Ted DiBiase
Ring name(s)	Ted DiBiase
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight	260 lb (120 kg)[1]
Born	Theodore Marvin Wills (1954-01-18) January 18, 1954 (age 58) Omaha, Nebraska[2][3]
Resides	Clinton, Mississippi
Billed from	Omaha, Nebraska[4] Palm Beach, Florida (Spring residence)[5] Hyannis Port, Massachusetts (Summer residence)[5] Bel Air, California (Autumn residence)[5] Netherlands Antilles (Winter residence)[5]
Trained by	Dory Funk, Jr.[1] Terry Funk[1]
Debut	June 1975[4]
Retired	January 18, 1994[4]

Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. (born January 18, 1954)^[4] is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career. He is best recalled by mainstream audiences for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he wrestled as "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.

Among other accolades in the WWF, DiBiase was the first WWF North American Heavyweight Champion, a three-time WWF Tag Team Champion (with Irwin R. Schyster) and the 1988 King of the Ring. DiBiase also created his own championship, the Million Dollar Championship. He was well known for his cutting-edge heel promos, which were often concluded with his trademark evil laugh; DiBiase has been described by WWE as the organization's "most despised villain" during the late 1980s.^[6] He held the WWF Championship belt in 1988 after purchasing it from André the Giant, but this period is not recognized by WWE as an official title reign.^[1] Nonetheless, DiBiase frequently performed in main event matches and has been cited as one of the finest in-ring technicians in history.^[1][7][8]

DiBiase was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010 by his sons, Ted and Brett.

Early life[link]

DiBiase is the biological son of wrestler Helen Nevins and Ted Wills, an entertainer and singer.^[2][3] Ted is the adopted son of wrestler "Iron" Mike DiBiase who was Italian.^[9][10] Ted DiBiase is of mostly German and English ancestry. His adoptive father died of a heart attack in the ring when Ted was just 15. Seven-time NWA world champion Harley Race rushed to the ring and performed CPR but was unable to save Mike DiBiase's life. In response, his mother suffered from depression and alcoholism, so Ted was moved to Willcox, Arizona to live with his grandparents. He attended Creighton Preparatory high school and attended West Texas State University on a football scholarship. While there he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. However, he later dropped out of college to begin a career in professional wrestling.^[11]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Mid-South Wrestling (1975–1979)[link]

Ted DiBiase was trained by Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk. He made his professional wrestling debut in June 1974 in the Amarillo territory owned by the Funks. He then went to the Mid-South territory in 1975 where he wrestled for four years.

World Wrestling Federation (1979)[link]

DiBiase had a short stint with Vince McMahon, Sr.'s World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. He was awarded the short-lived North American Championship, becoming the title's first champion.^[12][13] On June 19, 1979, he lost the North American Championship to Pat Patterson, who unified the title with the fictional "South American Championship" to become the first ever Intercontinental Champion.^[14][15]

He was Hulk Hogan's first opponent in Hogan's first Madison Square Garden match.^[16]

NWA and Mid-South Wrestling (1980–1987)[link]

DiBiase also spent time in the Georgia area where he had an early face run frequently tagging with Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. The two then feuded, leading to a loser leaves town match which DiBiase won, but instead of Rich leaving the area, he donned a mask calling himself "Mister R." The feud culminated in a match between Mister R and DiBiase, Tommy Rich appeared from backstage and distracted DiBiase. Mister R then rolled up DiBiase to get the win and unmasked as Brad Armstrong. Both DiBiase and Rich left the territory shortly thereafter.

In the early to mid-1980s, DiBiase participated in angles in various territories with the likes of Dick Murdoch, Ric Flair, the Fabulous Freebirds, Jim Duggan, One Man Gang, and Junkyard Dog.^[4] He also held various championships^[13] and made frequent trips to All Japan Pro Wrestling until his eventual departure from Mid-South Wrestling (which by this point was now the UWF). Typically, his matches ended with the use of a "loaded" black glove, which he pulled from his tights to "knock out" his opponent when the referee was not looking.

While locked in talks with the National Wrestling Alliance in 1987 after the UWF was acquired by Jim Crockett, DiBiase received an offer from the WWF. DiBiase was eventually convinced by WWF to sign up despite the fact that he would not be told his gimmick until after he agreed, under the promise that it was something that would receive a serious push. WWF official Pat Patterson informed DiBiase that if owner Vince McMahon were to go out to wrestle, it would be the gimmick that he would give himself.

Part of his stint in Mid-South wrestling was a heel group called "The Rat Pack" which consisted of DiBiase, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Matt Borne.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1983-1987, 1993)[link]

Dibiase entered All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1983. He won the NWA United National Championship on October 14, 1983 in a tournament defeating Jerry Lawler by forfeit.^[17] Two months later on January 28, 1984, Dibiase lost the title to Michael Hayes.^[17]

In August 1985, Dibiase formed a tag team with fellow gaijin: Stan Hansen and the two became the PWF Tag Team Champions when Hansen chose Dibiase to replace Bruiser Brody who left for New Japan Pro Wrestling.^[18] Later that year, Dibiase and Hansen entered the 1985 World's Strongest Tag League and would emerge victorious finishing in first place with 7 points.^[19]

On July 3, 1987, Dibiase and Hansen would lose the PWF Tag Team Championship to Jumbo Tsuruta and Tiger Mask, ending their two year reign as champions.^[18] Eight days on July 11, Dibiase and Hansen regain the titles for a second time but would be stripped of the titles shortly after due to Dibiase leaving All Japan for the WWF.^[18]

