one. I know Dusty Rhodes came across well with his charisma for most fans, but I never bought it. Tito Santana was a true worker and could have taken Dusty IRL.

Tito by small package while Dusty's showboating. Ole!

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I have limited, but equal knowledge of both men, so I'll be basing my vote off of past accomplishments and name value.

Dusty Rhodes easily goes of Tito Santana based soley on those two things.

 

[hatehabsforever]

This was another hotly contested one in my opinion. In the end, I went with Rhodes by a fraction. Not because he was a mat technician in his day, but because there are few competitors who can match the charisma and connection with the crowd that Dusty Rhodes had. Santana was no slouch either, but while I am not a huge fan of Dusty Rhodes, I simply cannot imagine him exiting this tournament in the first round.