Merced Solis' history parallels that of many wrestlers, in that he was expecting to excel in an entirely different venue. At West Texas State University, Solis made a name for himself as a tight end on the football team (supposedly with Tully Blanchard, future Four Horsemen member, as the quarterback). Solis' abilities on the field earned him a shot in the pros, as he tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs. Unfortunately, the Chiefs opted to go elsewhere, cutting Solis (the Chiefs would go on to a 5-9 record in 1976 and a 2-12 record in 1977, showing that they quite possibly could have used someone with Solis' agility on the field).

Instead, Solis headed to the Canadian Football League, playing for the British Columbia Lions in 1976. The Lions, however, struggled, finishing 5-9-2 and placing fourth in their division. Solis appeared in 13 regular season games, but had little to show for it (a teammate, John Sciarra, did win the Schenley Award as the CFL's Outstanding Rookie of the year). With his football career on the ropes, Solis opted to try another path, and began training for a career as a professional wrestler.

AWA/NWA

Solis' professional wrestling career began to pick up steam in Florida in 1977, where he faced the likes of Ivan Koloff and Paul Orndorff. Solis originally wrestled under his real name, but switched it to Richard Blood (ironically the real name of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat) while wrestling in Georgia. While appearing briefly in both the American Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Association, two of the hottest organizations at the time, Solis gained the skills necessary to succeed in pro wrestling.

In 1979, Solis earned his first gold, teaming with Ted DiBiase in Amarillo, Texas, to win the NWA Western States Tag-Team Titles from Mr. Pogo & Mr. Saito. Unfortunately, it was a short reign, as Mr. Pogo & Mr. Saito soon regained the belts. In a way, though, the victory was a huge success for Solis, who was soon noticed by one of the growing powers in the wrestling business: Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation.

WWF: 1979-1980

A few months after the title victory, Tito Santana made his first appearance with the WWF, showinhg off his skills to an appreciative East Coast audience. Santana soon made an impact, as he began teaming with Polish superstar Ivan Putski. The two formed a devestating duo, with Santana using his Mexican Hammer (the Flying Forearm) alongside Putski's Polish Hammer. The two quickly climbed the ranks in the WWF and scored in October '79, when they defeated the Valiants to become WWF World Tag-Team Champions. The duo reigned as the champs for nearly six months before finally falling to the Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) in April '80.

AWA: 1980-1983

After the loss, Santana broke up with Putski and left the WWF, travelling overseas for a few months before joining up with the American Wrestling Association. Santana regularly teamed up with Dino Bravo for the first year, while facing off against future Hall-of-Famers Jesse Ventura, Big John Studd, and others. Soon, Santana began challenging for the AWA World Heavyweight Title, but he could never manage to get the belt off the waist of Nick Bockwinkle. It was also in the AWA that Santana formed a partnership with Rick Martel, although the duo were unable to earn the AWA World Tag-Team Titles, either.

WWF: 1983-1984

After stints concluded in Georgia and the Mid-South, Santana returned to the World Wrestling Federation in late 1983, once again intent on earning some gold around his waist. It didn't take long for Santana to begin earning momentum, as he engaged in a feud with the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Don Muraco. Santana and Muraco had several pitched battles, with Muraco resorting to disqualifications to hang onto the belt. But in Feburary '84, Santana finally managed to get the victory, winning the Intercontinental Strap from Muraco and earning his first singles gold. Santana defended the belt for the next seven months, soon engaging in another major feud, this time with "The Hammer" Greg Valentine.

The two men faced off on September 24th, 1984, with the belt on the line. While the crowd was fully behind Santana, Valentine had his own tactics, managing to injure Santana's leg to allow Valentine to get the pin and win the title. This wasn't enough for Valentine, though, as he placed Santana in his infamous Figure Four Leglock, adding to the injury after the match. Santana was said to have needed surgery on the leg, and disappeared for a few weeks from WWF television. In October '84, Santana appeared on Piper's Pit to talk about the injury, as well as his feelings towards Valentine. He vowed revenge against his rival, announcing that he was gunning for the WWF Intercontinental Champion.