In September 1993, Dibiase returned to All Japan and reformed his team with Hansen. The two immediately saw success as they defeated The Holy Demon Army on September 3, 1993^[20] for the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship. Two months later on November 13, 1993, Dibiase and Hansen would be stripped of the titles so they could be put on the line for the 1993 World's Strongest Tag League. Dibiase would enter the tournament but would only wrestle one match on November 14 where he and Hansen defeated Tracey Smothers and Richard Slinger^[21] before he suffered neck and back injuries which forced him out of the tournament (Giant Baba ended up replacing him).^[21]

Return to the WWF (1987–1996)[link]

The Million Dollar Man[link]

Being repackaged as the Million Dollar Man in the WWF gave DiBiase an iconic look and many memorable vignettes.

In the WWF, DiBiase was known as "The Million Dollar Man", a millionaire who wore a gold-studded, dollar-sign-covered suit and, in time, a custom-made, diamond-encrusted and self-awarded "Million Dollar Championship Belt". The Million Dollar Man character was based on the type of wrestler that Vince McMahon would want to be.^[22] DiBiase had a bodyguard by the name of Virgil, that was also by his side during matches, and all of his vignettes. The idea for the name Virgil was based on then-NWA booker Dusty Rhodes, whose real name is Virgil Runnels. The name of DiBiase's finishing move, the Million Dollar Dream (in which someone is put to sleep), was also meant to be an insult to Dusty Rhodes, who was named the American Dream.^[23]

Virgil was often seen performing humiliating tasks, such as rubbing DiBiase's feet. DiBiase claimed "Everybody has a price" demonstrating his "power" through a series of vignettes in which he did things such as bribe the manager of a local swimming pool to close for the day so he could have the pool to himself, or when the honeymoon suite in a hotel was already booked, he bribed the desk clerk to have the couple already in there thrown out. Other skits featured DiBiase traveling in limousines, giving $100 tips to waiters, and using $100 bills in convenience stores for small purchases like chewing gum. In reality, DiBiase's road travel was deliberately booked for first-class airplane flights and five-star hotel accommodations, and he was given a stipend of petty cash from the WWF Offices so that he could "throw money around" in public (i.e. pick up tabs and "overtip", buy drinks for entire bars, actually pay for small items with a $100 bill, etc.) in order to make the character seem more real. Other times, DiBiase invited fans (including a young Rob Van Dam^[24]) to perform humiliating acts (such as kissing his feet) for money. During one skit, 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. (Though, according to his autobiography, everybody who wasn't paid on-camera was paid off-camera.) He frequently stuffed a $100 bill into the mouth of a wrestler on whom he had used the Million Dollar Dream move.

His first big in-ring angle came in late 1987 on an episode of Superstars of Wrestling, where he announced his plan to buy the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan. Hogan refused and said that DiBiase would have to defeat him in the ring for the belt. 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 the February 5, 1988 edition of The Main Event (which aired live on NBC), André defeated Hogan under questionable circumstances for the WWF Championship. Referee Dave Hebner was detained backstage and replaced with a referee DiBiase paid to have plastic surgery (actually Dave's twin brother Earl). He counted the pin for André despite the fact that Hogan's shoulder was up at the count of one;^[25] André then announced he was surrendering the belt and handed it to DiBiase.^[26] DiBiase was in fact billed as WWF champion in three house shows, the following days, defending the belt one time against Bam Bam Bigelow.^[27] However, successively WWF refused to acknowledge DiBiase as the champion (since titles could not be handed to someone else) and declared the title vacant (as the title could not be given back to Hogan due to the match being official, and Andre's handing off the belt to DiBiase was considered a surrender of the title.).^[28] André's world title win was always recognized though, and is still considered the shortest world title reign in WWF history (Until Yokozuna's first reign at Wrestlemania 9, when he won the title from Bret Hart only to challenge and lose the title to Hulk Hogan moments later). This angle was an amplification of an angle in the old Georgia Championship Wrestling, when Larry Zbyszko paid Killer Tim Brooks $25,000 for his NWA National Heavyweight Championship in 1983.

A tournament was announced to crown a new WWF Champion. At WrestleMania IV, DiBiase defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the first round and Don Muraco in the quarterfinal before receiving a bye in the semi-finals to advance to the finals of the tournament. DiBiase was defeated by "Macho Man" Randy Savage in the finals. After repeated interference by André the Giant, Hulk Hogan got involved to even the odds.^[28][29][30] DiBiase continued to feud with Savage throughout the summer of 1988, culminating in a tag team match pitting DiBiase and André the Giant vs. Hogan and Savage at the inaugural SummerSlam (in a match billed as "Where The Mega Powers Meet The Mega Bucks"). Although pro-heel commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura served as the guest referee, Hogan pinned DiBiase to win the match. DiBiase then defeated Brutus Beefcake, Ken Patera, Ron Bass, and Randy Savage to win the 1988 King of the Ring tournament, receiving his first WWF success.

Bobby Heenan sold Hercules' contract to Ted DiBiase for his services as his personal slave. DiBiase claimed that Hercules was his slave but started feuding with him after Hercules turned face. He eliminated Hercules from the main event at Survivor Series.

