Titus Quote

[The RedMeatKid]

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29
Dec/05

Craig Titus: The Hardest Working Man in Bodybuilding
by Lori Braun under Health

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Craig Titus Backstage at the Arnold 2004 (Photo Gallery)

Interview by Rob Wilkins:

Craig Michael Titus, born January 14, 1967 in Riverview, Michigan is the oldest of three children. Titus was active as a child participating in football, rowing, and wrestling (a sport he excelled at). In 1984, Titus became the Michigan State High School Wrestling champion in the 132-pound weight class. Wrestling introduced Titus to the positive benefits of weight training which eventually led to bodybuilding.

Excerpts from the interview:

“One thing I have learned during my rise to the top of this profession is that people, haters so to speak, will say anything to try and make you look unworthy of your position or just plain bad in the public’s eye. The haters have said everything you can imagine about me; from me having an affair with Keanu Reeves to Kelly was selling X for me in the strip clubs of Vegas and then being thrown in jail for it.

It’s ridiculous. Who knows what they’ll say next when this rumors burns out? Anyone who has been welcomed on my home knows that shit is so far from the truth it’s not even funny! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Wow, you guys are nothing like we’ve been told.”

Quite honestly, I don’t give a shit what people say about us as long as they’re saying something.

I can’t stop two-faced gossipmongers from running their lips. Kelly and I focus on being professional and friendly to the fans that support the sport and us.”

When Titus first started lifting weights, he was motivated by bodybuilding legends Mike Christian, Lee Labrada and Samir Bannout. But it was eight time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney who told Titus he had the potential to make it in bodybuilding.

“In 1991, Lee was training Evander Holyfield at a World’s Gym in Houston, Texas. He noticed me in the gym and took the time to give me some advice and the rest is history,” Titus said. “I recently spoke with him during the GNC Pro Show and informed him that he is a class act and the real reason I continue my quest to be one of the best bodybuilders in the world.”

One of the most popular bodybuilders in the world, Titus has been featured on nearly 100 covers and is now a featured writer for Muscular Development.

Currently living in Las Vegas, Titus is vigorously preparing for the 2004 season and continues to be one of the hardest working man in bodybuilding with endorsement contracts from companies such as Home Bodies Home Gyms, Pinnacle, and Apex Fitness. He also maintains a full guest-posing schedule and still finds time to volunteer in his community.

The Interview:

Wilkins – When did you realize you could make a living at bodybuilding?

Titus – In 1991, I competed in the Ironman/Ironmaiden Bodybuilding Championships in Fontana, California. After winning the overall title, I was shooting with various magazines at Gold’s Gym, Venice. At that time, I realized there might be a career in this sport.

In 1993, I walked on stage at the USA Championships in Santa Monica California, placing in 4th. After the show, I was swarmed by photographers wanting me to shoot for their publication. I realized that the exposure itself could launch me into a great career in bodybuilding and this could lead to other opportunities as well.

One thing new pros have to realize is you have to go after what you want, you cannot just sit on your ass and hope things come to you.

Wilkins – Do you still remember the first magazine cover you appeared on? How about your first feature article?

Titus – Absolutely, Musclemag International, (Nov 93), issue #137. The first article that featured me, “Man on a Mission,” was also in Musclemag International back in 1991. This was an exciting time in my life and career.

The weird thing is, Kelly and I have never appeared on a cover together. I’ve done photo shoots with dozens of fitness models but never my wife. Kelly is featured on the cover of the swimsuit (Feb 04) edition of Ironman Magazine and I’ll be on the cover of Muscular Development in a few months. Maybe this year, we’ll be featured on a cover together.

Wilkins – FLEX magazine and others have featured athletes from other sports on their covers. While this may help the overall sales of the magazine, do you feel this is an insult to bodybuilders?

Titus – ABSOLUTELY! In my opinion, a true bodybuilding magazine like FLEX should be proud to feature pro bodybuilders on the cover. There are dozens of IFBB pros available for covers and I just don’t believe using wrestlers increases sales.

As a matter of fact, a percentage of bodybuilding fans are offended! I have received dozens of e-mails from fans wanting to know why I haven’t been on the cover of FLEX for a while and why they feature wrestlers? These e-mails come from true bodybuilding fans–the people that purchase FLEX and they are not happy. I told them to send the letters to FLEX so they could read first-hand what their readers think. People subscribe to FLEX because they love bodybuilding, not wrestling.