WWF: 1985-1986

Santana took out some frustration on 'warm-up' opponents when he returned to the ring in '85. At Wrestlemania I, Santana took on a masked wrestled named the Executioner (Buddy Rose). It was a competitive match, with the Executioner going after Santana's recently-healed leg. In the end, though, Santana was stronger, first hitting the Flying Forearm, then locking on his version of the Figure Four, sending a message to Valentine. The Executioner quickly tapped out. Later on in the night, Valentine defended his title against the Junk Yard Dog, apparently getting the win thanks to Valentine's manager, Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart. Santana, though, came to ringside and explained Hart's involvement to the ref, who restarted the match. Valentine, however, refused to continue, leaving the ring and getting counted out rather than take on the Dog again.

The feud continued to grow after Wrestlemania, with the two wrestlers facing off in a variety of matches, from Lumberjack bouts to Taped Fist brawls. Finally, in July '85, the two met inside a Steel Cage to settle their score. It was another brutal fight between the two long-time foes, with Valentine willing to do anything to win. In the end, though, Santana's agility proved to be the key factor, as he scaled the cage, kicked the cage door in Valentine's face, then landed on the outside, becoming a 2-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. A furious Valentine destroyed the belt by smashing it into the cage, but this just allowed Santana to create another belt for himself.

A few days after the victory, Santana took time out to go after the '85 King of the Ring trophy. Santana beat Terry Funk and Jumpin' Jim Brunzell before falling to the Iron Sheik in the semi-finals of the tournament (Don Muraco got the win). Santana went on to defend the Intercontinental Title against several different heels, including Jesse Ventura, Roddy Piper, and Randy Savage, whom Santana defended the belt against at Saturday Night's Main Event #3 in October '85. Santana lost, via countout, to Savage, but still kept the belt. In fact, Santana held onto the title for the rest of the year against all comers.

Santana's luck finally ran out in February '86, as Savage managed to get the pin, thanks to a foreign object (and crooked referee Danny Davis), and took away the Intercontinental Title. Santana received several rematches afterwards, but was never able to get past Savage's dirty tactics to regain the belt. At Wrestlemania II, meanwhile, Santana opted to help out a friend, teaming with the Junk Yard Dog against Terry & Dory Funk Jr. The two teams fought hard on the big stage, with Santana taking some punishment before getting the hot tag to JYD. Just as it seemed like the Dog was going to put things away, though, Jimmy Hart interfered, distracting JYD long enough for Terry Funk to knock him out with a megaphone to steal the victory.

For the rest of the year, Santana continued to compete for the WWF, although in more of a reduced role. Santana would not appear at any more of the larger events in '86, while still remaining a crowd favorite for various shows across the East Coast.

WWF: 1987

At Saturday Night's Main Event #10 in February '87, Santana replaced a departed Mike Rotundo as the tag-team partner of Danny Spivey to take on the WWF World Tag-Team Champs, the Hart Foundation. Tito was a powerhouse in the match, getting the Flying Forearm on both Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart at one point. But in the end, when Santana went for the Figure Four on Hart, the Hart Foundation's ally, Danny Davis, slipped into the ring behind the ref's back and clocked Santana with the megaphone, allowing Hart to get the cheap pin to retain the titles.

This soon led to Santana joining in the British Bulldog's feud against Davis & the Hart Foundation, with a match being signed between the six men for Wrestlemania III. Santana got to get some revenge during the match, nailing Davis with the Flying Forearm. Near the end of the match, the six men began to brawl, with Davis somehow managing to get the megaphone again. He knocked out Davey Boy Smith and pinned him, shockingly stealing away the victory yet again. Santana's problems with Davis would continue for the next few months, with Davis even beating Santana in the '87 King of the Ring Tournament (due to Santana being counted out while chasing Jimmy Hart).

In August '87, Santana formed a partnership with an old tag-team acquaintance from the AWA, Rick Martel, whose partner in the Can-Am Connection, Tom Zenk, had left the WWF. The duo came to be when Santana helped save Martel from a double-team assault by the Islanders. Santana and Martel soon became known as Strike Force, an unbelievably quick tag-team. Strike Force soon went after Santana's old foes in the World Tag Champs, the Hart Foundation. In October '87, the two teams met up in a very competitive battle. Thanks to Martel's Boston Crab, Neidhart submitted, giving the WWF World Tag-Team Titles to Strike Force.

