Dibiase Truth or Jealousy?

[RicSpade]

Now I don't know if anyone else read the opinions of HOF Ted Dibiase but here is the excerpt of his opinion of the Ultimate Warrior.

"My biggest problem with Jim Hellwig is his lack of respect for our business because he's not shown that to anybody. The first time I met him was when he and Steve Borden - Sting - came into Mid-South as a tag team. Warrior was never a great wrestler; he was a good character. Yes, he had a lot of charisma. But, unless he had someone in the ring, like me, or any number of other guys who could work, to lead him, he couldn't work ... How many Warrior matches have you seen? And how many are the same? All."

DiBiase does not want to see Warrior inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame stating, "In my opinion, the Hall of Fame isn't just about how good you are as a wrestler, it's about your total contribution to the industry. Knowing his history, it's kind of like he came in and used the business and everybody else in it."

Now when we seen the self destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, there was alot of bashing of the Ultimate Warrior, but is Dibiase correct in his beliefs or is most of his feelings career jealousy?

Think about this, Dibiase was never the WWF Champion unless you count being handed it by Andre the Giant. He never held the Intercontinental Championship, and at best held only the tag team titles. Then you have a guy named the Ultimate Warrior who in a span of just a few years held the IC championship, Captured the WWF title at WM infront of the 2nd largest crowd in WWF history in that point in time against the main face in the business in Hulk Hogan. Now is it truth or jealousy? Warrior has had more high profile matches in WWF than Dibiase ever did.

I know Ultimate Warrior was not the most skilled in the ring, and all of his matches looked the same unless he had someone to lead him, but the smarks would argue 90% of John Cena's matches look the same, or Hulk Hogan. One could argue Ultimate Warrior with his lack of skill should have never been world champion, but with his charisma he was given the title because he had an over character, but there are guys like Khali who only received the world title because they needed someone to held build a fanbase in India...

So what do you believe in Dibiase valid in what he says about Warrior and his contributions, or is Dibiase nothing more than jealous of Warriors success while being short?

 

[The Butcher]

Ted DiBiase is entitled to his opinion, and that's what he offered. It is not truth nor is it jealousy. I can't imagine that Ted has anything to be jealous of, unless he resents never being WWF Champion. One has to remember that both of DiBiase's parents were wrestlers, and thus he has a lot of love for the business. Warrior, on the other hand, got into wrestling because he was a bodybuilder who was given a tryout. Anybody as close to the business as DiBiase is going to have a hypercritical view of someone like Warrior. Ted's not alone. A lot of guys think that Warrior was disrespectful to the business. Despite The Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior being a blatant hatchet job, many of the interviewees were shooting on Warrior, and many others have been critical of him before and since.

All that said, of course Warrior deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. I am and have always been a fan of The Ultimate Warrior character. I don't agree with a lot of what he says or does as a person, but the same goes for Hulk Hogan and a lot of other wrestlers. The wrestling persona, however, is a significant figure in WWE history. His accomplishments, contributions, and drawing power are undeniable.

Like I said though, Ted DiBiase is definitely entitled to speak his mind about Warrior, and as a former colleague he'd know better than any of us. For him to deny Warrior's Hall of Fame credentials is unfortunate, but he doesn't have a say one way or the other anyway so it doesn't really amount to anything.

 

[Coolquip]

Warrior is generally viewed as an asshole who thought he was better than he really was. I like how people claim he was a Hall of Famer when he really had only one year on top. Seriously, Brock Lesnar accomplished more in his first run than Warrior did in his entire WWF run. I'd say his run would be compared to Bobby Lashley if it happened today.

 

[Da Truth]

It pains me to say it but the Ultimate Warrior does deserve to be in the hall of fame. He achieve a lot during his time there. However, for those who like to say that Dibiase was no good because he never won the WWE title needs to pay attention to the trends and history of the WWE. From the beginning of the WWE to 1988 there were 6 heel champions to hold the main belt: Rogers, Koloff, Staziak, Graham, Iron Sheik, & Andre the Giant. Five of those reigns were less than a month. During this time there fewer faces that held the title but were given extremely long runs with. So at the time WWE believed in face champions with a very strong heel chasing. Which is why he never won the IC title, he was too strong of a heel character to stay on the mid card level for an extended period of time. That's why most his programs was trying to weasel his way to the WWE title. Plus at the time the E had been Hulk Hogan 24/7 and they wanted a baby face replacement for him going into the '90's. That where the Warrior comes in. Because of the E's formula of the dominant baby face champion at the time, many wrestlers such as Rick Rude, Curt Henning, Bad News Brown, and especially Ted Dibiase missed out on the to be champion.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

What does Ted Dibiase have to be jealous of the Ultimate Warrior for? Because Warrior got a kayfabe title and he didn't?