At the Royal Rumble in 1989, DiBiase purchased the #30 entrance spot from Akeem to become the final entrant in the match.^[31] Big John Studd and DiBiase were the final two participants in the match. DiBiase offered Studd a bribe to eliminate himself, but Studd eliminated him to win the match. DiBiase continued to feud with Hercules; the two had a series of matches including a match that DiBiase won on the February 3 edition of The Main Event. He defeated The Blue Blazer on the March 11 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. After that match, he introduced the WWF Million Dollar Championship, his own championship belt which was not recognized by the WWF. He created this belt because he was unable to buy or win the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan.

DiBiase fought Brutus Beefcake to a double-countout at WrestleMania V. DiBiase's next big feud was with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. A few weeks after WrestleMania, DiBiase attacked Roberts on WWF Superstars of Wrestling after Roberts defeated Virgil in a match. DiBiase put Roberts out of action for several months with a neck injury. (The storyline was created so Roberts could get surgery on his back from the guitar attack from The Honky Tonk Man a year earlier.) While Roberts recuperated, DiBiase defeated Jimmy "The Superfly" Snuka at SummerSlam by countout. On the October 14 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, DiBiase faced Hulk Hogan in a match for the WWF Championship where DiBiase had the monster Zeus by his side. DiBiase lost the match when he accidentally hit Zeus and was pinned by Hogan with a small package. At Survivor Series, DiBiase captained a team dubbed the "Million Dollar Team" consisting of himself, the Powers of Pain (Warlord and Barbarian), and Zeus against Hogan's "Hulkamaniacs" consisting of Hogan, Jake Roberts, and Demolition (Ax and Smash). DiBiase eliminated Roberts after pinning him with help from Virgil before being pinned himself by Hogan.

DiBiase performing his trademark evil laugh.

In 1990, he broke the record at the time by lasting 45 minutes in the Royal Rumble match after entering as the #1 entrant (rather than #30 like the previous year). He eliminated two opponents before he was eliminated by The Ultimate Warrior. He then continued his feud with Jake Roberts, who stole the Million Dollar Belt, leading to a match at WrestleMania VI where Roberts was counted out. Shortly after WrestleMania, he had a brief feud with Big Bossman which dated back to when DiBiase tried to bribe Bossman into retrieving the Million Dollar Belt. Bossman refused DiBiase's bribe and returned the Million Dollar Belt to Roberts. At SummerSlam, DiBiase bought the services of Sapphire, who was the manager of Dusty Rhodes at the time. This led to Rhodes and DiBiase feuding throughout the end of 1990 into the beginning of 1991. On the October 30 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, he attacked Dusty's son Dustin Rhodes during Dusty's match with Randy Savage. DiBiase and Dusty captained rival teams at Survivor Series, with DiBiase's mystery partner turning out to be the debuting Undertaker.^[32] DiBiase wound up eliminating both members of The Hart Foundation and was the sole survivor of the match. He, however, was eliminated in the main event by Hogan. At the Royal Rumble, Ted DiBiase and Virgil defeated Dusty and Dustin Rhodes in a tag team match. After the match, DiBiase ordered Virgil to put the Million Dollar Championship belt around his waist. Virgil instead hit DiBiase with the belt, turning face. At WrestleMania VII, DiBiase lost by countout to Virgil, who had help from 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. Sensational Sherri, who earlier in the night had turned on a losing Randy Savage, came down midway through the match to help DiBiase and became his full-time valet. On the April 27 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, DiBiase fought Bret Hart to a double countout.

DiBiase lost the Million Dollar Championship to Virgil at SummerSlam when Virgil smashed his head into an exposed turnbuckle and pinned him to get the victory. DiBiase participated in the King of the Ring tournament drawing with Ricky Steamboat in the first round. DiBiase regained the Million Dollar Championship from Virgil with help from Repo Man on the November 11 edition of Prime Time Wrestling which was dubbed "Survivor Series Showdown". At Survivor Series, he was one of the contestants eliminated from his match. At This Tuesday in Texas, DiBiase and Repo Man defeated Virgil and Tito Santana.

Money Inc.[link]

DiBiase in 1995.

Ted DiBiase officially formed the tag team, Money Incorporated, with Irwin R. Schyster (IRS). The duo, mostly managed by Jimmy Hart, won the WWF Tag Team Championship three times between February 1992 and June 1993. Their first reign came on February 7, 1992 when they defeated The Legion of Doom for the titles. Money Incorporated then feuded with The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon). They defended the title against the Natural Disasters at WrestleMania VIII and lost the match by countout, thus retaining the title. On July 20, they lost the title to the Natural Disasters.

After losing a match to the Legion of Doom at SummerSlam, DiBiase and IRS regained the belts on the October 13 edition of Wrestling Challenge from the Natural Disasters. This title change led to a feud with The Nasty Boys, who were originally scheduled for the title shot. On the November 8 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, they defended their titles against the Ultimate Maniacs (Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage). DiBiase and IRS lost the match by countout and thus retained the titles once more.

Ted DiBiase participated in the Royal Rumble match, entering at #4 before eventually being eliminated by The Undertaker. Shortly after, DiBiase and IRS became involved in a major angle with the returning Brutus Beefcake. DiBiase faced Beefcake on one of the first episodes of Monday Night Raw. DiBiase and IRS attacked Beefcake after the match and slammed his face (which had been surgically repaired following a windsailing accident) with a briefcase. Money Inc. also attacked their manager Jimmy Hart, who was disgusted by their actions. Beefcake's best friend Hulk Hogan came to Beefcake's defense and challenged Money Inc. to a tag team title match at WrestleMania IX. DiBiase and IRS retained their titles by disqualification after Hogan used Beefcake's protective face mask as a weapon.

