What has happened to Ted Dibiase?

[StunningBlackMamba24]

As we all know Dibiase made his return from injury back in September at Night of Champions during a battle royal, and wrestled a few matches then on superstars and smackdown against Antonio Cesaro. He has disappeared from WWE Television once again. I dont know whether it was an Injury or family issue, But I am a huge fan of this guy, and Im sorry if anyone else made this thread or anything. On RAW Ted Dibiase Sr. had appeared, and I was hoping for his son to show up with him on a segment or match or something. Nothing happened but him putting money in Darren Youngs mouth. Dibiase did a great job being apart of Legacy years back, but it looks like they dropped the ball with him. Anyone know whats going on? And do you guys think WWE should just wish him luck in his future endeavours? Or give repackage him with a totally different gimmick, as Fandango did?

 

[MikeBowman]

TDJ wrestled at a house show in Cleveland, OH March 3, 2012. He's still working for WWE. May see his return to TV soon... stay tuned.

 

[Mr Mikey Mike]

Other than Ted Dibiase's father the million dollar man, there's nothing special about Ted Dibiase Jr. To me Dibiase Jr is as a generic wrestler that there is, no personality, no charisma other than I'm the million dollar man's son, and to top that off Dibiase Jr isn't even that great of a wrestler. They should send Dibiase Jr to Nxt and repackage him, maybe reunite Rhodes and him back together as a tag team because Wwe's tag division is weak as shit right now, or just outright release him. Ted Dibiase Jr is nowhere to be seen on Wwe TV right now and I could care less.

 

[S2B]

I like Ted, I like Cody too... Cody always seems to get a good gimmick but never forces it over the line. Ted never really seems to get any momentum going.

I'd like to say they will probably both be main eventers in the future... sadly though, they are definitely being overtaken/have been overtaken by the likes of The Shield, Ryback, Antonio Cesaro and Damien Sandow. Which isn't a bad thing... as all of those guys have been impressive... but which of those will suffer in the same way as DiBiase and Rhodes and never quite make the main event?

 

[SD619]

Other than Ted Dibiase's father the million dollar man, there's nothing special about Ted Dibiase Jr.

This is pretty much what has happened to Ted Dibiase.

Does he even have a gimmick ?He is average in the ring, not much on the microphone, and looks generic. The best thing for WWE to do would be to give him some decent storyline, and if the audience still does not care, fire him. The only interesting thing that he has done since Legacy is the Dibiase posse.

At this point, the only reason he is still employed is that he is a third generation superstar.

 

[DirtyD79]

A big part of the problem is he's almost always out with injuries. It's hard for an audience to really connect with a wrestler they just about never see. Another problem is he jobbed way too much. Fans want winners not pooh putts. When fans know a guy's gonna lose everytime he comes through the curtain sooner or later they get bored.

 

[Mustang Sally]

At this point, the only reason he is still employed is that he is a third generation superstar.

It would seem so. Performers must dread hearing the "Sorry, we don't have anything for you" phrase because it could mean so many things .....none of them good. If the company thought the person was going to have a raging-good run in WWE, they'd probably find something for him to do, no? When employees hear those words, they probably wonder how long they'll be kept around.

Ted DiBiase, Jr....the Million Dollar Boy? I wonder if he has a contract and knows damn well he'll be released once it runs out. While we're speculating on what's happened to him, maybe it's as simple as that.

I compare Ted's situation to my guy, Drew McIntyre. The company buried him for a long time, yet all we read were reports that Triple H saw a great future for him. Sure enough, they eventually found a way to bring him back from Never-Never Land, although the jury is still out on where he'll be a few years from now. Is DiBiase in the same circumstance? Do they see a future for him with WWE?

It's ironic that a few years ago when he was teaming with Cody Rhodes, many folks on this forum (including me) thought DiBiase was going to be the star, not Cody. The company crossed us up by writing program after program for Cody, taking his bland personality and pushing him to the moon. If Creative had written all that stuff for DiBiase instead, I wonder where he'd be today.

No one makes it by themselves.You can be the greatest performer ever, but if management won't let you in the ring....and the writers "have nothing for you".....you'll wither on the vine, just like poor Ted DiBiase Jr.