At the '87 Survivor Series, Strike Force led the Rougeau Brothers, the Young Stallions, the British Bulldogs, & the Killer Bees against the Hart Foundation, the Islanders, Demolition, the Bolsheviks, & the new Dream Team in an "Elimination" Match. Strike Force, living up to their name, struck quickly, with Santana eliminating the Bolsheviks by landing the Flying Forearm on Boris Zuhkov. However, later in the match, Santana got caught by a Hart flying elbow and was pinned, sending the champs out of the match. The team persevered, though, with the Killer Bees & the Young Stallions 'surviving' by taking out the Islanders at the end (thanks to the Killer Bees doing their 'mask switch').

Strike Force continued to defend the Tag Titles as the year came to a close, including facing a tough challenge at Saturday Night's Main Event #14. The duo took on the Bolsheviks in a "Three Falls" Match, with the titles on the line. Santana & Martel used their speed advantage on Volkoff & Zhukov, with Martel getting the first fall via his Boston Crab, making Zhukov submit. The heels came back, double-teaming Martel, but he was able to escape and make the hot tag to Santana, who landed the Flying Forearm and soon pinned Zhukov, ending the match with two straight falls. It was clear, going into the new year, that Strike Force was a very strong tag-team in the WWF.

WWF: 1988

Santana started off the year with the '88 Royal Rumble, the first of its kind in the WWF. Unfortunately for Santana, though, he drew #1, starting the match against Bret Hart. Santana hung on for 10 minutes, but a double-team from the Hart Foundation sent him out of the ring, ending his shot at being the first Rumble winner ("Hacksaw" Jim Duggan ended up with that honor). A few weeks later, Santana, now back with Martel, got a chance at some revenge, as Strike Force put the belts on the line against the Hart Foundation at The Main Event. Thanks to some fancy moves from Santana, Strike Force again retained, staying the champions.

Just as it seemed like Strike Force couldn't be beaten, though, the team finally met its match when it came to Axe & Smash of Demolition. The two squads met at Wrestlemania IV, with Santana & Martel again trying to use their speed and agility to get the win. But Demolition had their own abilities, not to mention Mr. Fuji in their corner. In the end, that tipped the balance, as Mr. Fuji gave his cane to Axe, who knocked out Martel and got the pin to take away the titles. Soon after Wrestlemania, Martel suffered a neck injury, putting him out for a time. This also cooled Santana's push, at least for a while.

Santana's next major showing in the WWF occurred at the '88 Survivor Series, where he teamed with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Scott Casey, & Ken Patera to go against Andre the Giant, Dino Bravo, Harley Race, Rick Rude, & Mr. Perfect. Santana took a beating in the match, but did manage a surprising Flying Forearm to take out Race. However, before Santana could recover after making the pin, Andre was in, squashing Santana and eliminating him from the match. Bravo & Perfect would later be the two 'survivors'. In December '88, Santana continued as a singles wrestler, taking on the Red Rooster at Saturday Night's Main Event #19. Santana was in full control for much of the match, as the Rooster was having serious problems with his manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Late in the match, Santana clotheslined the Rooster to the outside. A frustrated Heenan grabbed the Rooster and tossed him back in, allowing Santana to quickly roll him up and get the victory. Suffice to say, the Rooster broke away from Heenan shortly after the match.

WWF: 1989

Santana entered the new year going into the '89 Royal Rumble Match. Santana, while not a favorite to win, still earned some cheers from the crowd when he came in at #12. Unfortunately, Santana had very little effect on the Rumble, barely lasting longer than he did in '88 before getting tossed by Randy Savage. Things looked to get better, though, for Santana, as Rick Martel soon made his return to the WWF to re-form Strike Force. The former tag-team champs worked to get back into the title hunt at Wrestlemania V, where they took on the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard). Santana & Martel looked strong early on, but when Santana accidentally caught Martel with a Flying Forearm, things fell apart. Martel later refused to tag and walked away, leaving Santana to the mercies of the Brain Busters. One Spike Piledriver later, the match was over, as was Strike Force.