Newsflash... but that type of shit is really more important to the fans than the workers. Dibiase is one of the most respected wrestlers of all time... by his peers as well as the fans. Trust me, THAT's what is important to him.

Dibiase's opinion of Warrior is 100% spot on. The guy wasn't a good wrestler. He did need guys like Ted to lead him through his matches. He was a guy who basically came in, used the business and everyone in it.

Warrior was a great character. He had charisma. He had a great look. He made the absolute most of that... and all the credit in the world to him for that. But that doesn't make him someone that a guy like Dibiase would be jealous of. Maybe a little resentful because he would remember how much harder he and the rest of the boys had to work to make the Ultimate ingrate look as good as he did, but not jealous.

 

[No Count Pup]

I don't know DiBiase's motives. I don't know if anyone outside of his inner circle of friends or family can know why DiBiase bashed the Warrior. What I know is that the Warrior is not afraid to speak candidly about others. I suppose if the Warrior can disparage others publicly in his free time, one could argue that the Warrior is fair game for others who may wish to speak candidly about him.

 

[H33LTurn]

If you look at the way Ultimate Warrior went out of the business the first time, sticking up Vince for money at Summerslam, you begin to realize why not too many people speak highly of him in the industry. He wasn't a traditional wrestling fan and his self serving ways hurt the company in the long run. Warrior was being groomed to be the face of the WWF following Hogan's exit. By putting Vince in a position where it was absolutely necessary to release him, Warrior ensured that the WWF would be out of a big main event star until the Attitude Era. However, no one has any right to deny Warrior a spot in the HOF. He's a household name as far as wrestling fans are concerned. He was at the top of the business and made Vince a descent amount of money while he was there. An icon like Warrior deserves to be in the HOF. I understand Ted DiBiase's grievance, since Ted did right by the business time after time, but the HOF isnt about backstage politics. Its about recognizing someone's contribution to the industry, and Warrior certainly made his mark in the business.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

If you look at the way Ultimate Warrior went out of the business the first time, sticking up Vince for money at Summerslam, you begin to realize why not too many people speak highly of him in the industry.

It really depends on whose perspective you look at. A lot of people interviewed would side with the WWE and Vince McMahon. According to the Warrior Vince McMahon owed him money so one way to look at it is an employer not paying his/her employee.

As for Debiase being jealous I seriously doubt it. I think this just a case of Debiase sticking up for Vince McMahon and his peers. I can't see any reason why Debiase being jealous since he was one of those guys whose had career others would have envied at the time.

As for the HOF. Ultimate Warrior deserves to be in there. Sure people hated him but the HOF is about people who contributed to the WWE/WWF/pro-wrestling legacy. Considering people who contributed less were inducted, Warrior deserves to be in there.

 

[Dirk]

Warrior is generally viewed as an asshole who thought he was better than he really was.

This is a bold statement, but I wouldn't say it necessarily doesn't apply to Warrior. However, these very same rumours are spread about a LOT of the top dogs of yesteryear, like Hogan and Flair.

Wrestling seems like a cut-throat business. I say "seems", because I'm not in the industry (obviously). If a wrestler doesn't promote himself like there's no tomorrow, he doesn't always get pushed and his family goes hungry.

What could easily happen, is that you start believing your own hype. This doesn't just happen to wrestlers, but to a lot of other athletes, actors and especially to musicians.

Knowing his history, it's kind of like he came in and used the business and everybody else in it.

Once again, the same can be said for a lot of top names. This kind of accusation was made about Lesnar, when he left for the NFL after being pushed to the moon. It's apples and oranges (Lesnar came back, after all), but it's the same accusation.