I don’t want to offend my buddy Triple H. However, I think he would agree it’s not a wise decision to put a bodybuilder on the cover of a wrestling magazine. I would love to do more work for FLEX but they seldom use me. I now shoot for Muscular Development, Muscle Magazine International, and Ironman. I want a publication contract and I’m negotiating one at the present time but there are a few more kinks to be worked out before I sign the dotted line.

Again, it is my opinion that IFBB pros should be the only athletes used on the covers of bodybuilding publications.

Wilkins – The two biggest IFBB competitions, the Olympia and Arnold Classic will be televised on Pay Per View this year. When you retire from competition, do you have the desire to become a commentator? What unique perspective would you bring to the viewing audience?

Titus – This is something that has definitely crossed my mind. I’ve done a lot of work in front of the camera so God knows I’m not camera shy. As a veteran competitor, I would be able to deliver a creditable and honest perspective to what bodybuilding is all about. Nothing in my career came easy. Many pro bodybuilders are genetically gifted and contest prep is much easier for them. This is not my case so I would be able to convey to the audience the hard work and tenacity necessary to succeed in pro bodybuilding. I’m also a very good businessman so this gives me the opportunity to put another spin on the sport.

Wilkins – How difficult is it having a wife in the same profession? Is contest preparation tough to go through?

Titus – Absolutely not. Kelly is my best friend and my heart! The reason that Kelly and I have no problems being in the same profession is because we complete each other. She is the one girl that I’ve met that truly understands me and I don’t have to act any different when I’m with her. Kelly’s personality doesn’t change which is good for us because I get short and aggravated and she keeps me calm.

One thing that I have noticed in this industry is men get very insecure if their girlfriend or spouse is better in her sport than he is in his. Kelly is the best fitness athlete in the world right now and I am so proud of her, it’s crazy. I want nothing more then my wife to win every show she enters.

?

Wilkins – What would you be if you were not a bodybuilder?

Titus – Definitely a fighter, be it pro boxing or Ultimate Fighting/King of the Cage. I absolutely love the whole warrior mono-a-mono thing! When I watch Arturo Gatti fight and walk to the ring to the same song that I’ve posed to (Thunder Struck – by ACDC) I get really fired up! Or when I watch Tito Ortiz kick some butt in the octagon, it’s such an adrenaline rush!

I think that’s why I wrestled all through school and hung out at the boxing gym working the heavy bag and sparing with actual fighters. I was so consumed with wrestling, I never went the boxing route.

Wilkins – What was the main reason you did not compete in the 2003 Mr. Olympia?

Titus – It’s very simple. After taking third at the 2003 Night of Champions, I only had five months before walking on stage to compete again. That’s not enough time to make the kind of gains I need to move up into the next tier of athletes like Dennis James or Dexter Jackson.

I just do not want to keep getting called out with the same guys. Since I’ve been competing I’ve made gains absolutely every time I said I would. Now I’m telling you that I will move up into the next tier of pros! So I took a full 10 months to prepare for the Arnold Classic where I hope to catch these athletes. Only time will tell but don’t be surprised if a few more guys place behind me on March 5th. Two names that come to mind are Gunter and Marcus Ruhl. I’m reluctant to say Gunter because all of sudden he’s one of the guys placing ahead of me, strange but true.

Wilkins – What’s the “beef” with King Kamali?

Titus – The fact is that there is no more beef. Early in King’s career, he ran his mouth and it just got a little too personal for me. However, in his defense, you tend to grow out of that sort of thing as you obtain more wisdom. I’ve beaten him the last three times we’ve competed so to be totally honest with you, I don’t think he’ll beat me again so why bother thinking about him when I have bigger fish to fry!

On another note, I would not want to be in his shoes right now after all the derogatory remarks he made after I beat him at the 2003 Night of Champions. He stated on his web site that something fishy was going on at the show. He said that the only people backstage at the show were associates of Pinnacle Nutrition and IFBB Officials insinuating that Pinnacle bought my placing.

He even went so far to say that I give the IFBB money from my parties and this helped my contest placing. I’ve even heard that he said some of the main judges pulled out of the judging panel because they wanted no part of the corruption. Of course we know all of this is absolutely fabricated to make one feel more secure with themselves, but this is really not good for the sport, nor is it good for Kamali.