Santana feuded with Martel (now known as "The Model") for the next few months, looking to get revenge on his former partner. At Summerslam '89, Santana & the Rockers teamed up to take on Martel & the Rougeaus. Santana was obviously looking to get his hands on Martel, but Martel was just as intent on avoiding it, tagging out when Santana was tagged in. Santana still nearly got the win for his team, doling out the Flying Forearms, but in the end, Martel was able to cheat, reversing a Marty Jannetty roll-up attempt on Jacques Rougeau to end the match. The next month, at Saturday Night's Main Event #23, Santana and Martel met up in a singles match to try and decide their feud. Neither man came alone, as Martel had the Honky Tonk Man & the Twin Towers on his side, while Santana was joined by Brutus Beefcake, Dusty Rhodes, & the Red Rooster (their Survivor Series teams). Santana and Martel went at it furiously, brawling on the outside at one point. Near the end, Santana managed to get the Figure Four on Martel, only to have Martel's teammates come into the ring. Santana's allies joined in as well, causing the match to end in a Double Disqualification.

As the two teams continued to prepare for the Survivor Series, Santana had another goal ahead of him. The '89 King of the Ring Tournament took place in October '89, with Santana entered against some of the best wrestlers in the federation. Santana came to fight, though, and managed a remarkable run, beating Bad News Brown, the Warlord, and Akeem to reach the finals, where once again, Santana faced his former partner, "The Model" Rick Martel. The two had another furious match, with Santana managing to take out Martel and get the pinfall to become the '89 King of the Ring winner! Unlike many winners of the tournament, however, Santana did not begin to wear a crown. He simply celebrated the victory.

At the '89 Survivor Series, Santana, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, & the Red Rooster fought in an "Elimination" Match against Martel, Bad News Brown, the Big Boss Man, & the Honky Tonk Man (Akeem was replaced). Santana was ready to be one of the leaders of his team, but things didn't go as planned, as Santana got surprisingly rolled-up by Martel, eliminating Santana very early in the match. However, Santana's team perservered, with Beefcake & Rhodes lasting as the 'survivors'. For the rest of the year, Santana looked for another chance to get a piece of Martel, still angry at his former tag-team partner.

WWF: 1990

The feud continued at the '90 Royal Rumble, as Santana, at #23, went right after Martel. Once again, though, the Rumble was an unsuccessful time for Santana, who was tossed after only 5 minutes by a 'double-team' from Martel & the Warrior. The feud with Martel soon tapered off, as Santana seemed to be heading down the card. He did appear at Wrestlemania VI, nearly beating the Barbarian with the Flying Forearm. But the Barbarian's manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, got the Barbarian's foot on the ropes, keeping the match going. The Barbarian then came back and floored Santana with a huge Flying Clothesline from the top rope, ending the match decisively.

Santana's next feud was with Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig), who had beaten Santana in the finals of the WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament. The two fought on and off for the next few months, meeting at Saturday Night's Main Event #27. With the belt on the line, Santana gave it his all, getting Perfect in the Figure Four at one point. Unfortunately, the referee was down. Santana didn't stop, nailing Perfect with the Flying Forearm. A huring Earl Hebner made the slow count, but Perfect kicked out at 2, keeping the match going. At the end, Santana blocked the Perfect-Plex and got a roll-up, but Perfect managed to reverse it and held the tights, barely getting the 3 count to retain the title. Santana could only look on as Perfect and his manager, Bobby Heenan, celebrated.

Santana's next major match came at Summerslam '90 where he was pitted against the Warlord. Once again, Santana managed to land the Flying Forearm, but once again, the wrestler was too close to the ropes. It was a common problem for Santana at the time. Soon enough, the Warlord came back, taking out Santana with a Powerbomb for the win, keeping Santana on a losing streak since he had won the King of the Ring. A month later, Santana tried to get back on track by going back to his long-running rival, Rick Martel. The two faced off at the Main Event IV, in, ironically, the main event of the night. Santana worked hard to take down his former tag-team partner, getitng the Figure Four at one point. But Martel was able to reverse it, then used his own submission hold, the Boston Crab, to force Santana to tap out cleanly. It was a rough ending for Santana's feud with Martel, to say the least.

