Ted DiBiase: Worthy or Not?

[TheOneBigWill]

Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is a retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator who wrestled as the "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Among other accolades in the WWF, he was the 1988 King of the Ring and a 3-time WWF Tag Team Champion.

In the WWF, DiBiase was known as "The Million Dollar Man", a millionaire who wore a gold-studded, dollar-sign-covered suit (sometimes green and white, sometimes pink and white or just all white, but usually black and gold) and, in time, a custom-made, diamond-encrusted and self-awarded "Million Dollar Belt". DiBiase had a bodyguard by the name of Virgil, that was also by his side during matches, and all of his vignettes. He was often seen doing what people would deem "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. 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 first-class for flights, into 5-star hotels for accommodations and 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 over tip, 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) 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.

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 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; Andre then announced he was surrendering the belt and handed it to DiBiase. The WWF refused to acknowledge DiBiase as the champion (since at the time WWF titles could not be bought or simply handed to someone else) and declared the title vacant.

Over the course of his career, Ted DiBiase has had rememberable feuds with such Superstars as; Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts. He was originally managed by Sensational Sherri. He ultimately turned to the Tag Team scene, along side I.R.S. (Mike Rotunda). He's also responsible for starting one of the most notorious factions in company history, the Million Dollar Corp. in which he 'bought out' the contracts of such Superstars, including; I.R.S., Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kama, Nikolai Volkoff, King Kong Bundy, Sycho Sid Vicious & the 1-2-3 Kid. There was also a period in which he brought in an alternative Undertaker. His list of accomplishments and Championships (according to Wiki) are as follows:

All Japan Pro Wrestling
AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Stan Hansen
NWA United National Championship (1 time)
PWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Stan Hansen
World's Strongest Tag Team League (1985) – with Stan Hansen

Central States Wrestling
NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Georgia Championship Wrestling
NWA National Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
NWA National Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Stan Frazier (1) and Steve Olsonski (1)

NWA Tri-State | Mid-South Wrestling Association
Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
Mid-South Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Matt Borne (1), Jerry Stubbs (1), Hercules Hernandez (1), and Steve Williams (1)
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time)
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) - with Dick Murdoch

NWA Western States Sports
NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tito Santana

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1982)
PWI ranked him # 17 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1991.
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
(Class of 2007)

St. Louis Wrestling Club
NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Texas All-Star Wrestling
TASW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

World Wrestling Federation
WWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Irwin R. Schyster
Million Dollar Championship (2 times)
WWF King of the Ring (1988)
Slammy Award for Humanitarian of the Year (1987)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
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)

Note: 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.

Ted DiBiase: Ted DiBiase is one of the all-time great heels in the world of Professional Wrestling history. While his Championship reigns in the W.W.F. mainly consisted of Tag Team Championships, the fact is he still remains one of, if not the only man, to ever attempt buying the Heavyweight Championship in W.W.F./E. history.

He's also the only individual in the company to have introduced his own Championship, made entirely out of actual diamonds. I'm told by Ted DiBiase personally that the original Championship is locked away in Titan-Towers to this very day, but he does have a replica.

When I was growing up, I didn't have as much love for heels as I do today. But I could honestly say, looking back at the 80's and early 90's If I would've been who I am now, back then, Ted DiBiase would've been one of my all-time favorite heels. He did some of the most amazingly damaging things, and you couldn't help but to hate him. At the same time, it takes that type of ultra-heel to be realized as one of the best in the industry.

Ironically, there was some confusion as to whether or not he'd already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, but according to both wiki & wwe.com, he HAS NOT been. So, in my personal opinion it's a Hall of Fame induction that's long overdue, especially since so many more recent Superstars have already gained entry. What are your thoughts and opinions on Ted DiBiase being a Hall of Fame inductee? Worthy or Not?

 

[8thwotwATG]

DiBiase was a true master at drawing heat, he had one hell of a run with both Hogan and Savage, and even dragged a good match out of his"bodyguard", Virgil. A great in-ring performer, plus he was excellent on the stick. Ted definitely deserves to be inducted.

 

[Mr. TM]

He is the definitive heel. The reasons for keeping Ted DiBiase out of the hall of fame are not known to me. But he should have been in it long ago. Think of the Golden Era of the WWE. You think of Hogan, Warrior, Savage... but when you need to think of that hero, you must think of DiBiase. Hogan is in the Hall. Warrior fucked his way out of the Hall, Savage is also un horrible terms it seems with the WWE. But DiBiase was a road agent not long ago, before being cut to save money.

 

[klunderbunker]

Yes yes yes yes yes. To me, this man is the greatest heel of all time. Yes, even better than Hogan. Dibiase is the epitome of what every heel is: someone that even after he turned face you still saw him as the evil man that he always had been. That laugh was just pure evil. There is nothing easier to hate than someone saying they're better than you because they have more money. Who can't get mad at that? It was an easy gimmick, but Ted played it to absolute perfection. The music, the having a different home for each season, the laugh, and the moves. The in ring ability that he has is always overlooked. He could wrestle with anybody. Dibiase should be in the HOF immediately.

 

[NSL]

This is an even more resounding YES than Demolition.

He was/is the epitome of what a heel should be, and there is no reason for him to not be in. Whether he was appearing on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", or shoving money in to the mouth of a fallen opponent, he kept finding ways to be hated. Introducing his own belt (as amazing as it was), made everyone hate him even more. It was even stated earlier that he had a good run against his former butler/bodyguard Virgil. He could play the heel to any face in any company, and not get boring, or have to change his gimmick.

