Ted Dibiase Jr.
I've been on the Ted Dibiase Jr. bandwagon a long time now. Back when he was a member of Legacy, I really only watched RAW in anticipation that he would turn on Orton and become the baby face that he is meant to be, but my hopes have yet to come to fruition.
In my eyes, this 28 year old is destined to become a World Champion in the WWE at some point in his career, hopefully sooner then later.
My first reason for thinking this, is his pedigree. Dibiase is a third generation professional wrestler. Both his grandfather ("Iron" Mike Dibiase) and grandmother were professioanl wrestlers. His father is the legendary "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase who has been inducted into both The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the WWE Hall of Fame. Ted's brothers Mike and Brett are professional wrestlers as well.
The Dibiase family has dedicated their lives to professional wrestling. They have sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears for the business and unfortunately have even paid the ultimate price for pursing their passion. Ted's grandfather "Iron" Mike Dibiase is one of the few wrestlers to ever die in the middle of the ring. He suffered a heart attack during his match and could not be revived.
Though coming from a wrestling family, Ted Dibiase Jr. seems to have been raised well. He is a devout Christian, taking after his father, and married his high school sweet heart.
One of the intangible's I feel Ted possesses is that he is a good man. In the ring he may play a heel, but outside of it I believe he is truly one of the nice guys in the business. It's this quality in him that reminds me of Sting (Steve Borden.) May be it's no coincidence that it was a friend of Ted Dibiase Sr. who got Sting curious about christianity in the first place. If Dibiase's career turns out anything like Sting's, he'll be a World Champion in no time.
Now I'd like to point out why Dibiase has both the physical and mental skills to become a World Champion. Dibiase went to college where he received a Bachelors in both Science and Business Administration. I've always believed that a good education can only strengthen the skills of a professional wrestler. In college, they are taught the art of public speaking and how to study language, mannerisms, body language. They learn what their flaws are and how to fix them. With a BA in Science and Business Administration, Dibiase is no doubt a learned man.
It's not just about book smarts either though. Dibiase was an athelete in college as well. Dibiase began college as a QB, but later became a wide receiver. He also played soccer as well, so not only is be big, but he's also fast. After excelling in these sports, it's no wonder he's the explosive athelete that we see in the ring each week.
Like Alex Riley, Dibiase has the advantage of being both tall and built. Add to that speed and mobility and you have a lethal concoction. As I've stated in the past, if your big and strong in the WWE, it gives you a leg up in the business. But if your big, strong and fast; you could be unstoppable! Just look at the early career pushes of guys Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. And by big, I don't necessarily mean Dibiase is a typical "Big Man." I'd consider guys like Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Big show "BIG MEN." Dibiase is big in the sense that he fits that perfect World Champion mold. That guy whose in between 6'1-6'4 and weighs around 235-270. Guys like Cena, Orton, Austin, The Rock, HHH, Goldberg, Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan etc.
Now let's take a look at DiBiase's career. Dibiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first ever WWE match. He then went on to become a two time tag team champion, even defeating the likes of Triple H and HBK, along with Cody Rhodes. WWE obviously had faith in this kid from the get go, otherwise they would not have given him a push like this. It's easy to see the potential in Dibiase.
Even after having a bumpy 2010 where Dibiase watched his push slowly fade, he was listed at #34 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestler's of 2010 list right behind #33 Mr. Anderson and ahead of guys such as Cody Rhodes, Mistico, Daniel Bryan, and Dolph Ziggler to name a couple. It might not be a top 10 spot, but I think it gives evidence to Dibiase's skill as an in-ring performer, as well as a wrestling entertainer in general when you look at those listed around him.
Dibiase also starred in WWE's The Marine 2. Did you know that anyone who has starred in a WWE film (The Rock, Austin, HHH, Orton, Big Show etc) has been or become a WWE World Champion, aside from the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Mr. Anderson? I think this just goes to show you what type of plans WWE has for Ted Dibiase.
Now I know Dibiase is currently on a losing streak and I think there are many different reasons for it. First of all, Dibiase was teamed with Orton and Legacy to help get the young star over. What happened though, was Orton used Legacy to get over, burying Dibiase along with Rhodes in the process.
After Legacy disbanded, Dibiase continued his rivalry with Orton by helping Edge, but the angle died due to Orton injuring his shoulder after punching the mat(freaking imbecile) and being out of action/working a light schedule for a few months.
Dibiase then went on to be managed by Maryse, who some say like Orton, is only focusing on getting herself over. That might kind of be true, but I just feel WWE is waiting for DiBiase's big breakout. The problem with WWE is they devout so much time to Cena and Orton's storylines that they don't put enough effort into mid card storylines. If your going to give Dibiase the same gimmick as his father, then use it to it's full potential. The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, was the on screen character that brought the likes of The Undertaker and Steve Austin characters to the WWE. Dibiase can pay off any heel at any time to due his dirty work, he doesn't just sit back and lose week in week out. Hell, if he wanted a spot in the Raw Rumble, he could of bought his way in.
Right now, I just feel WWE is waiting for the moment when they can unleash him for what he's destined to be, a super babyface. I think they know that right now, if he were a baby face and on raw it wouldn't work because he would step in the spotlight of Cena and Orton. If they had no faith in him, he'd have been on Smackdown already, where he would likely suceed whether he were heel or face. But in my gut, I feel Ted's true calling is as a baby face. The WWE was heading in that direction with all the encounters between Dibiase and Orton in Legacy, but Orton benefitted and got the turn in the long run. But the people really did want to see Ted turn face and I believe they still do. Dibiase is the type of wrestler you can emotionally invest in and want to see win.
Dibiase's advantage is that most wrestlers, especially the up and comers, are more fit to be heels, Dibiase is one of the few guys who is meant to a be and better at being baby face. WWE will try and fail at creating intriguing faces, and eventually it will be Dibiase's turn and he will take full advantage of it. Whether it's on Smackdown or Raw, he will be a World Champion.