Ted DiBiase

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Theodore Marvin (Ted) DiBiase (born January 18, 1954 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American Christian minister and former professional wrestler, known under the moniker, "The Million Dollar Man".

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Life Before Wrestling

Both of DiBiase's parents were wrestlers. His stepfather, "Iron" Michael DiBiase, died of a heart attack in the ring when Ted was only 15. This sent his mother, Helen Hild, into a deep depression. With her no longer able to take proper care of him, DiBiase was sent to live with his grandparents in Arizona.

After graduating from high school DiBiase was offered and accepted a scholarship at West Texas State University. While there he was being trained by Dory Funk, Jr. and had his first matches while a junior. Eventually he dropped out of school in order to become a full-time wrestler in the Oklahoma area.

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Wrestling career

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Mid-South Wrestling

DiBiase spent a good portion of his career in Mid-South Wrestling, holding the Mid-South North American Championship 5 times and the Mid-South Tag Team title 5 times with four different partners. He did have a brief run in the WWF in 1979 where he was billed as the North American Champion only to lose the belt to Pat Patterson. That title was then dropped in favor of the Intercontinental Championship.

He has also been involved in several of the most memorable angles in wrestling history. In 1982, a face DiBiase stated he would defeat Bob Roop for the North American title or leave Mid-South. The Junkyard Dog won the title from Roop and had to face DiBiase, who was his best friend, with the stipulation still in place. During the match, DiBiase used a loaded glove to knockout the Dog and win the title turning heel in the process. DiBiase and fellow heel Jim Duggan later formed a team called 'the Rat Pack' and in a loser leaves Mid-South match, Duggan in a gorilla suit interfered to send the Dog packing.

DiBiase would later turn on Duggan which set up a Best Dressed Man in Mid-South angle between the two. DiBiase, who was carrying a baseball bat to defend himself from Duggan's 2x4, went outside the arena to confront Mid-South television director Joel Watts about the noise meters being used in the contest. He sees Duggan's car parked nearby and promptly smashes in the windshield. This would lead to a series of Cage, No DQ, Tuxedo and a Coal Miner's glove atop a pole matches between the two.

DiBiase's face turn is considered by many the greatest angle of all time. Butch Reed was supposed to get a shot at Ric Flair's NWA title but Flair and Dick Slater injured Reed the week before. DiBiase (still one of the most hated men in wrestling) is awarded the match but before the match started, Dick Murdoch came out and demanded DiBiase step aside and give him the match. DiBiase refused and Murdoch jumped him, bloodying DiBiase so much that the match is to be cancelled (Flair said he's happy he gets a night off). DiBiase, however, comes back out with a bandage on and the fans chanting his name to fight Flair only to be counted out in the end. Later, Murdoch came back out and gave DiBiase a brainbuster on the concrete floor.

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World Wrestling Federation

In the World Wrestling Federation, DiBiase became one of the most hated heels of all time. He was known as "The Million Dollar Man," a wealthy millionaire gimmick which included the wearing of a gold studded suit covered with dollar signs and a custom "Million Dollar Belt" around his waist when entering the ring. He claimed "everybody has a price," demonstrating his "power" through a series of vignettes, where he would do things such as bribe the manager of a local swimming pool to close for the day so he could have the pool to himself. Other skits involved DiBiase traveling in limousines and giving $100 tips to waiters and using $100 bills in convenience stores for small purchases such as chewing gum.

In other promos, DiBiase would invite fans (including a young Rob Van Dam) into the ring or to the stage (platform where they did interview segments) to perform humiliating acts (such as kissing his feet) for money. One of the more infamous of these skits was when he invited a young boy onto a stage and told him if he bounced a ball 15 times in succession, DiBiase would pay him $500. After the 14th bounce, DiBiase kicked the ball away, sending the boy home without pay.

DiBiase acquired a bodyguard, Virgil, who eventually grew tired of DiBiase's abuse and made an inspirational face turn at the 1991 Royal Rumble.

DiBiase was one of the best technical wrestlers in the business and many fans wished him to change his evil ways and fight clean. His patented 'Million Dollar Dream' (cobra clutch) was feared by many wrestlers as once the match was over, DiBiase would perform a ritual of stuffing $100 dollar bills down his opponents throats. This would be followed by his signature lines, "Everyone's got a price" and "Everyone's got to pay," and his sinister laugh.

He became a tremendous enemy of fan-favorite champions from day one and became one of the most hated wrestlers by fans. On an episode of "WWF Superstars of Wrestling," he announced his plan to buy the WWF Championship and offered Hogan a large sum to surrender the belt. However, Hogan refused and said that DiBiase would have to defeat him in the ring for the belt; this sparked a memorable feud between the two. Hogan got the upper hand in a series of matches, and a frustrated DiBiase approached André the Giant to win the belt for him.

On February 5, 1988, on "The Main Event" (which aired live on NBC), André defeated Hogan in a very questionable decision for the WWF Championship; Andre then announced he was surrendering the belt and handed it to DiBiase. The WWF refused to acknowledge DiBiase as the champion (since the title cannot be bought or surrendered) and declared the title vacant. DiBiase was runner up in the tournament held at WrestleMania IV to fill the vacancy, defeated by "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He was later involved in legendary feuds with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. In 1990, he broke the then-"Iron Man" record by lasting over 40 minutes in the Royal Rumble.