Sometimes athletes just cannot admit when they’ve been beaten and will make up every excuse in the book. Unfortunately these excuses he has made will not be taken lightly. Because of Kamali, the new IFBB rules were put into effect to keep athletes from taking away the integrity of our great sport.

Wilkins – If it was up to you, what one thing would you change in the IFBB?

Titus – Good question. I used to be one of those guys who always thought that more prize money should be offered. But, now that I’m the CEO of Emperor Entertainment and the promoter of the IFBB After Parties, I realize how hard it is to accumulate steady sponsors. Notice I used the word accumulate.

You see it’s easy to get a sponsor on board for one or even two events, but to keep them on board for the long haul is really difficult. For instance, the supplement company EAS used bodybuilding to get filthy rich and build their foundation, then they turned their backs on the sport and no longer sponsor the very industry that made them rich; that’s foul!

At this time, Kelly and I are blessed and doing well so I really can’t say I would change much.

Wilkins – What’s a typical day like for you?

Titus – Off-season, my day begins at 8:00 am with my first meal followed by my first training session in my home gym. From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm, I’m in my office working on party promotions, making sure rent is being paid on time on our properties, setting up our appearance schedule, and running our web sites. We’re in the process of rebuilding Kelly’s new web site and we’ve just started training clients in our home gym. Besides preparing for the February-March competitions, I’m starting a new web site called www.Promuscle-worship.com.

The site should be up and running by April 1st. As a member you’ll be able to check out your favorite female bodybuilder on line and have her pose for you in the privacy of your own home. Later we’re going to add men to the roster but for now it will be specifically female bodybuilders.

At 1:00 pm, I take a 2-hour nap–a crucial element of adding mass. Around 3:00 pm, I go through my second training session. I love split training because I can train without holding anything back since I only have one body part to do.

To relax, we may go eat sushi or simply chill on the couch watching our favorite movies.

[The RedMeatKid]

Wilkins – Regarding the Olympia Fitness competition, how did you feel when Kelly took second for a record, fifth year in a row?

Titus – Ya know, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Kelly has taken second five times and I feel very strongly that she has won the Fitness Olympia at least three out of those five times.

The one show that leaves no doubt in my mind is in 1999 when Mary Yockey won. Another tough one was the 2003 competition. Susie was hurt, her body was way off, and beating Kelly in the routine round was shocking to say the least.

Figure is about the body and Fitness is about being an athlete. Not to mention I think Kelly’s body is right up in the top three girls, period. I’m sick of people saying that Kelly wins the routine round because of her gymnastic back ground. No way! Let’s not forget that her dancing skills are second to none and her transitions are perfect. The greatest trait Kelly has is her unbelievable ability to suck the fans into her routine.

In many cases, if you ask a fan what they’re looking forward to in regards to a pro fitness competition they’ll say, “To see Kelly’s new routine.” That’s Ms. Fitness Olympia to me.

[The RedMeatKid]

Providing the most unique prospective of Titus is his number one fan and wife, Kelly, “My husband is the most compassionate man I have ever met,” said Kelly. “Craig is someone who takes the time to speak to young kids about setting goals for their future and how important it is to have a life plan. Always encouraging others, he recently wrote to the little girl in Hawaii who lost her arm to a shark bite to say how much he admires her bravery and hopes that he has the honor and privilege of meeting her one day.”

“For years, Craig has performed charity work for the Penny Lane Foundation, because he enjoys making less fortunate people feel special and important; especially when they feel hopeless. Most important to me is how special Craig makes me feel. He calls me during the day all choked up to tell me how much he loves me and how wonderful it is going to be growing old together. I am so proud of my husband!” Kelly said.

Look for Craig and Kelly at the Pinnacle booth during most major competitions. “I want to sincerely thank my fans for their support. Thanks to them, I’m able to make a great living doing something I love to do so stop by our booth and say hi or contact us through my web site at www.craigtitus.com or e-mail us at KellyRyan98@aol.com or CrgTitus@aol.com,” Titus said.

[Hulkotron]

The site should be up and running by April 1st. As a member you’ll be able to check out your favorite female bodybuilder on line and have her pose for you in the privacy of your own home. Later we’re going to add men to the roster but for now it will be specifically female bodybuilders.

Haha, wtf

[SweetMuscles]

Haha, wtf

Living the dream. I wonder if the cats on D block get a free show from Craiggers these days.