And this isn't exactly what DiBiase or the OP said, but "using the business and everybody else in it" also relates to politicking, which (I think) isn't fair or ethical, but I can certainly see the appeal of using your influence to your advantage. By all accounts, Flair and Hogan did it and the Kliq is famous for it! However, this didn't count against them with regards to the HoF.

Tl/dr?: I don't think DiBiase is bitter at all, I'd settle for "truth", but it's still not enough to deny such a big name as Warrior entry into the HoF.

 

[starkmoto]

The thing about the Hall Of Fame is that it's a gimmick, it's not real like the mlb, nfl, nhl, or nba Halls. And that's really too bad, as it should be a real Hall with voting and no gimmicks like Pete Rose. Real Hall or not though Warrior should be in it, you don't have to be a good wrestler to be in it, some of my friends still consider Warrior their favorite of all time, no one is saying that about dibiase. Personally I like dibiase better.

 

[H33LTurn]

It really depends on whose perspective you look at. A lot of people interviewed would side with the WWE and Vince McMahon. According to the Warrior Vince McMahon owed him money so one way to look at it is an employer not paying his/her employee.

I understand why Warrior feels justified, but wrestling in those days was centered around professionalism and respect. If Warrior had an axe to grind he could have pulled Vince aside and handled it himself. We saw JTG of all people get the roster the pay they deserved after speaking to management. By putting in jeopardy the careers of others and disrespecting the fans by threatening to deny them what they payed to see he absolved Vince of any wrongdoing right then and there.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

What does Ted Dibiase have to be jealous of the Ultimate Warrior for? Because Warrior got a kayfabe title and he didn't?

See here is one of the reasons wrestling is STINKING UP THE JOINT in ratings... The fans are just tooooooo COOL & SMART now....

Thanx 4 pointing out wrestling is fake Fam.... No one on here realized that... Dude was asking a legit question and of course you cats feel the need 2 hit him with sarcasm and asshole type quotes....

First of all people forget what a HOF is... It is recognizing someone for what they have done and accomplished in a sport or business....

Well I dont care who U are U cant deny facts...

For whatever reason, ASSHOLE OR NOT, the E decided the WARRIOR was the future....and they gave him milestones that at the time WERE RECORD BREAKING....

FASTEST IC title win in WWF history....

He is a 2 time IC champ.... Which at the time was HUGE....

He is the FIRST WRESTLER in history to hold the IC and WWF title at the same time...

He performed for what was the #2 largest crowd in WWF history....

He was the only man to pin HOGAN CLEAN in over a DECADE....

An whether ppl like him or not HE WAS SOOOOOOOO OVER!!!! I remember vividly when he won the TITLE.... THE CROWD WENT CRAZY NUTS!!! It was incredible... I actually remember that before the match NO ONE had any idea who would win.... See this is before U COOL SMARKS had the internet and all the backstage insight... We actually had to read PWI and wait for results if we missed a card... BETTER YET HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET AND GO TO THE EVENTS.....

Anyway the point is whether U like him or not the WARRIOR accomplished a lot and that cant be denied....

Was he a dick? PROBABLY but that does not take away what he DID....

There are a lot of ASSHOLES in a lot of HOFs but that is LIFE... THERE ARE ASSHOLES IN THIS WORLD... Most respond on this page but U CANT TAKE AWAY WHAT SOMEONE DOES BECAUSE THEY ARENT GOOD PEOPLE....

Oh and how can U have KOKO B. WARE a guy who did NOTHING in the E at the same time WARRIOR was there and he is in the HALL but keep him out because U dont LIKE HIM....

STUPID!!!!

 

[Mustang Sally]

Now when we seen the self destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, there was alot of bashing of the Ultimate Warrior, but is Dibiase correct in his beliefs or is most of his feelings career jealousy?

It seems you're confusing the business of pro wrestling with real life. Performers don't win titles and collect honors based on ring ability; this is stuff that's determined by bookers and folks in creative. If Ted DiBiase wants to be jealous of Warrior, he would sooner concern himself with the amount of money Warrior made and the amount of attention the guy got from management.

While Ultimate Warrior was a phenom, he seemed to be living in abject misery during his time as a pro wrestler, always unhappy with his situation and ready to walk if he didn't get his way. If I were one of the performers in the company, I would've detested Warrior for his short-sighted view of what should have been a deluxe pro career. The guy had the full attention of management, which is something performers shoot for their entire careers, and seemed to concern himself only with what he didn't have .....the details of which have been lost in the murky depths of his singular personality.

