Did Ted Dibiase Make Two Of The Attitude Era's Biggest Stars?

[Hyorinmaru]

Watching these got me thinking about the impact that 'The Million Dollar Man' had on these 2 men's WWE careers.

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On one hand you have Steve Austin who never went past the Mid-card in WCW and while he was a main eventer in ECW it didn't have the exposure that WCW or WWE had. In his first time on RAW Dibiase, a legitimate Legend in the WWE says he's been looking for a man to pass The million Dollar Campionship to. He says he finally found someone and out walks Steve Austin (Called The Ringmaster at the time) and he gets handed The Million Dollar Championship. I know it wasn't a real championship but you can't deny the fact that it Jump started his WWE career (try though other wise this thread is pointless)

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then you have The Undertaker one of the best ever. People were holding there breath for him even before he debuted on TV. All that is thanks to Dibiase and his promos before the 1990 Survivor Series putting him over as a monster.


I'm not saying they wouldn't have been successful without him I'm just saying he gave them both a rub that helped greatly. What do you guys think?

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't think you can really tell. From what I hear Austin was glad to be away from Dibiase as he felt his outdated promo style was holding him back. Weather he gave him some advice regarding his career or not, I guess we'll never know.

I'm sure Ted Dibiase did about the same ammount for The Undertaker as Brother Love did for The Undertaker. Nothing.

 

[Father:_Polley]

I wouldnt say he made their careers. Certainly he was involved in their early feuds that helped launch them towards stardom, but to say that he made them would be similar to giving DeVon Dudley all the credit for Batista's career, simply because he was there when he was introduced.

Ultimately, both men made their own career, but certainly being involved with Million Dollar Man didn't hinder their careers in any way

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

I really think that you are grasping at straws here. Both men had, within them, the propensity for greatness. The problem with their previous employers was not a lack of creative vision, it was an over abundance of polished talent in front of these two men.

Sure you can sit and say that Steven Austin was underutilized in WCW, but what were the circumstances behind his release? WCW has just signed Hulk Hogan and was going to be signing Savage, Brutus, and several other of Hogan's long time friends who had higher drawing power at that time. They looked at their roster and saw that several names needed to go. So went Pillman. So went Rude. And so went Austin. All of whom were of no use do to injuries. So he was a victim of circumstances.

Taker got a tryout under the tutelage of one of wrestling's most influential managers of all time, Paul E Dangerously. This man was known as being the mouthpiece of champions. He had even taken both Steve Austin and Rick Rude to singles success as the new heel faces of WCW until their unfortunate injuries forced their releases. So it's pretty much not out of the scope of rational thought to think that if you put a mammoth man such as "Mean" Mark Callous with Heyman, that they team would be pure gold. Well unfortunately, Marks personality was rather dead. I know, bad pun, but it only goes to show you that he did not fit the traditional mold of a big man. it took something rather unconventional and unemotional for him to be successful. And he still lacks emotion and charisma today. Um yeah, the tongue thing doesn't qualify for nothing.

So, as you see, neither man was made a star by The Million Dollar Man. if that were the case, then The 1-2-3 Kid, Sid Vicious, Xanta Klaus, Tatanka, King Kong Bundy, and other Million Dollar Corporation members would have been just as big. Unfortunately, other than Austin and Taker, all others were killed by being associated with the Million Dollar Man. Therefore your theory is majorly flawed.

 

[jrcongine]

I think ted dibiase's character is one of the best of his generation. I wish we had complete heel characters like that now. I think if he'd come back to manager he could do more now for the buisness than he did with austin and undertaker. I think he had very little to due with their success. but if he came back to manage priceless manu and maybe orton or another top level guy to legitimize their stable. he would contribute a lot. we need heel managers or stables dammit.

 

[JerryvonKramer]

DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation was mainly just a way of giving some dead wood some instant heat by association with one of the most over heels of all time. The whole Ringmaster thing was just a way to try to get Austin over as a heel. Turns out it was the wrong strategy with him.

Personally, I don't want Ted to besmirch his legacy by being associated in any way on-screen with the current product.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

For such a great Heel like Ted Dibiase was ... certainly one of the Top 5 Greatest Heels in WWE History (and possibly in the Top 3), he sure was a lousy manager. I don't know why they dropped the ball with him, but as a manager goes, I found him to be a mere shell of his former self. His promos were nowhere near as good as when he was a wrestler. And of course, he wasn't able to take bumps as a manager because of his neck. So he would always interfere, but wrestlers weren't allowed to put their hands on him. So that took a lot of enjoyment out of his role.

With that being said, no I don't think Ted Dibiase had any profound affect on the careers of either The Undertaker or Steve Austin. Undertaker would have been just as over had The Model Rick Martel or Sgt. Slaughter debuted him at Survivor Series. Dibiase played no part in that, other than providing a ring introduction to the man.

As far as Steve Austin goes, Austin was definitely and without any question, held back in the character of The Ringmaster. And I have also read numerous reports stating that Austin was relieved to finally be rid of Dibiase when Dibiase retired.

So no, I don't think Dibiase exerted any real influence over the success of either of their careers.