11-02-2025
'Arriba!': WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana announced for South Milwaukee's 2025 Crusherfest
Crusherfest is slamming back into South Milwaukee's downtown this year and the pro-wrestling-centric festival has announced its first guest.
WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana will be at the biannual event, which happens the weekend of May 31-June 1, according to a Feb. 10 post on the festival's official Facebook page.
Santana will appear from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31, in the wrestling tent offering autographs and photo opportunities. Meet and greet admission is free.
Santana recently appeared on WWE television as a guest on Saturday Night's Main Event in December.
Crusherfest launched in 2019 with the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of South Milwaukee's own Reggie 'Da Crusher' Lisowski following a $40,000 GoFundMe campaign to create it. Lisowski wrestled professionally for over 40 years, winning the AWA Heavyweight Championship three times and the AWA Tag Team Championships with Dick the Bruiser five times.
Lisowski died of a brain tumor in 2005 at the age of 79.
The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in fall 2021 but was canceled again the following year while the Bucyrus Commons plaza was under construction.
The festival last happened in June 2023.
In February 2024, it was announced the festival would remain biannual with Crusherfest Chairperson Peggy Clark noting at the time it had always been done that way and 'it seemed like it's working.'
Clark noted planning was a lot of work and the event cost a lot of money to pay for talent, saying the longer time period between events could allow additional time to fundraise and 'maybe bring even bigger talent in.'
Crusherfest has hosted many well-known names in pro-wrestling including 'Cowboy' Bob Orton, 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase, Eric Bischoff, Medusa and Marty Jannetty.
Santana is a former Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion, and 2004 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, according to
Known for his fist-pumping "Arriba!" chant (which means "upward" or "higher" in English, according to Merriam-Webster), he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment), the American Wrestling Association, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and other promotions.
Competing from the late 1970s into the '90s, Santana had many memorable moments, including ending the yearlong title reign of Don Muraco.
On his official website, Santana notes he and Hulk Hogan are the only two individuals to compete at the first nine Wrestlemania events.
While the guests are certainly a highlight, high-flying wrestling, polka music and sausage are also featured prominently at Crusherfest.
Polka music fills the air as people peruse various vendors, participate in the Mr. Saloon competition featuring the Crusher pose, keg holding, sausage eating and a beer drinking contest where the winner is rewarded a belt ― just like in pro-wrestling.
As Da Crusher would say, 'How 'bout dat!?'
Contact Erik S. Hanley at Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tito Santana to appear at Crusherfest in South Milwaukee May 31