 

[Blaze]

It's sad to see a talent like Ted just fade away. He was great with Legacy, and I fully expected him to be better than Cody. He just had a certain look that read "future champion". I'd like to see him come back with the "Million Dollar" gimmick, and be a heel similar to his father, using his money to get him places, maybe even get a body guard like when he had Brodus Clay. Maybe a DiBiase/Henry pairing? With a diva like Aksana?

 

[Pedigree1]

Poor Teddy Jr. Only thing he has going for him,is he is the Million Dollar Mans Son. Thats it pure plain and simple as that. He is sub-par in the ring,no mic skills to speak of and all-in-all the company has completely forgotten about him. Its akin to,as "Well Ted we really dont have anything for you at this moment".

Translation, this means as soon as his contract is up,he is fired. Really i wont miss him the audience wont miss him and IWC wont miss him. I dont mean to bash the guy its not his fault he's not as good as his dad its just the truth. TNA will sign him or he could go to Japan or mexico. I really dont see any pairing that could work

 

[Trance Metaphor]

To anyone that says he won't be missed? Speak for yourself. I think Ted DiBiase is an above-average in-ring performer. He's good at transitioning from one move to the next, he has some good offence and he's good at selling. The only problem is that he has no character in order to show off charisma. He needs that outrageous gimmick that Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan were both blessed with. He needs to get away from being called or referred to as The Million Dollar Man's son. That's what's killing him as being his own breakout star. You rarely ever hear about Cody Rhodes being Dusty Rhodes' son. The repackaging needs to happen and it can't revolve around his dad's gimmick. Had creative done something sooner where his gimmick was original, who knows what might have happened? He's had a lot of good matches, but he's never had a lot of good chances. Back when they gave him his first gimmick since his split with Legacy, I was hoping they'd make him place $1000 bets on every match he had and he always came out on top, thus eventually claiming "I can beat anyone in the WWE...even champions." Something like that. Meh.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I'd like to see him come back with the "Million Dollar" gimmick, and be a heel similar to his father, using his money to get him places, maybe even get a body guard like when he had Brodus Clay. Maybe a DiBiase/Henry pairing? With a diva like Aksana?

He did on both accounts he even had Virgil and the Million Dollar Belt once and got no heat. Then they paired him with Myrese and still got no reaction from the fans.

Debiase did not progress further simply because he's just not that great. He can be a decent or solid performer but they way the WWE was pushing him at the time (heck there even plans for him to end Taker's streak) didn't justify the level of talent he has.

 

[akathelaw]

Ted DiBiase Jr. was given everything a midcard talent could be given in order to break into the main event. When you look back on his career it does seem strange that he is in the position he's in, but it just goes to show where that guy caps off in terms of talent and ability. The "Million Dollar Man" persona doesn't really work in WWE when you have a babyface champion millionaire movie star like The Rock. Plus, it's been done with this talent already and it didn't set the WWE on fire either. Let's take a look at his WWE run so far:

Debut: DiBiase had a great look, confidence on the microphone and was introduced by his father, the Million Dollar Man. To many he appeared to be a future main eventer.

Legacy: With Orton clearly the leader of the group, DiBiase appeared to be the breakout star while many thought of Rhodes as the "Jannetty" of their tag team. This program led to DiBiase winning the Tag Titles, competing for the WWE title in the Elimination Chamber, and a Wrestlemania match. Clearly, this was where DiBiase's career peaked.

The Marine 2: There were rumors that Ted was slated for a babyface run to go along with the release of this movie, but I think it was scrapped due to Ted being injured. This movie did very little to help Ted's career, while some say the first "Marine" picture helped Cena's star rise dramatically.

"Priceless" DiBiase: Utilizing elements of his father's gimmick including the Million Dollar Championship, Ted attempted to craft a heel persona of a spoiled rich brat wrestler. The addition of Virgil as manager and Maryse as valet couldn't keep this gimmick in the midcard championship scene, so it was eventually tossed with no real conclusion. Around this time, Cody Rhodes began making a name for himself in singles competition and even recapturing the Tag Titles with a new partner.

DiBiase Posse: Debuting new ring gear and a catchy title for his fanbase, Dibiase began a face run with a modest midcard push. Announcers remarked about tailgate parties that Dibiase held with fans outside the arena before shows. That's all well and good, but I'm at home watching so I don't get to participate, therefore why should that make me like him? Also, aren't there a lot more fans in that arena than the amount you'd find at a tailgate? It seems like Dibiase's appeal was very limited! It was, because the push ended and he is at the bottom of the roster to this very day.