Ted DiBiase Sr. had a great career and if he's jealous of Warrior, I doubt it had anything to do with the number of titles the guy won. If anything, DiBiase's distaste for the man had more to do with Warrior's disrespect for the business that made him wealthy and famous, wasting opportunities that others would sacrifice anything for. DiBiase had nothing handed to him on a silver platter.....Warrior did, and abused it.

 

[blue_moon]

Warrior 100% belongs in the HOF in my opinion. After Hogan he was the biggest thing in wrestling until the Rock and Stone Cold came along. He (again, other than Hogan) was the only guy I remember being able to create that 'air of invincibility'. The fans loved him and he was massively over. All the champions after him like Bret, Shaun and Diesel were excellent wrestlers (well calling Diesel an excellent wrestler is a bit of a stretch but you know what I mean) but non of them in my eyes ever got to that level.

Yeah, looking back he was a one trick pony in the ring etc etc, but man was he exciting. Just because the guy is a looney should not stop him being in the HOF.

Ted has nothing to be jealous of either. He was one of the greatest heels ever also. Two of my all time favourites.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I read about this yesterday and like with most things, I think the truth ultimately lies somewhere in the middle. I think there should have been more options than was given because I don't see that it's remotely as cut and dry as Warrior flat out sucks or DiBiase is jealous.

Based on statements I've read in which Warrior has given on DiBiase, he's frequently stated that DiBiase was jealous that he was able to get to a level that he himself never reached. I've read interviews in which Warrior has stated that DiBiase, for all his technical qualifications was someone that didn't have the qualities to be a top guy. Now while I don't agree with DiBiase not having those qualities, it's certainly possible that DiBiase does harbor feelings of jealousy towards Warrior for the success that he had. After all, one thing that DiBiase said that I vehemently agree with was that Warrior was a pretty lousy worker. He was a great character and the fact is that people rallied around that character, but he wasn't a great wrestler when it came to getting into the ring unless he had much more talented guys help carry him. DiBiase was a great technical wrestler who had been a major star in some of the best wrestling companies of the 70s and 80s like Mid-South, Georgia Championship Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, so seeing someone of such significantly less in-ring capability make it as high as Warrior did MIGHT have really irked someone with such old school roots in the midst of a changing wrestling scene where guys like Warrior made it ahead of guys like him.

When it comes to DiBiase's comments on Warrior, I do think they carry a lot of weight because there have been numerous examples in which everyone from Bobby Heenan to Gene Okerlund to Randy Savage to Hulk Hogan to Bret Hart and the list goes on have said pretty much the same thing. It's one thing to say that it's bitterness or jealousy when you have a few people saying negative things about you, but it's a whole other ballgame when damn near everyone that's ever worked with say almost universally negative things about you. In an industry where there's very little in the way of rock solid, 100% truth, it's all but impossible to just dismiss those claims about Warrior when it comes from not only so many different people but from many who have been just as big or bigger stars than Warrior. After all this time and all the various interviews conducted, you'd think that someone of note would have something positive to say about him but I've yet to run across anything.

As to whether or not Warrior deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame, I have to say that he does. I've never been a fan of the Ultimate Warrior as a wrestler, a character or as a human being; but he's someone that left a major impression on pro wrestling. If Warrior was to show up on Raw one of these days, people would absofuckinglutely mark out. The crowd would blow the roof off the arena and Warrior would be received by said fans like a god. He was a major star that burned extremely bright for a while and while he may not have burned long, he still burned. He may not have been a great technical wrestler, he may have had no real respect for the wrestling industry, but the fact is that Warrior's name is still looked upon as a name among names in pro wrestling in the eyes of a lot of fans. Here we are 20 through 25 years after Warrior's prime and people still talk about his defeat of Hulk Hogan cleanly at WrestleMania VI for the WWF Championship. It's one of the most iconic and memorable moments in pro wrestling history. Many still talk about his feuds with Randy Savage & Jake The Snake Roberts & Ravishing Rick Rude with reverence. Many see him as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time. Whether I'm a fan of Warrior or not, and believe me I'm not, the impression he made and moments he helped create are Hall of Fame worthy.