Money Inc. dominated the tag team division of the WWF. They feuded with the Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) and had a series of title exchanges. DiBiase and IRS were defeated by the Steiners for the WWF Tag Team Championship on the June 14 edition of Monday Night Raw. They would regain the titles on June 16 at a live event but lost them back to the Steiners three days later on June 19 at another live event. DiBiase last wrestled for the WWF in August, bowing out following an angle which saw Razor Ramon turn face and 1-2-3 Kid debut. The Kid had scored an upset pinfall against a cocky Ramon, causing DiBiase to mock Ramon and tell him he would show him how it was done. He then went on to also lose to the Kid, giving Razor a newfound respect for the Kid thus turning Razor face. This included a match at SummerSlam between DiBiase and Ramon which DiBiase lost. This was DiBiase's last TV appearance in the WWF during this run. He revealed in a shoot interview that his decision to leave the WWF at this point was motivated by a desire to resolve his marital problems.

After a few months in Japan, he quietly announced his retirement due to accumulated injuries and returned to the USA.

Million Dollar Corporation[link]

DiBiase managed many wrestlers in his Million Dollar Corporation stable, including Sycho Sid.

DiBiase returned to the WWF at the Royal Rumble as a guest commentator. DiBiase then began working as a commentator and manager for the WWF. Later in 1994, DiBiase purchased the contracts of many wrestlers for his Million Dollar Corporation stable in the WWF, which over time included I.R.S., Bam Bam Bigelow, Nikolai Volkoff, Kama, King Kong Bundy, Sycho Sid, 1-2-3 Kid, and in a swerve, Tatanka. DiBiase also renewed his connection with the Undertaker after the latter's six-month hiatus after the January Royal Rumble. Saying that he had originally brought the Undertaker to the WWF, and he was going to bring him back, DiBiase debuted a new Undertaker under his control. This Undertaker however proved to be an impostor played by Brian Lee, and was subsequently defeated by the real Undertaker at SummerSlam.

DiBiase also had a place in the main event of WrestleMania XI as the manager of Bam Bam Bigelow in his match versus Lawrence Taylor. Surrounding the ring were members of DiBiase's corporation to offset Taylor's entourage of NFL All-Pros on the opposite side. After Taylor defeated Bigelow, DiBiase publicly referred to Bigelow as an embarrassment. This culminated in Bigelow quitting The Corporation after DiBiase fired him following a loss to Diesel in a WWF Championship match. Bigelow aligned himself with Diesel in a feud versus members of DiBiase's corporation.

As a manager, DiBiase also later introduced "The Ringmaster", who eventually became Stone Cold Steve Austin, to the WWF in December 1995. Austin became the Million Dollar Champion and began wearing DiBiase's gold belt that was introduced in 1989.^[33] DiBiase's last appearance with the company was at In Your House: Beware of Dog in 1996, where he was kayfabe forced to leave the WWF after Steve Austin lost to Savio Vega. In reality, he left for rival promotion World Championship Wrestling.

World Championship Wrestling (1996–1999)[link]

In WCW, DiBiase became the fourth member of the nWo (along with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and former enemy Hollywood Hogan) on August 26, 1996, one month after their formation in July 1996. He claimed to be financing the group (thus playing on his "Million Dollar Man" gimmick that WCW could not legally use outright).^[34] He was referred to, instead, as "Trillionaire Ted", a play on "Billionaire Ted", the WWF-given nickname of Ted Turner.

DiBiase quit the NWO shortly after Spring Stampede. Less than a few months later, on the August 4, 1997, episode of Nitro, he made a face turn, managing The Steiner Brothers. DiBiase managed The Steiners until Scott turned heel and joined the NWO. DiBiase also managed one-time WWF rival Ray Traylor for a while until he stopped managing altogether. DiBiase then became a road agent for the company and left entirely when his contract expired in late 1999.

Retirement from active wrestling[link]

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, DiBiase appeared with other WWE legends in a ceremony. He eventually led the attack on Rob Conway, who had come down to the ring to insult the legends.

DiBiase inducted his former manager Sensational Sherri into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006^[35] and made an appearance at WrestleMania 22, offering Eugene $1000 to dribble a basketball 100 times backstage and kicked the ball away at the last second. DiBiase also appeared on Raw on April 17 behind a newspaper doing his famous evil laugh as the camera went off air. DiBiase made an appearance at an IPW show in Newton, Iowa on July 14, 2006, where he watched his sons' tag team match. The following day, he accepted the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction for his father, Mike, at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum. He also appeared at the Raw Family Reunion on October 9, 2006 aiding Ric Flair in his match with the Spirit Squad. On October 26, 2006, Ted DiBiase was released from his WWE contract.

DiBiase made his first in ring appearance in over five years at the Raw 15th Anniversary Special on December 10, 2007, by winning a 15-man battle royal, in which he was not even an active participant. Irwin R. Schyster, DiBiase's former tag team partner of Money Incorporated, had won the battle royal. DiBiase came down to ringside and offered Schyster a bribe to eliminate himself. Schyster accepted and hopped over the top rope, making DiBiase the victor. DiBiase then declared that even after fifteen years, everyone still had a price for the "Million Dollar Man."

On the May 19, 2008 edition of Raw, he was seen alongside Mr. McMahon about to "discuss business", in William Regal's office.^[36] On the following Raw, DiBiase introduced his son Ted DiBiase, Jr. to WWE as its newest member.