For having the balls to use a fake Undertaker alone, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Tastycles]

Definitely. Ted DiBiase is the greatest heel of all time. He was booed as loud as Hogan was cheered towards the end of the 80s and early 90s, which is obviously no mean feat. He had a character that was as universally hated as Stone Cold's was universally adored. Stone Cold was the everyman, DiBiase was the rich guy keeping him down.

He had the best entrance music of all time which perfectly suited his character, and the laugh was absolutely evil and perfect and the way he degraded people for money was a great spot.

The argument against him is that he never had the championships, but what heels did before 1990, when DiBiase was in his prime. The way wrestling was booked was for the face to always win in the end. He never won midcard titles because he was always the top heel and in the company - he was even employing Andre the Giant at one point.

So, I think Ted should be one of the first names on the list of this years inductees. To be honest, he is also one of the most likely. He is on good terms with the WWE, having just released his book, and his son's rise to the main roster means that he has a perfect inductor (I'm not sure that is a word, but you know what I mean).

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I mentioned in the Rick Rude thread that, in order for a man who has never won the WWF / WWE / World Title to make the HOF in my book, he must have done something or been someone VERY significant.

DiBiase is that man.

Ted DiBiase played the quintessential heel at a time when great heels were thin, and almost none of them could even stand in the shadow of babyfaces like Hogan. But the DiBiase / Andre connection was great for sometime, thanks in part to DiBiase's work. His mic skills were unrivaled as a heel. His feud with Dusty Rhodes was admirable, and the day he bought Sapphire is still listed as a shocking moment. After his single career ran its course, he remained relevant in tag team "Money Inc." with IRS / Mike Rotundo, which is still one of my favorite teams of all time.

Even after THAT, he remained relevant as the manager of one of the most influential stables of all time - the Million Dollar Corporation.

DiBiase isn't known for WrestleMania moments, though he did Main Event Wrestlemania 4 with Savage. The events he did own were The Survivor Series (always one of the top two heel captains) and Summer Slam. That's important, and part of what makes him a Hall of Famer.

Yes, 1,000 times Yes.

 

[Shocky]

Yes, without question. Ted DiBiase was probably the best heel that the business has seen in a generation, and that's including the likes of Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Triple H. The guy just had the intangable "It" factor. He epitomized the greed of big corporations in the late 80's, and completely rubbed off the wrong way against the American Hero in Hulk Hogan.

Ted DiBiase was even able to make his fake Million Dollar Title into a semi-prestigous championship. People were crazy about seeing Ted DiBiase lose an unrecognized title. Hell, Ted DiBiase even had what it take to put a guy like Virgil into near superstar status by simply feuding with him.

 

[Doctor_What]

Ted Diabiase is the best heel to never be wwe champion. Also it would make total sense for 2009 to be his year as his son is the only member of legacy who's dad ISNT in H.O.F

 

[hoffman40]

Absolutely!!!!

Two guys that drew the most heat out of a crowd were Ted Dibiase and Ravishing Rick Rude!

 

[JerryvonKramer]

DiBiase is the greatest heel of all time no question. In fact, if I had to draw up an all-time top ten list of wrestlers going on overall ability going on in-ring (technical) ability, mic skills, heat/ overness (i.e. how much faces get cheered or heels get booed), character/ gimmick, and finally charisma which plays a part in all of the others it'd be something like this:

1. Ric Flair -- best all-round wrestler of all time bar none

2. The Rock -- superb as either a face or a heel. Probably the best on the mic of all time, just oozed charisma, totally over. Only let down by slightly samey matches.

3. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase -- excelled in every area, one of the greatest heels of all time. This segment alone justifies his very high placement here. Also, watch this: A RVD kissing DiBiase's feet!

I rate DiBiase so highly, because people actually HATED him when was a main event heel. One time he was in this cage match with Savage and a fan actually jumped onto the cage and tried to hit him because he hated him so much! That's what it's all about really.

4. Hulk Hogan -- the most "over" man in Wrestling history. As the All-American face in WWF or as the hatable lazy leader of the NWO in WCW. Not really a great technical wrestler obviously, but he's underrated in that department because it's not often noted that he spends 90% of each match getting beaten up, and he always sold the moves really well before the inevitable "hulk up + big boot" finish.

5. Triple H -- great heel, not so convincing as a face. Great all rounder, in and out of the ring. Has had some really good matches down the years.

6. Macho Man Randy Savage -- great in the ring, totally insane out of it. One of the best of all time. OH YEAH!

7. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat -- probably the best technical wrestler of all time. Every. Damn. Move. Is so crisp and clean. He featured in arguably 4 of the top 10 matches of all time in there for that alone. He's also a decent face in that he's easy to like.

8. Shawn Michaels -- another great all rounder. Always convinced me more as a heel than as a face. Some excellent matches under his belt too.

9. Stone Cold Steve Austin -- another brilliant mic technician, and not a bad wrestler (became worse as he got more injuries). The Austin vs. McMahon feud was awesome but I liked him during his "What?!" phase too.

10. Bret "the Hitman" Hart -- the excellence of execution, second only to Steamboat for his in-ring ability. However, like Steamboat, not really that charismatic or that good on the mic.

----

So that's it: I'd rate DiBiase over Hogan, HBK, Austin, Bret, Steamboat and Savage. Titles don't mean anything to me. Why? Because wrestling is booked. DiBiase was booked to win the title at WM4 until last minute. Does it really make a big difference to what an amazingly effective heel he was that he didn't?

I'm glad the members of this board are giving Teddy the dues he deserves. One of the all-time best on the mic and in the ring. And, arguably, he drew the biggest heel heat ever.