 

[Dan Severn's Moustache]

I completely agree with Jack-Hammer. Both DiBiase and Warrior have had a huge impact on wrestling and it's unfair to call DiBiase jealous, because in a sense, he's right, he's just going the wrong way about it.

Everyone knows about the Warrior being a prick and burning a lot of bridges during his time. His ring work wasn't spectacular either. But that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. I'd honestly say that the #2 guy during late 80's and early 90's (with Hogan obviously being first) would be a very close shave between Warrior and Savage. He accomplished a lot during his time in the WWF, and it seems as if there may be a chance he could be inducted this year as he's promoting WWE 2K14.

As for DiBiase, he's not jealous, he's stating fact and opinion. I think stubborn is the better word here. He's right that the Warrior was a dick and his ring work wasn't great, but he's missing the point of the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is meant for those who had a big impact on the company (that's why not only wrestlers are inducted), and the Warrior certainly did have a huge impact on the company.

 

[Nyce18]

First of all, right or wrong, everyone is entitled to an opinion so Dibiase can feel any way he wants to on a situation for any reason. Secondly, its not like Dibiase is the first one to have an opinion that mirrors this when it comes to the Warrior. He is not the 2nd person to have this sort of opinion. He isnt the 3rd 4th 5th...so on n so on...u get where Im going with this! If enough wrestlers who were actually around during this time period both in the spotlight and backstage echo the same sentiment towards someone it can logically be argued that it is absolute truth and not jealousy. This is coming from an Ultimate Warrior fan when I was growing up so its not like i dislike Warrior, Im just being impartial. As far as using the industry and people in it, come on... U can probably name a handful of athletes in sports today and in the past including hall of famers who have done this same sort of thing on some level so on that argument alone, thats not enough to keep Warrior out of the hof. But the thread isnt about whether Warrior should be in the hof that doesnt even exist..whether Dibiase is jealous or not. No he is not jealous. He seems to feel the same sort of way most of those guys back then felt about Warrior. He is a legend in this business and he seems to know his place and legacy. Most of us fans respect his body of work. id say all of us older fans respect his work both in the ring and on the mic and regardless of carrying around a title or not, he was amazing and he knows this. I would say his ability to be revered as highly as he is without ever been giving a decent singles title run is more impressive than if he had had 4 or 5 runs. Besides its a new day and age... today, Dibiase, Jake Roberts, Mr Perfect, Rick Rude, etc etc would have had multiple world title runs. Damn lemme stop ranting and veering off track!

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There is gonna be an element of both in all of this.

DiBiase may have some cause to be unhappy at how Warrior behaved and how it impacted him - after all he was signed in 87 before the Warrior to be "The next champion and main event star", given the gimmick and the beginning part of the push to back it up. However, once Warrior came in, it was clear Vince was positioning him to be that next star ahead of DiBiase, potentially due to the marketing side of things or his perference for "monsters".

DiBiase's in ring push began to diminish at the exact time Warriors started and DiBiase was soon putting Warrior over - notably at Survivor Series 90 and just one year later he was gone, having held up Vince for money and basically "pissing" on everyone who had put him over and sacrificed their own pushes to build him.

You also have to remember that DiBiase was in WWE when Warrior was negotiating to return in 96 and was around WCW with the whole debacle, he'll have seen how he behaved in relation to other talent and most notably again the consequences of it... it won't be lost on him that he made more than a lot of talented guys or that his creative control insistance on that "trapdoor" caused an injury to someone.

He also won't have missed that Warrior hasn't really "done" anything for wrestling in years other than rant at Hogan from afar, yet one "video game" promo and he's the hottest thing again? That will probably irk DiBiase, who has worked backstaged, help mentor young talent and especially that his friend Randy Savage never came back, now Warrior seems poised to waltz in and take that spot.

Yeah, if I was DiBiase, I'd see a lot to be pissed off about.

Is he right, not 100% The Warrior was an integral part of WWE history, and if anything a HOF induction will put right the wrong of the DVD, which was poor form on WWE's part. If Warrior gets a one off return at Summerslam or even Mania 30, I won't complain... If he thinks he's coming back to be "the guy" then I think he'll be very disappointed...

 

[ultramattman]

Warrior is generally viewed as an asshole who thought he was better than he really was. I like how people claim he was a Hall of Famer when he really had only one year on top. Seriously, Brock Lesnar accomplished more in his first run than Warrior did in his entire WWF run. I'd say his run would be compared to Bobby Lashley if it happened today.