Next, Santana joined up with Nikolai Volkoff & the Bushwhackers at the '90 Survivor Series, taking on Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zhukov, & the Orient Express. Santana's team was strong at first, with Santana personally taking out Zhukov with the Flying Forearm. Sato and Tanaka soon followed, making it 4-on-1 against Sgt. Slaughter. But Slaughter was very tough, systematically getting rid of the rest of Santana's team. In the end, it was Santana vs. Slaughter, with Slaughter's manager, General Adnan, getting involved as well by using the Iraqi flag pole on Santana. Luckily, the ref, although down, saw the action, calling for the bell to DQ Slaughter! Santana had won the match, sending him to the "Winners" Match at the end of the night. Santana teamed with Hulk Hogan & the Ultimate Warrior, an impressive pairing, but the duo faced tough odds, as they faced Rick Martel, Ted DiBiase, the Warlord, & Power & Glory. In a shocking moment to start the match, Santana made the odds a little better, surprising the Warlord with a Flying Forearm to take him out! That was about all Santana had left in the tank, however, after the Slaughter beatdown, and he soon fell to DiBiase. But the elimination of the Warlord helped, as both Hogan & the Warrior 'survived', taking care of the rest of the heels.

WWF: 1991

At the '91 Royal Rumble, Santana once again entered the big match, hoping for better things than he had gotten in the last 3 attempts. Santana entered at #11, immediately going after his long-time rival, Martel, once again. Things did go a little better for Santana, as he lasted over 20 minutes, but once again Santana didn't manage to toss out anybody before Earthquake sent him over the top rope and out of the match. Santana was obviously on a downhill slide in the WWF at the time, as newer faces had taken the top spots. Santana did appear at Wrestlemania VII, having appeared at every Wrestlemania thus far. But it was a short appearance, as, despite catching the Mountie with the Flying Forearm, Santana was tazered and pinned in less than 2 minutes. Santana tried to get some payback a month later at Saturday Night's Main Event #29, but once again fell to the Mountie, continuing his slump.

Over the summer, Santana faded from the big events, as he was not part of Summerslam or the King of the Ring Tournament. It was around this time that Santana began changing his gimmick, becoming known as "El Matador". Santana would come to the ring dressed in a Matador's outfit, complete with a red cape. While not a huge hit with the fans, it did give him some more recognition. In October '91, Santana traveled overseas, taking on "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair at Royal Albert Hall. Not too surprisingly, Flair got the better of their encounter, and Santana didn't do much better in the Battle Royal later that night. Instead, the British Bulldog got the win.

Santana looked for better results at the '91 Survivor Series, where he teamed up with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, & the Texas Tornado in an "Elimination" Match against Col. Mustafa, Hercules, Skinner, & the Berzerker. The match turned out to be a domininating one for the faces, with Santana helping to eliminate Hercules with the Flying Forearm. In the end, all four of Santana's team 'survived', giving Santana a much needed victory. The 'winning streak' didn't last, though, as Santana & Virgil would lose a few days later at Tuesday In Texas to Ted DiBiase & the Repo Man.

WWF: 1992

Santana started the year the way he had gotten used to doing, appearing in the '92 Royal Rumble Match. Santana entered early at #7, going toe-to-toe with several wrestlers, including Ric Flair and Greg Valentine. Santana also went at it with Shawn Michaels, with the two eliminating each other. It was another short Rumble for Santana, but at least he got his first elimination. The fact that the two eliminated each other led to a feud between Santana and Michaels, which culminated with a match at Wrestlemania VIII. It was a very competitive match between the seasoned veteran and the up-and-comer, with Santana knocking Michaels out of the ring with the Flying Forearm. Late in the match, Michaels went to the outside, with Santana catching him on the apron. But when Santana went to bring him in, Michaels was able to twist into a pin, winning the match and bringing Santana's Wrestlemania record to 1-7.

El Matador continued to wrestle with the WWF after Wrestlemania, but it was only occassionally. He did not appear during the live PPV viewing of Summerslam '92, wrestling instead in the dark match in a loss to Papa Shango (later known as the Godfather). Santana also missed the Survivor Series for the first time, ending a string of 5 straight appearances at the event. It was clear that El Matador's time in the WWF was slowly coming to an end.

