Booker T vs Craig Titus

Date: May 18, 2004
Location: Gold’s Gym in Las Vegas, NV
Source: Anonymous

When WWE tours Las Vegas, most of the wrestlers work out at the local Gold’s Gym on the corner of Sahara and Decatur. This was the case when the SmackDown brand came in 2004, and Booker T went to Gold’s with Orlando Jordan and Chavo Guerrero Sr.

But Vegas is also infamous for the celebrities who live there, and there was another well known name in the gym at the same time Booker and the others were. His name was Craig Titus, and he’s a somewhat famous competitive bodybuilder who I first heard of when he showed up as the personal trainer for Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil in that VH1 show “The Remaking of Vince Neil.”

In MMA circles, Titus also became well known when he would challenge fighters who lived in the area, such as Phil Baroni.

About 25 minutes into Booker’s workout, Titus confronted him about not putting his weights away when he was done with them. Booker, who is no stranger to physical confrontations and is a very tough guy, got into a heated argument with Titus that quickly got physical. Before it came to blows, Chavo Sr and Jordan got between them as they were screaming at each other.

Once they were separated, Titus leapt over Chavo and Jordan, hitting Booker with what was described as a weak punch. At that point Jordan turned around and dropped Titus to the floor with a right hook.

Chavo immediately grabbed Jordan in a bear hug and yelled at Booker to get his things and they should all get out of there, which they quickly did. Titus wasn’t hurt, but it did damage his ego, as he is usually the one starting something. It was also surprising that Chavo was the mediator who told them all to leave, as in the past he has never been one to back down from fights, especially with much larger men.

This story was provided to us by a first-hand witness who asked not to be named, but whose name might be recognizable to some. We do know that Titus’s wife Kelly Ryan informed him that we originally posted the story in 2005, and rather than deny it, he went on his website and made a comment about some ‘stupid wrasslin’ site for guys who can’t get laid and still live with their parents.’

A couple years after we originally posted the story, Titus and his wife were charged with murdering their personal assistant. They allegedly fled across the country, and were caught in Massachusetts and returned to Las Vegas and denied bail. After originally pleading not guilty, they later plead guilty days before the murder trial. They are both serving time in prison, with Titus not expected out until 2026.

Titus had a history of legal trouble, as he was convicted of selling drugs years before that, and then violated his probation by using anabolic steroids. Despite how huge and ripped Titus would later look as a competitive bodybuilder, he was naturally only about 150 pounds before he started training.

The Armpit was the first media outlet to break this story, thanks to the anonymous tip we received from a live witness.