Which year did Bobby Lashley spend on top?

A year as the true top guy is nothing to sneeze at. How many people have spent any time as true #1 guy in WWE? It's a pretty short list, actually, and Ultimate Warrior is definitely on it.

Brock Lesnar will be a Hall of Famer too.

 

[shalliin]

What does Ted Dibiase have to be jealous of the Ultimate Warrior for? Because Warrior got a kayfabe title and he didn't?

See here is one of the reasons wrestling is STINKING UP THE JOINT in ratings... The fans are just tooooooo COOL & SMART now....

Thanx 4 pointing out wrestling is fake Fam.... No one on here realized that... Dude was asking a legit question and of course you cats feel the need 2 hit him with sarcasm and asshole type quotes....

First of all people forget what a HOF is... It is recognizing someone for what they have done and accomplished in a sport or business....

Well I dont care who U are U cant deny facts...

For whatever reason, ASSHOLE OR NOT, the E decided the WARRIOR was the future....and they gave him milestones that at the time WERE RECORD BREAKING....

FASTEST IC title win in WWF history....

He is a 2 time IC champ.... Which at the time was HUGE....

He is the FIRST WRESTLER in history to hold the IC and WWF title at the same time...

He performed for what was the #2 largest crowd in WWF history....

He was the only man to pin HOGAN CLEAN in over a DECADE....

An whether ppl like him or not HE WAS SOOOOOOOO OVER!!!! I remember vividly when he won the TITLE.... THE CROWD WENT CRAZY NUTS!!! It was incredible... I actually remember that before the match NO ONE had any idea who would win.... See this is before U COOL SMARKS had the internet and all the backstage insight... We actually had to read PWI and wait for results if we missed a card... BETTER YET HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET AND GO TO THE EVENTS.....

Anyway the point is whether U like him or not the WARRIOR accomplished a lot and that cant be denied....

Was he a dick? PROBABLY but that does not take away what he DID....

There are a lot of ASSHOLES in a lot of HOFs but that is LIFE... THERE ARE ASSHOLES IN THIS WORLD... Most respond on this page but U CANT TAKE AWAY WHAT SOMEONE DOES BECAUSE THEY ARENT GOOD PEOPLE....

Oh and how can U have KOKO B. WARE a guy who did NOTHING in the E at the same time WARRIOR was there and he is in the HALL but keep him out because U dont LIKE HIM....

STUPID!!!!

a lot of good points. but a really poor way to present then. and you're doing the same to them as you say they did in their posts. It is thanks not thanx, and for all that is decent take a half second and stop the annoying as shit shortening of words. It is 'YOU' not 'U', using 'U' makes you seem ignorant and foolish. It's one thing to do so in a text message, but in a forum post, there is no acceptable reason to do idiotic things like that.

I was a kid and watching live on satellite at a friends, and the live crowd went insane for both hogan and warrior's entrances and then after the finish, Warriors celebration in the ring, Hogan joining him in what was supposed to be a passing of the torch to Warrior as the new face of the company. There were about 20 of us at my friends and we screamed ourselves hoarse. We stayed up most of the night talking over the match and re-watching the late night replay and EVERYONE in school the next day was talking about the match. Every thing about it was perfect, the entrances, the playing to the crowd, the flow and psychology, though of course I was at the time just awed by the action and wasn't really thinking about those types of things.

As for the question of this thread:

I don't think it's entirely jealousy on DiBiase's part, but there is at least a small factor in his statements. There has to be considering the history of both DiBiase and Warrior.

Warrior was only around for what 87-92? maybe a 5 year period, of which he spent most being grooomed and positioned to be the next top guy. Yet guys who had been there like Dibiase and Macho Man were basically being pushed aside for him. IF Warrior never made it to wwe and stayed in NWA with Sting, then it's likely Macho would have been that guy, with DiBiase positioned as the top heel. Especially if Hogan still left. But Vince basically wanted to bench Macho and have Warrior as the face of the company while Macho became the voice. instead Dibiase was never put to that level remaining a 2nd/3rd level heel behind guys Slaughter for his title run, and then they brought in Flair. Dibiase was positioned and transitioned into Bobby Heenan's old role as a stable manager/part time wrestler while Heenan was moved into a less physical role as purely a member of the broadcast team until he left to wcw. Dibiase lasted a little longer but he too eventually went to turner's team. But he never reached that top level he was being positioned for until Warrior broke out among the fans.