Christian ministry and wrestling[link]

DiBiase is now a Christian minister. In 1999, he founded Heart of David Ministry. Ted is also the author of Every Man Has His Price, a part- autobiography and part-Christian testimony.

Part-time wrestling appearances and Hall of Fame (2009-present)[link]

On the June 29 episode of Raw, Ted DiBiase, Jr. announced in a segment with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton that DiBiase would appear on Raw the following week as the special guest host, and DiBiase appeared as scheduled on July 6. On the show, DiBiase booked his son to face Randy Orton. After DiBiase Jr. lost the match, he accused his father of setting him up and trying to steal his time, even slapping his father across the face. DiBiase would later come out at the end of the show and sanctioned a triple threat match for Randy Orton's WWE Championship at Night of Champions including John Cena and Triple H in his final act as the guest host. He is also a playable character in WWE Legends of WrestleMania and an unlockable superstar in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010. DiBiase was announced as the first inductee of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010 on February 8, 2010 during an episode of Raw. DiBiase appeared again on the November 2 edition of WWE NXT, where he was the minister for Aksana and Goldust's wedding. On February 21, 2011, it was announced DiBiase would induct Jim Duggan into the Hall of Fame. He returned on the December 12, 2011 special edition of Raw SuperShow (the Slammys edition) alongside fellow legend Mick Foley, and presented the "Holy %&@*# Move of the Year" award, which was won by Mark Henry and The Big Show. On April 10, 2012, DiBiase made an appearance on WWE Smackdown: Blast from the Past.

Books[link]

DiBiase, Ted. Every Man Has His Price. Multnomah Publishers. 1997. ISBN 1-57673-175-8

DiBiase, Ted. The Million Dollar Man. Pocket Books. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-5890-3

Penholder ^[37] Ted DiBiase (Fore-wording Author), William J. Bruce III (Author) ISBN 978-0-9813183-1-8 ^[38]

Documentaries[link]

• Wrestling with Faith is a documentary film about Ted DiBiase. It went into production in February 2010.
• The Price of Fame is a documentary film about Ted DiBiase's redemption and faith. It will be released in 2011. It will also feature Scott Hall and Sean Waltman.

Personal life[link]

All three of his sons Mike (from his first marriage) Ted Jr. and Brett (from his current marriage) are professional wrestlers, with Ted Jr. currently wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown roster.^[39] He went to West Texas State University, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega.^[40]

DiBiase, appeared in Christian Living Magazine in the July/Aug 2008 edition where he stated: “God had allowed me to climb to the top — my life was made into action figures; I wrestled in front of 80,000 people. Yet, I was still not satisfied. I was trying to fill this void in my life, like so many others have done in the entertainment world. But the thing that’s almost unbelievable about God is His grace and mercy. We fail all the time, but there’s no shame in failing—only in not getting up and keeping on.�^[41]

On May 14, 2009 Ted appeared in MuscleSport Magazine where his ministerial booking agent and publicist William J. Bruce III commented saying, "I have had the privilege of getting to know Ted over the last couple of years as his booking agent and publicist though Willowcreek Marketing. I will never forget a comment that I once heard him relate about the difference of knowing God or knowing about God; “a lot of people remember my last match, they can remember what I wore, what moves I made and who won, they know everything about me, but they don’t know me. In many ways that is how we as Christians are, we know everything about God…but we don’t know Him.�^[42]

In wrestling[link]

DiBiase in 2010.

• Finishing moves
  • Diving back elbow drop^[4][43]
  • Figure four leglock^[44][45]
  • Million Dollar Dream (Cobra clutch)^[1][4][45]

• Signature moves
  • Backbreaker^[45]
  • Back elbow smash^[4]
  • Delayed falling fist drop^[4][45]
  • Elbow drop^[45]
  • Jumping stomp to face^[46]
  • Multiple suplex variations:
    • Belly to back^[45]
    • Gutwrench^[4][45]
    • Vertical^[4]
  • Piledriver^[45]
  • Scoop powerslam^[44][47]
  • Sleeper hold^[45]
  • Spinning toe hold^[4]
  • Standing clothesline^[43]

• Managers
  • Jimmy Hart^[48]
  • Sensational Sherri
  • Virgil / Vincent
  • Sapphire

• Wrestlers managed
  • André the Giant
  • Irwin R. Schyster / V.K. Wallstreet
  • Tatanka
  • King Kong Bundy
  • Nikolai Volkoff
  • Chris Benoit
  • 1-2-3 Kid / Syxx
  • Ray Traylor
  • Ted DiBiase, Jr.
• Teams and stables managed
  • Million Dollar Corporation (Irwin R. Schyster, Nikolai Volkoff, Ted DiBiase's Undertaker, Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kama, King Kong Bundy, Sycho Sid, 1-2-3 Kid, Xanta Klaus)
  • nWo (Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, The Giant, nWo Sting, Syxx, Vincent, V.K. Wallstreet)
  • The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner)

• Nicknames
  • "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase^[4]
  • "Trillionaire Ted" (WCW)

• Entrance themes
  • "Its All About The Money" by Jimmy Hart And John J. McGuire

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Stan Hansen^[13]
  • NWA United National Championship (1 time)^[13]
  • PWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Stan Hansen^[13]
  • World's Strongest Tag Team League (1985) – with Stan Hansen

• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[13]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA National Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[13]
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Stan Frazier (1), and Steve Olsonoski (1)^[13]

• NWA Tri-State / Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (4 times)^[13]
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Matt Borne (1), Jerry Stubbs (1), Hercules Hernandez (1), and Steve Williams (2)^[13]
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time)^[13]
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch^[13]

• NWA Western States Sports
  • NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tito Santana^[13]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1982)
  • PWI ranked him #17 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1991
  • PWI ranked him #32 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[49]
  • PWI ranked him #20 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Steve Williams in 2003^[50]

• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2007

• St. Louis Wrestling Club
  • NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[13]

• Texas All-Star Wrestling
  • TASW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[13]

DiBiase is the only person to have twice won the unsanctioned, storyline driven title known as the Million Dollar Championship.