In later years, DiBiase formed a very successful tag team, Money Inc., with Irwin R. Schyster (IRS). The duo were three-time WWF World Tag Team Champions. DiBiase wrestled until late 1993 when back and neck injuries forced him to leave active participation in the ring for good, but he remained on as a manager in both the WWF and later its rival, WCW.

Dibiase introduced The Undertaker to the WWF at the 1990 Survivor Series, claiming the Taker as his protege.

Starting in 1994, DiBiase "purchased" the services of many wrestlers for his Million Dollar Corporation stable in the WWF, which over time included himself, I.R.S., Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka, Nikolai Volkoff, Kama, King Kong Bundy, Sycho Sid, 1-2-3 Kid, and "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin.

DiBiase's millionaire gimmick later influenced the characters of Tiger Ali Singh and John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

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World Championship Wrestling

In WCW, DiBiase managed the nWo immediately after their formation in 1996. Less than a year later, he left the nWo and made a shocking face turn, managing The Steiner Brothers against the nWo until Scott turned heel and joined the group. DiBiase also managed Ray Traylor for a while as an ally to the Steiners but eventually stopped managing altogether.

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Retirement from active wrestling

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Continued involvement with WWE

Despite playing a character fans badly hated, Dibiase is fondly remembered, so much so that he was chosen as a legend fans wanted to see in the SmackDown! games, during a poll survey done by THQ.

In April 2005, DiBiase was hired as a creative consultant and road agent for the SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment.

On October 3, 2005, at WWE Homecoming to the USA Network, DiBiase appeared with other WWE legends in a special legends ceremony. He eventually led the attack on Rob Conway who had come down to the ring to insult the legends.

DiBiase has lately been trying to get the copyrights to his original theme music "It's All About The Money". The reasons for this have not been revealed.

Dibiase inducted his former manager Sensational Sherri into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006, and made a cameo at Wrestlemania 22, offering Eugene $1000 to dribble a basketball 100 times backstage.

DiBiase also appeared on RAW on April 17, 2006, after an Unlimited segment. The segment included Goldust and Gene Snitsky asking Candice Michelle to do "things" with a big chunk of Jarlsberg cheese. DiBiase was shown behind a newspaper laughing as the camera went off air.

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Health issues

On December 20, 2005 in Stamford, Conn., Ted DiBiase collapsed and lost consciousness. He later regained consciousness and was held overnight in a local hospital to undergo testing. He appears to have recovered and is back to work for WWE.

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Religion and wrestling

DiBiase is now a Christian minister who runs combined religion/wrestling events under the promotion, Power Wrestling Alliance. He frequently works with Nikita Koloff, another born-again Christian at these events. In 1999, he founded Heart of David Ministries.

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Personal facts

  • DiBiase has three sons, John, Teddy, and Brett.
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Wrestling facts

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Finishing and signature moves

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Managers

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Nicknames

  • "The Million Dollar Man"
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Quotes

  • "Everybody has a price, for the Million Dollar Man (evil laughter)."
  • "...because the Million Dollar man - always gets his way!"
  • "I'll see you...at the bank! (Evil laughter))."
  • "I stand real tall when I stand on my wallet."
  • "You don't stand on Superman's cape, you don't spit in the wind, and you DON'T climb in the ring with the Million Dollar Man!"
  • "I'm the Million Dollar Man and you will pay!!! ("Evil laughter"))."
  • "Some might cost a little, some might cost alot. But I'm the Million Dollar Man, and YOU WILL BE BOUGHT! ("Evil laughter")
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Championships and accomplishments

  • 1-time AJPW International Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-time AJPW United National Champion
  • 1-time AJPW World Tag Team Champion (with Stan Hansen)
  • 1-time PWF Tag Team Champion (with Stan Hansen)
  • PWI ranked DiBiase # 32 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
  • PWI ranked DiBiase # 20 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Steve Williams
  • PWI ranked DiBiase # 24 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Stan Hansen
  • PWI ranked DiBiase # 61 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Irwin R. Schyster
  • Texas All-Star Wrestling
  • 1-time TASW Heavyweight Champion
  • He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
  • 1981 Best Technical Wrestler
  • 1982 Feud of the Year (vs Junk Yard Dog)
  • 1984 Feud of the Year (vs Jim Duggan)
  • 1987 Best Heel
  • 1988 Best Heel
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Championship succession

Template:Start box | colspan = 3 align = center | King of the Ring winners |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Randy Savage | width = 40% align = center | First
(1988) | width = 30% align = center | Followed by:
Tito Santana |- | colspan = 3 align = center | Million Dollar Belt |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Self-awarded | width = 40% align = center | First | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Virgil |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Virgil | width = 40% align = center | Second | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Vacated |- | colspan = 3 align = center | WWF North American Championship |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
- | width = 40% align = center | First | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Pat Patterson |- | colspan = 3 align = center | WWF World Tag Team Championship |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Road Warriors | width = 40% align = center | First, with Irwin R. Schyster | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Earthquake and Typhoon |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Earthquake and Typhoon | width = 40% align = center | Second, with Irwin R. Schyster | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner |- | width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner | width = 40% align = center | Third, with Irwin R. Schyster | width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner Template:End box

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References

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External links

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Books

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