Tito following in Jesse's footsteps

 ROXBURY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- If The Body can do it, El Matador thinks he can, too.

Tito Santana, a former World Wrestling Federation champion who has bodyslammed Minnesota Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Randy "Macho Man" Savage, wants to follow Ventura into politics.

Santana, who retired from wrestling in 1997, is battling for a Roxbury Township Council spot against Fred Hall, chairman of the planning board.

Local Democrats recruited Santana, who was known as "El Matador" in the ring, to run months after Ventura's surprising victory in the Minnesota gubernatorial election.

"I'm the better wrestler," Santana told The Record of Hackensack. "But Jesse had the charisma. He was good at making people hate him. I'm just not like that. I really wrestled."

Santana, 46, who teaches elementary school physical education in Bound Brook, has taken up two issues. He opposes overdevelopment and wants to end a 20-year Republican majority in the township. Republicans hold a 5-2 majority on the council.

"I don't think Tito has much grasp of the issues," Hall said.

Santana is not worried.

"Compared to the ring, politics is a piece of cake," he said.
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