So there is some jealousy there that despite his limits in the ring and his less then stellar back stage stage actions, he was still considered the next coming. And that even now, despite the last at least 15years of hate and vitriol he's spewn at everything related to wrestling and wwe, fans still want him to come back. they still want to forgive him and open their arms for his return. Yet there was a period of time where people basically forgot and ignored Dibiase after the wcw buy out until about 2004? or so and then was brought back into the fold with the debut of his son.

Despite what some have said, and as much as I marked for him as a kid, I don't think that Warrior deserves to be HOF. His impact was too short term and didn't have enough of a long term impact to deserve a HOF nod. Of course, since the HOF is simply a publicity stunt Vince uses to hype mania and people he want's to shill for wwe, it doesn't matter what I or any one thinks. If Vince thinks there's money in putting Warrior in the HOF, then he will make the offer. Long term it doesn't make sense to me, but short term as a promo for Mania and the inclusion of Warrior in the new video game, perhaps a few appearances to draw ratings (and knowing that this is all a shill to get people to watch, I would still watch anyway because there is a part of me that is still that innocent kid that while knowing it wasn't as real as boxing, still got into fights that it wasn't FAKE) does make some short term sense. The same as with Bruno. Hell, there's probably 60-70 percent of the audience who have never seen a Bruno or Warrior match except on dvd or through youtube.

 

[Yosihait]

Warrior is not a great wrestler.

However, he should enter the HOF. Hogan wasn't a great wrestler as well.

 

[Miko]

Fuck Ted DiBiase. He was great but Warrior is UUUUUUULLLLTTTIIIMMMAAAAAATTTEEE!

 

[Poop Master Flex]

As some have said the truth is somewhere in the middle. Dibiase certainly isn't the first person to say such things about Warrior so if he's jealous so is half the roster who Warrior worked with.

Things to also remember is that Dibiase is an old school wrestler with an old school mentality, its very possible he just saw a juiced up bodybuilder who only did anything because of Vince, I think a lot of wrestlers in that era saw the same thing although to call Warrior useless is a slap in the face to the guy because he was FAR from useless.

The guy got over and stayed over for years doing what he did. As the Warrior's experience grew so did his talent in the ring. His matches were really difficult to sit through at the beginning but as soon as he was put in the ring with talent like Hogan, Savage and Rude he looked really good between the ropes. You can say that it was only because he had a good opponent but it takes 2 to tango and those guys couldn't create magic like they did with Warrior with just anyone, it had to be Warrior. Some guys like Bret and Shawn make whoever they work with better and can lead the worst wrestlers to a great match, although Warrior needed a good opponent when he got one he certainly could hold his own, the guy did win Match of the Year in '90-'91 which is more than a great technical wrestler like Ted Dibiase ever did so he obviously had something that Dibiase and most in the 80's didn't.

The truth is in wrestling any guy with a lot of charisma and a great look can go unbelievably far without much else and although that can be said about Warrior his matches did get far better with age. His promo's were just coke induced and insane, and not the good insane like Savage's promo's, the bad insane like listening to an incoherent drunkard at a bar. Luckily for Warrior though he had a lot of other things going for him and his character was better suited not talking anyways so it didn't hurt him.

I'm never gonna compare Dibiase to Warrior as performers because Dibiase was far and away a better performer and one of my all time favorite heels but in all fairness Warrior did have much more success, made the WWF a lot more money, was a huge name for a good chunk of time and is more than deserving for a Hall of Fame spot and I'm not even comparing that to some of the guys they have now. Even if guys like Koko B. Ware weren't in the HOF he would still be worthy as he certainly did enough to warrant it.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

I can understand DiBiase's points and don't really think it's wrong of him to share those opinions and tell people what's what because he is authentic enough to do so.

That being said I totally disagree with what he is saying. The Warrior is the first great example of a wrestler/character getting over so fast and so intensely that they had to push him all the way to the top to maximize it. It really changed the way the WWE does business to this day when it comes to how they view their titles.

