RGV Hall of Fame inducts former WWF pro wrestler Tito Santana, five others

MCALLEN — Merced Solis, better known in the ring as Tito Santana, became the first professional wrestler inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night at McAllen’s Holiday Inn Holidome.

“This means a lot to me,” said Solis, 54, who has lived in New Jersey the past 22 years with his wife and three sons. “I’m very proud to be a Hispanic and come from being a migrant worker and growing up with nothing, really. I’m very grateful to have gone as far as I’ve gone.”

A 1971 graduate of Mission High School, Solis was a standout in basketball, football and track before playing tight end on the West Texas State University football team and earning his bachelor’s degree in 1975. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the British Columbia Lions of the CFL before joining the World Wrestling Federation. During his 17 years in the WWF, he was a two-time World Tag Team champion and two-time Intercontinental champion. He retired from the WWF in 1993.

He just completed his ninth year as a Spanish teacher and basketball coach at a middle school in Ledgewood, N.J.

Solis, who still participates in wrestling shows to benefit various causes, credited Luis Sanchez, a Mission junior high coach, for encouraging him to try out for athletics. It changed his life.

“I don’t think I had as much talent as some others,” he added. “I just worked as hard as I could.”

Along with Solis, three Brownsville natives were added to the RGV Sports Hall. They are Sylvia Longoria-Rodriguez, Rene Torres and the late Arnie Alvarez.

Longoria-Rodriguez was a four-time 440-yard dash champion for Texas Women’s University from 1969-72. She has coached in Brownsville ISD for more than 30 years.

Torres and Alvarez were members of the 1965 state finalist Brownsville High baseball team and both played at Pan American College. Alvarez coached baseball at five Valley high schools and served as baseball coach and athletic director at Texas Southmost College from 1985-96 before his death in 1998.

Torres retired as a UTB-TSC college instructor in 2004. He now researches South Texas sports history and promotes baseball through presentations and exhibits in the Valley.

Also inducted Saturday night were Eliseo Pompa, a former all-state Mission athlete and veteran Valley baseball coach (454 victories), and Madga Villarreal Johnson, a three-time state qualifier in track and 1975 valedictorian at Edinburg High who also competed at Brigham Young University and set several school records.

Former Pan American University baseball coach Al Ogletree and longtime Valley sports equipment vendor Bill Guthrie also were honored Saturday.

The RGV Sports Hall of Fame is celebrating its 20th year. The Hall’s total number of inductees is now 158, including Tom Landry and Bobby Morrow.