• World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
  • Million Dollar Championship (2 times)²
  • WWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[12][13]
  • WWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Irwin R. Schyster^[13]
  • King of the Ring (1988)^[13]
  • Slammy Award for Humanitarian of the Year (1987)
  • WWE Hall Of Fame (Class of 2010)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Best Gimmick (1987)
  • Best Heel (1987, 1988)
  • Best Technical Wrestler (1981)
  • Feud of the Year (1982) vs. Junkyard Dog
  • Feud of the Year (1985) vs. Jim Duggan
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

1 ^ Ted DiBiase is not recognized as a WWE Champion because Andre The Giant surrendered the WWE Championship to Ted DiBiase but the title was instantly vacated by Jack Tunney and the championship reign is not counted as an official championship reign.

2 ^ The Million Dollar Championship isn't an official championship recognized by World Wrestling Entertainment. It is a championship created entirely for the promotion and storyline of Ted DiBiase's "Million Dollar Man" character.

See also[link]

Professional wrestling portal

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ted DiBiase

• Official website
• HeartOfDavidMinistry.com (Official Ministry Website)
• TedDiBiase.com
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Profile
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile

Ted DiBiase, Jr.
DiBiase in December 2011
Ring name(s)	Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase Jr.[1]
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Billed weight	214 lb (97 kg)[2]
Born	(1982-11-08) November 8, 1982 (age 29)[3] Baton Rouge, Louisiana[4]
Resides	Tampa, Florida[3]
Billed from	Madison, Mississippi[2] West Palm Beach, Florida[1]
Trained by	Chris Youngblood[5] Harley Race's Wrestling Academy[6]
Debut	July 8, 2006[7]

Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr.^[1][3] (born November 8, 1982)^[3] is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand.^[2] He is a former two time World Tag Team Champion with his former tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.

After being trained by Chris Youngblood and undergoing further training at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, DiBiase made his professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006. He won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship with his brother Mike DiBiase, in February 2007, and also toured Japan briefly with Pro Wrestling Noah. He signed a developmental contract with WWE in July 2007, and was assigned to their developmental facility, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He joined the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction for a short time, before winning the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in December 2007. Due to injury, he relinquished the championship in January 2008.

He made his WWE television debut on May 26, 2008, and in his first match as a member of the Raw roster, he won the World Tag Team Championship with Cody Rhodes. They dropped the championship in August, before winning it again a week later. Rhodes and DiBiase were joined by Manu shortly afterwards, forming a faction of multi-generation wrestlers, although shortly afterwards DiBiase was taken off television to film The Marine 2. Upon his return, he formed The Legacy faction alongside Rhodes and Randy Orton. Following The Legacy's dissolution, DiBiase moved into singles competition, and was drafted to the SmackDown brand in April 2011.

Aside from professional wrestling, DiBiase is also an actor, making his film debut in The Marine 2, a direct-to-DVD movie that was released on December 29, 2009.

Early life[link]

DiBiase was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was raised in Clinton, Mississippi.^[4] He knew fellow professional wrestler Christie Ricci as a child, as they attended a Sunday school class together.^[8] He graduated from Clinton High School in 2001.^[9] At Clinton, DiBiase was the football team's starting quarterback. He enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton and was a starting wide receiver for Mississippi College's football team before leaving the squad following his freshman season. He also played soccer in college, and received awards in both sports.^[6] He graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration.^[6] During his time in college, DiBiase considered becoming a minister.^[10]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Training and early career (2006–2007)[link]

DiBiase and his older brother Mike DiBiase, received professional wrestling training from Chris Youngblood in Amarillo, Texas, before going to train at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy.^[5][11] The DiBiase brothers made their professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006 for World League Wrestling (WLW), the promotion run by Harley Race in Eldon, Missouri in conjunction with the Wrestling Academy.^[7] On February 17, 2007, they won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship by defeating Raheem Rashaad and Juntsi.^[1][12] In early 2007, DiBiase also wrestled on tours in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he competed against wrestlers including the former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, KENTA.^[1][12]

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE[link]

Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2008)[link]

DiBiase wrestling at a Florida Championship Wrestling show.