If they view somebody as a long term success that will build a brand for themselves and "realize their potential" 5 years down the road they allow it to happen organically and it is always the best times in wrestling (HBK/Bret Hart working their way up or CM Punk rising after proving his in-ring skills for years). With guys like the Warrior they got the bang for their buck while the hype lasted. I'm sure they probably knew he wasn't a great candidate for long term success.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: He deserves to be in the HOF for Wrestlemania 7 "loser leaves WWF" match with Savage.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

As some have said the truth is somewhere in the middle. Dibiase certainly isn't the first person to say such things about Warrior so if he's jealous so is half the roster who Warrior worked with.

Things to also remember is that Dibiase is an old school wrestler with an old school mentality, its very possible he just saw a juiced up bodybuilder who only did anything because of Vince, I think a lot of wrestlers in that era saw the same thing although to call Warrior useless is a slap in the face to the guy because he was FAR from useless.

The guy got over and stayed over for years doing what he did. As the Warrior's experience grew so did his talent in the ring. His matches were really difficult to sit through at the beginning but as soon as he was put in the ring with talent like Hogan, Savage and Rude he looked really good between the ropes. You can say that it was only because he had a good opponent but it takes 2 to tango and those guys couldn't create magic like they did with Warrior with just anyone, it had to be Warrior. Some guys like Bret and Shawn make whoever they work with better and can lead the worst wrestlers to a great match, although Warrior needed a good opponent when he got one he certainly could hold his own, the guy did win Match of the Year in '90-'91 which is more than a great technical wrestler like Ted Dibiase ever did so he obviously had something that Dibiase and most in the 80's didn't.

The truth is in wrestling any guy with a lot of charisma and a great look can go unbelievably far without much else and although that can be said about Warrior his matches did get far better with age. His promo's were just coke induced and insane, and not the good insane like Savage's promo's, the bad insane like listening to an incoherent drunkard at a bar. Luckily for Warrior though he had a lot of other things going for him and his character was better suited not talking anyways so it didn't hurt him.

I'm never gonna compare Dibiase to Warrior as performers because Dibiase was far and away a better performer and one of my all time favorite heels but in all fairness Warrior did have much more success, made the WWF a lot more money, was a huge name for a good chunk of time and is more than deserving for a Hall of Fame spot and I'm not even comparing that to some of the guys they have now. Even if guys like Koko B. Ware weren't in the HOF he would still be worthy as he certainly did enough to warrant it.

You're off base by saying Rude and co needed Warrior, far from it. Rude was consistantly excellent his whole career and a bad Rude match doesn't really exist, even when he got his back wrecked in WCW he finished the match and made Sting look a million bucks. Comparing Shawn is wrong too, Rude knew he was losing out by basically teaching Warrior in their feud, Shawn never put himself out for anyone who wasn't Kliq...

Vince's hires of 87-88 don't bear out that Warrior was anything more than a gamble that paid off in the short term. In that frame Duggan, DiBiase,Rude, Bigelow and Bossman were brought in... Duggan and DiBiase in particular were intended to be main event, if not for Duggan's arrest he v DiBiase, a feud that had alreay set the UWF to its best time was a big part of WWE's schedule and likely for the title. Bigelow was definitely intended to be Hogan's replacement.

Make no mistake, Warrior was failing until Mania 5 and the loss to Rude. Even Andre took to shooting on him in matches to try and turn it round, not cos he liked the guy but cos Vince wanted Warrior to succeed and the old school guys like DiBiase and Rude thought they'd make money with him of course that never happened due to his behavior.

You're not far off with the titles but in reality Warrior was not even the first fasttrack guy, Hogan was, even the manner of the win was the same, just for the IC belt.

At the end of the day, I respect DiBiase's opinion, he knew Jim Hellwig and Warrior as he became first hand in the ring and backstage... We don't... He saw Summerslam 91, had Warrior no showed everyone who bought that show or a ticket could have had a refund... That's Ted, Jake, Rude and those kind of guys not getting paid cos only Hogan,Andre and Savage had deals... That's gonna make you hate someone if they threaten even for a second to take bread off your families table!

That UW is only just coming back into anything approaching relevance now tells me he's either spunked all his money or has had to admit some serious failings. Much like some don't buy Shawn's rebirth, some won't trust Warrior till he proves he is different.