WWF: 1993

Santana appeared in the big match at the '93 Royal Rumble, his sixth time competing in the 30-man event. El Matador entered at #25, and lasted over 10 minutes, his usual time, before falling to the eventual winner, Yokozuna. This would be Santana's real last shining moment as a wrestler in the WWF, as he would only appear in a Dark Match at Wrestlemania IX, losing once more to Papa Shango. Soon after the loss, Santana finally left the World Wrestling Federation behind, ending over a decade of wrestling with the company.

ECW: 1993

In August '93, Santana made a run in Eastern Championship Wrestling (it would become Extreme a year later). It turned into a pretty successful run for Santana, who managed to take down "The Rock" Don Muraco to become the ECW Heavyweight Champion. It was Santana's first title reign in over 5 years, which had to be a great moment for him. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last, as Santana soon left ECW, forfeiting the title to Shane Douglas (since the two had a scheduled match).

Independents

Santana would continue to wrestle around North America for the next several years, competing for many different companies on the independent circuit. He became the first American Wrestling Federation World Champion in November '94, beating Bob Orton Jr in the finals of the tournament. Santana reigned in the AWF for the next few years, only losing the belt once, to Orton Jr in October '96. However, due to Sheik Adnan's interference in the match, AWF Commissioner Jim Brunzell held up the title and started a second match, with Santana quickly regaining the gold. A few months later, the AWF closed, with Santana still as the reigning champion.

Santana next went to USA Pro Wrestling, where he once again became an organization's first Heavyweight Champion, once again beating Orton Jr. Santana had another long reign as champion in the USPW, lasting until March '99, when Santana was stripped of the title. Santana also earned several other titles in the Independents, earning several more Heavyweight Titles as the years went by. Santana also made a brief appearance in World Championship Wrestling, beating Jeff Jarrett in a "Dungeon" Match in January '00 in a one-night-only appearance. While never fully retiring, Santana did cut back on wrestling in the new century, as he became a Spanish teacher for Eisenhower Middle School in Roxbury Township, New Jersey. He also owned Santana's Hair Salon in Succasunna.

WWF Hall Of Fame

In early '04, it was announced that the WWF Hall of Fame would have a ceremony inducting new members (the Hall of Fame hadn't been regularly mentioned since 1996). One of these members was announced as "El Matador" Tito Santana, honoring him for his decade-long stint in the company, as well as his multiple title reigns with the WWF. Santana was inducted by one of his Wrestlemania rivals, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, at the special event before Wrestlemania 20. Santana thanked the fans, even giving them a patented "Areba!" in celebration. Santana also appeared at the Wrestlemania event itself, giving the fans another chance to celebrate the legendary career of one of the greats.