In July 2007, DiBiase signed a development deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and debuted in their training territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).^[1][12] He made his FCW debut on August 4 in a tag team match, in which he and Jake Hager defeated Keith Walker and Heath Miller.^[13] In October, DiBiase became a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction alongside Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Teddy Hart.^[1][12] He quickly separated from the group, however, and gained Maryse as a valet.^[14][15] On December 18, 2007, DiBiase defeated TJ Wilson to win the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in New Port Richey, Florida.^[12][16] DiBiase, however, was unable to defend it due to an injury sustained, so he awarded the championship to his partner Heath Miller on January 19, 2008.^[16] As of March 2008, DiBiase had suffered from a multitude of injuries including sciatica, a fractured left knee, separated ribs, broken finger, and bone spurs in his elbow.^[10] Due to these injuries, DiBiase competed sporadically in FCW for the next few months, competing in both tag team and singles competition.^[17][18]

The Legacy (2008–2010)[link]

DiBiase made his WWE television debut as a villain on May 26, 2008, where he cut a promo about his intent to become a champion like his father, Ted DiBiase, Sr., challenging the World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly.^[19] At the Night of Champions pay-per-view, DiBiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first match in WWE, after Rhodes betrayed Holly, revealing himself to be DiBiase's partner.^[20][21] After holding the title for just over a month, they dropped them to John Cena and Batista on the August 4 episode of Raw.^[22] The following week, DiBiase and Rhodes used their rematch clause to regain the title.^[23][24]

DiBiase and Rhodes were soon joined by Manu, forming a stable of multi-generation superstars. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, DiBiase and Rhodes lost their title to CM Punk and Kofi Kingston.^[25] It was during this time that Randy Orton became linked to Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu on television, criticizing them in a mentor-type role.^[12] On the November 3 episode of Raw, DiBiase was attacked by Orton, after he interfered in Orton's match.^[12] This storyline attack was to allow DiBiase to be written out of WWE storylines, so he could film the direct-to-video movie, The Marine 2.^[12][26][27]

DiBiase (right) as a member of The Legacy with Randy Orton (center) and Cody Rhodes (left)

On the January 12, 2009 episode of Raw, DiBiase returned to aid Manu and Sim Snuka in attacking Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.^[28] Instead, however, DiBiase turned on them and helped Rhodes and Orton assault Manu and Snuka, thus joining The Legacy faction.^[28] As part of The Legacy, DiBiase entered the Royal Rumble match in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final four, before being eliminated by Triple H.^[29] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with the McMahon family, helping him to attack Shane and Stephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.^[30][31] DiBiase was also elevated to main event status as a result of joining The Legacy, competing in handicap and six-man tag team matches, as well as the occasional singles match against Orton's opponents and rivals.^[32][33][34] On April 26, at the Backlash pay-per-view, DiBiase, Rhodes, and Orton defeated Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match, which, per the pre-match stipulation, resulted in Orton winning the WWE Championship.^[35] During WWE's tour of Australia in early July, DiBiase suffered an arm injury, but did not miss any time because of it.^[36] Throughout mid-2009, DiBiase and Rhodes continued to compete against and attack Orton's rivals, particularly Triple H, preventing him from earning a match for Orton's championship.^[37][38] As a result, Triple H reformed D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels and they defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at SummerSlam.^[39] DiBiase and Rhodes later defeated DX in a submissions count anywhere match at the Breaking Point pay-per-view, before losing to DX in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.^[40][41]

Tension between the members of The Legacy began building in 2010, when Orton attacked DiBiase and Rhodes for accidentally costing him a chance to win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.^[42] In February 2010, DiBiase defeated Mark Henry in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, earning a chance to win the WWE Championship.^[43] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he eliminated Orton from the Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated by Kofi Kingston soon after.^[44] On the February 22 episode of Raw, Orton turned on The Legacy, believing they had a plan to turn on him, and in retaliation, they attacked Orton the following week.^[45][46] As a result, the three competed in a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.^[47]

Million Dollar Champion (2010–2011)[link]

DiBiase as the Million Dollar Champion

After WrestleMania, DiBiase debuted a new gimmick of an arrogant millionaire, similar to his father's old gimmick.^[48] On the April 5 episode of Raw, DiBiase was given possession of the Million Dollar Championship and access to a trust fund by his father.^[49] DiBiase then began looking for a "Virgil", a manservant like his father used to have. He offered the position to R-Truth, who refused, provoking a feud between the two.^[50][51][52] On the May 17 episode of Raw, DiBiase revealed his "Virgil"—the original Virgil who had worked for his father.^[48][53] In his first singles pay-per-view match at Over the Limit, DiBiase was defeated by R-Truth.^[48][54] During the match, DiBiase suffered a concussion, but was able to appear on Raw the following night.^[55][56] On the June 21 episode of Raw, DiBiase fired Virgil in favor of the managerial services of Maryse.^[57] In September 2010, DiBiase entered in a feud with Goldust over the Million Dollar Championship, after Goldust stole the title from him.^[58] On the November 15 episode of Raw, Goldust returned the Million Dollar Championship belt to DiBiase, Sr., who then offered to give it back to his son, but he refused the offer, proclaiming that he was interested in another belt. Later in the night DiBiase attacked WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan, setting up a match at Survivor Series for the championship, in which he was unsuccessful.^[59][60] On November 30, DiBiase was announced as a Pro for the fourth season of NXT, in which he and Maryse would be mentoring Brodus Clay.^[61] On the January 25, 2011, episode of NXT, Clay traded DiBiase for Alberto Del Rio as his Pro.^[62]

As part of the 2011 supplemental draft on April 26, DiBiase was moved to the SmackDown brand.^[63] In his first match on SmackDown, DiBiase lost to his former tag team partner Cody Rhodes.^[64] The following week, DiBiase was accompanied to the ring by Rhodes.^[65] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase lost to former rival, Daniel Bryan via submission. After the match, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Bryan, but were stopped by Sin Cara. On the July 8 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase teamed up with Cody Rhodes in a winning effort against the team of Daniel Bryan and Ezekiel Jackson.^[66] After DiBiase lost a match against Randy Orton on the August 26 episode of SmackDown, Rhodes entered the ring and attacked him.