[The RedMeatKid]

M.Z.: Why is Muscular Development's John Romano so anti-Titus? Please be specific.

C.T.: Again this all starts at the 1995 USA in Denver, when John came to my room for an exclusive interview on my troubles with the law as well as me walking off stage. I explained to Romano in great detail my case and let him know that the government would not have convicted me if I cooperated with the authorities. In other words, give them information so that they could indict other bodybuilders. John wrote the article for Muscular Development where he defended my integrity and set the record straight in my defense. It felt good to finally get the truth out and put an end to all the rumors of being a rat as well as going to jail. As a matter of fact, Lonnie called the authorities in my case to see if I was cooperating with the law in Louisiana. Without talking to me first, Romano wrote another article stating that I was a rat. It was devastating to see this in an international magazine or in any print for that matter. He tore my character apart and I was not going to stand for it.

Why in the hell was Romano so concerned if I was a rat or not? The only people who are concerned if someone is a rat or not are criminals. So I did a little investigating and found out that Romano is no more than a common thief. He committed telemarketing fraud, where he would call unsuspecting people and make false promises over the phone to steal their hard-earned money. This kind of scum targets the elderly, who have a hard time defending themselves; what a man. Who in the hell does he think he is to judge me? This pathetic human being actually had the balls to smear my name. Every time I am asked anything about Romano, I state exactly what I think of him...this is why he is so anti-Titus.

He constantly makes derogatory statements about the NPC and IFBB, along with the heads of those two organizations, both of whom have enabled Romano to make a living from the sport of bodybuilding that his wife participated in for many years. Romano went so far as to have cartoons of Lonnie Teper and me printed in Muscular Development magazine, where he again made a failed attempt to make us look silly. I'm sure I haven't seen the last of Romano smearing my name. I'm not angry. I just feel sorry for the lost soul.

M.Z.: You did have some sort of beef with Ironman's Lonnie Teper as well. Can you explain?

C.T.: The beef I had with Lonnie started at the USA in Denver [in 1995]. Lonnie and I were good friends prior to the show and are really good friends now. As a matter of fact, we still laugh our asses off at some of the things we said about each other in the mags. I can't remember exactly what was being said but I do remember when it started. I was told at the contest hotel in Denver that Lonnie was spreading the rumor that I was going to jail. To think I actually listened to John Romano when he told me -- that is something I still regret to this day. So, thinking John was a man with integrity, I believed what he said and confronted Lonnie. Because of all the pressure I was under, getting ready for the show combined with the frustration that my good name was being jeopardized, I was ready to blame anyone for the rumors. After telling Lonnie to shut his mouth, in the hotel restaurant, I later found out he was discussing whether the rumors were true or not and had genuine concern for my well-being. To say the least, I felt terrible. Lonnie and I are very good friends and he is definitely an asset to the sport of bodybuilding. Getting on his bad side was not a good idea.

[Dr Dutch]

Wilkins – FLEX magazine and others have featured athletes from other sports on their covers. While this may help the overall sales of the magazine, do you feel this is an insult to bodybuilders?

Titus – ABSOLUTELY! In my opinion, a true bodybuilding magazine like FLEX should be proud to feature convicted killers on the cover. There are dozens of inmates available for covers and I just don’t believe using wrestlers increases sales.

Wilkins – What would you be if you were not a bodybuilder?

Titus – Definitely a hairdresser, be it for gay people or dried up old ladies. I absolutely love the whole coiffure mono-a-mono thing! When I watch Chicks dead-cat-on-the-head walking to the same song that I’ve posed to (Justin Bieber) I get really fired up! Or when I watch Elton John, it’s such an adrenaline rush!

[The RedMeatKid]

There’s something I want to clear up for the VERY LAST time and I mean the last time. I am not “IFBB Pro Undercover” who writes that column on Bodybuilding.com, period. At first when people in this industry speculated it was me, I thought it was funny but now it’s starting to get old really fast. Just realize a few things; I myself have been torn apart in many of the articles written by this mysterious pro. Also, I realize I am married to Kelly Ryan and my opinion of her may be biased because of that fact but keep in mind there are individuals who believe Kelly has won the Olympia several times but will never say it to stay politically correct. So just because this IFBB Pro writes that he or she thinks Kelly won doesn’t mean it’s me. My congratulations go out to Adela for her win in the Fitness Olympia; she’s my bud and always will be.