Pay-Per-View/Show Summary: (32 - 37, 1 DDQ, 1 DCO, 2 Draws)
- Georgia Tag-Team Title Tournament (September 9, '77) = Richard Blood & Steven Little Bear beat Jacques Goulet & Dick Slater, then fell to the eventual winners, Tony Atlas & Tommy Rich.
- AWA Comiskey Park (July 14, '80) = Santana fought to a Draw with Paul Christy. Later in the night, Santana competed in a Battle Royal, which was won by Jerry Blackwell.
- GCW Omni Thanksgiving Tag-Team Tournament '82 (November 25) = Santana & Brad Armstrong defeated Hiro Matsuda & the Great Yatsu, then were beaten by the eventual winners, the Moondogs.
- NWA Mid-South North American Title Tournament (March 21, '83) = Santana beat Matt Borne, then fell to Kendo Nagasaki. Mr. Olympia won the tournament.
- WWF Brawl To End It All (July 23, '84) = Santana fought to a Draw with Bob Orton Jr.
- WWF Wrestlemania I (March 31, '85) = Santana forced the Executioner to submit.
- WWF King of the Ring Tournament (July 8, '85) = Santana defeated Terry Funk and Jim Brunzell before losing to the Iron Sheik. Don Muraco won the tournament.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #3 (October 31, '85) = Santana lost, via countout, to Randy Savage. Santana retained the Intercontinental Title.
- WWF The Wrestling Classic (November 7, '85) = Santana pinned Don Muraco. Later in the night, Santana fought to a Double Countout with Paul Orndorff. The Junkyard Dog went on to win the Wrestling Classic tournament.
- WWF Wrestlemania II (April 7, '86) = Santana & the Junkyard Dog fell to Terry & Dory Funk.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #10 (February 21, '87) = Santana & Danny Spivey were beaten by the WWF Tag Champs, the Hart Foundation.
- WWF Wrestlemania III (March 29, '87) = Santana & the British Bulldogs fell to Danny Davis & the Hart Foundation.
- WWF King of the Ring Tournament (September 7, '87) = Santana lost in the first round to Danny Davis. Randy Savage won the tournament.
- WWF Survivor Series '87 (November 26) = Strike Force (Santana & Rick Martel), the Rougeau Brothers, the Young Stallions, the British Bulldogs & the Killer Bees competed in a "Tag-Team Elimination" Match against the Hart Foundation, the Islanders, Demolition, the Russians & Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine. Strikeforce was eliminated when Jim Neidhart pinned Santana. The Killer Bees & the Young Stallions 'survived'.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #14 (December 7, '87) = Strike Force retained the Tag Titles, winning over the Bolsheviks.
- WWF Royal Rumble '88 (January 24) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Jim Duggan.
- WWF The Main Event (February 5, '88) = Strike Force stayed the Tag Champs, beating the Hart Foundation.
- WWF Wrestlemania IV (March 27, '88) = Strike Force lost the Tag-Team Titles to Demolition.
- WWF Survivor Series '88 (November 24) = Santana, Jim Duggan, Jake Roberts, Scott Casey & Ken Patera fought in an "Elimination" Match against Andre the Giant, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Harley Race & Dino Bravo. Santana was eliminated by Andre the Giant. Mr. Perfect & Dino Bravo were the 'survivors'.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #19 (December 7, '88) = Santana took down the Red Rooster.
- WWF Royal Rumble '89 (January 15) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Big John Studd.
- WWF Wrestlemania V (April 2, '89) = Strike Force lost to the Brain Busters.
- WWF Summerslam '89 (August 28) = Santana & the Rockers were beaten by Rick Martel & the Rougeau Brothers.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #23 (September 21, '89) = Santana fought to a Double Disqualification with Rick Martel.
- WWF King of the Ring Tournament (October 14, '89) = Santana defeated Bad News Brown, the Warlord, Akeem and Rick Martel to win the tournament.
- WWF Survivor Series '89 (November 23) = Santana, Dusty Rhodes, Brutus Beefcake & the Red Rooster fought in an "Elimination" Match with Rick Martel, Bad News Brown, the Big Boss Man & the Honky Tonk Man. Santana was eliminated by Martel. Rhodes & Beefcake 'survived'.
- WWF Royal Rumble '90 (January 21) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Hulk Hogan.
- WWF Wrestlemania VI (April 1, '90) = Santana was pinned by the Barbarian.
- WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament (April '90) = Santana defeated the One Man Gang, then lost to Mr. Perfect in the finals.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #27 (July 16, '90) = Santana lost to the IC Champion, Mr. Perfect.
- WWF Summerslam '90 (August 27) = Santana fell to the Warlord.
- WWF The Main Event IV (October 30, '90) = Santana was forced to submit to Rick Martel.
- WWF Survivor Series '90 (November 22) = Santana, Nikolai Volkoff & the Bushwhackers fought in an "Elimination" Match against Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zukoff & the Orient Express. Santana was the sole 'survivor'. Later in the night, Santana competed in the "Winners Elimination" Match along with Hulk Hogan & the Ultimate Warrior against Rick Martel, the Warlord, Ted DiBiase & Power & Glory. Santana was eliminated by DiBiase. Hogan & the Warrior 'survived'.
- WWF Royal Rumble '91 (January 19) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Hulk Hogan.
- WWF Wrestlemania VII (March 24, '91) = Santana was quickly beaten by the Mountie.
- WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #29 (April 15, '91) = Santana again fell to the Mountie.
- WWF Royal Albert Hall (October 3, '91) = Santana fell to Ric Flair. Later that night, Santana competed in a "Battle Royal", which was won by the British Bulldog.
- WWF Survivor Series '91 (November 28) = Santana, Sgt. Slaughter, Kerry von Erich & Jim Duggan fought in an "Elimination" Match with Col Mustafa, Hercules, Skinner & the Berserker. Santana's entire team 'survived'.
- WWF Tuesday In Texas (December 3, '91) = Santana & Virgil were beaten by Ted DiBiase & the Repoman.
- WWF Royal Rumble '92 (January 19) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Ric Flair.
- WWF Wrestlemania VIII (April 5, '92) = Santana was taken down by Shawn Michaels.
- WWF Summerslam '92 (August 29) = In a dark match, Santana was beaten by Papa Shango.
- WWF Royal Rumble '93 (January 24) = Santana competed in the Rumble, which was won by Yokozuna.
- WWF Wrestlemania IX (April 4, '93) = In a dark match, Santana won over Papa Shango.
- ECW Arena (August 8, '93) = Santana won the ECW Heavyweight Title from Don Muraco. Later that night, Santana & Stan Hansen won, via DQ, over Don Muraco & Shane Douglas. Santana then defended the ECW Title, beating Vladimir Koloff.
- Amarillo Funk Free-For-All (October 28, '93) = Santana lost, via Countout, to Ted DiBiase.
- AWF World Heavyweight Title Tournament (November '94) = Santana beat Hercules Hernandez, Curtis Hughes, Tommy Rich, and Bob Orton Jr to win the tournament.
- SCCW Fall River Show (August 11, '01) = Santana defeated Don Vega.
- Superstars & Legends Jersey City Show (September 21, '02) = Santana & Doink the Clown beat Danger Inc.
- Chaotic Wrestling (October 13, '01) = Santana won, via DQ, over Ronny D. Licious.
- Wrestle Reunion #2 (August 27, '05) = Santana won the IWA Heavyweight Championship from Greg Valentine.
- AAA Guerra de Titanes '05 (December 10) = Santana, Kaoma Jr, Oscuridad, & Rio Bravo defeated Hombre sin Miedo, Laredo Kid, Principe Zafiro, & Rey Cometa.
- IWC Night of Legends 3 (March 24, '07) = Santana beat Greg Valentine.
- IWC College Fight Fest: Volume 1 (September 25, '10) = Santana took down Bubba The Bulldog.
- PWG Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning (January 29, '11) = Santana competed in the "Legends Wrestle-Royale" Match, which was won by Roddy Piper.