DiBiase Posse and injuries (2011–present)[link]

On the September 16 episode of SmackDown, as Rhodes was ridiculing the audience, DiBiase disguised himself as a fan by wearing a paper bag on his head before attacking Rhodes, turning face in the process.^[67] DiBiase then challenged Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions, in his first singles match as a face but was unsuccessful.^[68] In a YouTube video published on September 22, DiBiase introduced his new gimmick to hold tailgating parties with fans just before WWE events, terming those who tailgated with him as the "DiBiase Posse";^[69][70] DiBiase also acknowledged that mimicking his father's rich gimmick "didn't really work out".^[69]

From October, DiBiase began to be billed from Madison, Mississippi.^[2][71] On the November 4 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase defeated Tyson Kidd, beginning an eight match winning streak for singles matches, racking up wins against the likes of Heath Slater, Derrick Bateman, and Jinder Mahal.^[72] In November, DiBiase began a feud with Mahal after Mahal chastised DiBiase about forsaking his wealthy upbringing to hang out with commoners.^[73] On the December 30 episode of Smackdown, Mahal finally broke DiBiase's winning streak via submission.^[74] In January 2012, Hunico started a feud with DiBiase when Hunico was offended that he was not invited to one of DiBiase's Posse parties. Although DiBiase beat Hunico in a flag match,^[75] Hunico emerged victorious in two regular singles matches against DiBiase.^[76] DiBiase then suffered a broken wrist and torn cartilage in late January.^[77] On February 10 edition of SmackDown, DiBiase finally defeated Hunico in a singles match.^[78] On the February 16 edition of SmackDown, Hunico defeated DiBiase, pinning him while holding his tights.^[79] On March 6, DiBiase suffered a broken ankle during the tapings of SmackDown.^[80] That same month, DiBiase announced that he was undergoing surgery for his shoulder.^[81]

Other media[link]

DiBiase at Valparaiso University in August 2008.

In late 2008, DiBiase began filming the movie The Marine 2, in which he plays the main character, Joe Linwood.^[27][82] The Marine 2 is a direct-to-DVD-and-Blu-ray project, and was released on December 29, 2009.^[83][84] The film was DiBiase's first acting experience, and he spent six weeks in Thailand for filming.^[85][86] For the movie, DiBiase performed all his own stunts, which resulted in him separating the cartilage between two of his ribs during a fight scene.^[85][87]

On August 26, 2009, DiBiase appeared on the late-night talkshow The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien along with Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, and The Big Show.^[88]

DiBiase has his own YouTube show called The DiBiase Posse which focuses on his life outside of the ring.

Personal life[link]

DiBiase is a third generation professional wrestler. His grandfather "Iron" Mike DiBiase, his grandmother Helen Hild and his father "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase are professional wrestlers.^[11][10] His older half brother Mike and his younger full brother Brett are also professional wrestlers.^[5][10] On March 27, 2010, DiBiase and his brother Brett inducted their father into the WWE Hall of Fame.^[89] DiBiase married his high school sweetheart Kristen Tynes, a nurse, on October 30, 2008.^[90] DiBiase and his wife have a son, Tate McKinley, who was born on May 15, 2012.^[91]

On February 15, 2008, DiBiase was arrested for DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida, after his Cadillac sport utility vehicle crashed into another vehicle.^[3][92] No one was seriously injured in the crash, but DiBiase failed a field sobriety test, and when breathalysed, was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.137–0.138.^[92] He was released later that day on a US$500 bond.^[3]

In wrestling[link]

DiBiase performing a headlock on Daniel Bryan.

DiBiase being accompanied to the ring by Maryse in December 2010.

• Finishing moves
  • Cobra clutch legsweep^[93] – 2006–2009
  • Dream Street (Cobra clutch slam)^[94] – 2009–present
  • Million Dollar Dream^[95] (Cobra clutch) – adopted from his father

• Signature moves
  • Diving double foot stomp^[96]
  • Dropkick^[97][98]
  • Fist drop^[99][100] – adopted from his father
  • Half nelson backbreaker^[101][98]
  • Inverted atomic drop^[97]
  • Multiple elbow drops^[102]
  • Rebound clothesline^[97][98]
  • Running single leg high knee^[97]
  • Sitout spinebuster^[97][98]
  • Snap scoop powerslam^[103]

• Nicknames
  • "The Fortunate Son"^[2]
  • "The Million Dollar Son"^[2]
  • "Priceless"
• Managers
  • Maryse^[14]
  • Virgil^[48]
  • Cody Rhodes^[104]

• Entrance themes
  • "Priceless" by Jim Johnston (June 30, 2008 – January 19, 2009)^[105]
  • "Priceless (remix)" by Jim Johnston (January 26, 2009 – June 8, 2009)^[106]
  • "It's a New Day" by Adelitas Way (June 15, 2009 – September 13, 2010)^[107][108]
  • "I Come from Money" by S-Preme (September 20, 2010–present)^[109]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

DiBiase (right) and Cody Rhodes (left) as World Tag Team Champions.

• Florida Championship Wrestling
  • FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[16]

• Fusion Pro Wrestling
  • FPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mike DiBiase II^[1]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #34 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010^[110]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • Million Dollar Championship (1 time)^[2]
  • World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Cody Rhodes^[20][23]

References[link]