Title Summary:
- NWA Western States Tag-Team Champion w/Ted DiBiase (1979 - 2/15/1979)
- WWF World Tag-Team Champion w/ Ivan Putski (10/22/1979 - 4/12/1980)
- WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion (2/11/1984 - 9/24/1984)
- WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion(2) (7/06/1985 - 2/08/1986)
- WWF World Tag-Team Champion(2) w/ Rick Martel (10/27/1987 - 3/27/1988)
- ECW Heavyweight Champion (8/08/1993 - 9/09/1993)
- ICCW Heavyweight Champion (2/09/1994 - 3/03/1995)
- NWC Heavyweight Champion (10/1994 - 2/1995)
- AWF World Heavyweight Champion (11/29/1994 - 10/05/1996)
- AWF World Heavyweight Champion(2) (10/05/1996 - 12/1996)
- USPW Heavyweight Champion (12/07/1996 - 3/11/1999)
- RWA Heavyweight Champion (6/18/1998 - 6/19/1998)
- EWA (Empire) Heavyweight Champion (6/02/2000 - 8/26/2000)
- IWA Heavyweight Champion (8/27/2005 - ??)
- ICW Heavyweight Champion (??/??/??)
- UCW Heavyweight Champion (??/??/??)
- UWF America's Champion (??/??/??)
- UWS Tag-Team Champion (??/??/??)

PWI Achievement Awards: (1 win, 0 1st RUs, 2 2nd RUs, 3 3rd RUs)
- 1979 Tag-Team of the Year (Santana & Ivan Putski)
- 1981 Most Inspirational Wrestler, 2nd Runner-Up
- 1981 Most Improved Wrestler, 3rd Runner-Up
- 1985 Most Popular Wrestler, 3rd Runner-Up
- 1990 Match of the Year, 3rd Runner-Up (Royal Rumble)
- 1992 Match of the Year, 2nd Runner-Up (Royal Rumble)