So in summary, we have a second generation wrestler who debuted in a top heel faction along with a multi-time World Champion, a Tag Team Champion, the star of a WWE produced sequel to a John Cena hit, and the successor to the Million Dollar Man's throne. That's not a bad career in retrospect, so if DiBiase hung up his boots for good he could at least look back on a mildly successful run. In order to evolve, he needs to reinvent himself entirely. NXT is a great place to do that, or maybe even TNA.

 

[H33LTurn]

I heard he was injured but was cleared to wrestle not too long ago. Its a shame how WWE dropped the ball on Ted, I see him being an amazing heel if WWE used him correctly. As a matter of fact everyone in Legacy has suffered since the group disbanded. They turned Ted face and put absolutely no effort into his character. I think some people are just tired of seeing him, me included, because he doesnt offer much anymore. He needs some serious re branding but it looks like creative has its hands full so if Ted does get a second chance, it wont be any time soon.

 

[ABMorales787]

Yeah, that happens when you're not very good. Ted's average at best and at 5 years on TV, he still needs to hang with someone else to maintain relevance. If he wasn't the son of one of the greatest heels of all time, he'd be gone already.

 

[Leveller]

Its sad to say but he just isn't worth keeping around until they can find something to do with him. He could be a good heel or a strong face but he hasnt got a reason to be either at the moment.
I suggest put him down to NXT for a bit but keep him signed and then when they have a purpose for him see how it works out. If it doesnt work then, get rid of him.


Really I would love to see him attack Sandow for a few weeks and have no one know who it was. Have him jealous of the friendship that Cody and Sandow have built and make it seem like he misses being in a powerful tag team. This gives all three men purpose and it tests the ability of Sandow to be a face. If needs be they could even become a three man group. It would give it a twist.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's a shame that he has not done better. I remember when he first formed Team Priceless with Cody at Night of Champions 2008, I thought he would have a much more successful career than he has. He then failed to meet expectations again when he was viewed by many as the future star of the Legacy faction. He stood up to Orton and that never amounted to the face push many saw coming. If ever there would have been a good time to give him a big chance, that was it and WWE blew it. Then he and Cody split up. Cody moved to Smackdown and started his Dashing persona, and would go on to win the Intercontinental Championship and a few more Tag Team Championships. Ted on the other hand.... was not as lucky following their split.

I still thought he'd make it when he brought back the Million Dollar Championship. Sure he was never going to reach the success his father had, but that gimmick could have worked with some better booking and a decent storyline. Then other chances that did not work out well for him either such as the face push alongside his Dibiase Posse tailgates, getting placed in The Marine 2, and when he got to work with Cody again in an angle they ended way too soon that should have seen his face turn and large push take him further up the card. He's had several chances and none have worked out in his favor. I hate to say it, but I don't see Ted lasting much longer unless he is going to be kept as a jobber. Having a legend for a relative can only get you so far and he has not lived up to expectations AT ALL. I give him credit for trying, and he's still had a better career than some. It could be much worse.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Eh, he's not that good?

Sometimes we need to stop banging our heads against the wall, while trying to figure out the great mystery behind a wrestler's failures. Ted DiBiase was given chance, after chance, after chance, after freakin' chance, and he COULD NOT get over. That's not WWE's fault. Edge was given plenty of chances, but he eventually got over. Del Rio was given plenty of chances....but his face character is catching on with the fans (with a lot of help from Show and Zeb Coulter, but still). As others already mentioned, they brought back the Million Dollar Championship and Virgil for this guy, and he still got nothing but crickets.

Let's be honest. WWE could release Ted tomorrow, and nobody would give a shit. His absence wouldn't hurt WWE at all, and we wouldn't notice the lack of Ted. Hell, he's still on the roster, and most of us barley notice his lack of TV time.

 

[MWRedskins]

think he was injured, but is being likely worked back into WWE TV slowly. i think personally, WWE needs to use him as a Tag Team Wrestler and team him up with McGuillicutty to form a team like Fortunate Sons or something and have McGuillicutty change his last name to Hennig and play off the Mr. Perfect character by calling him the perfect son while they call DiBiase the million dollar son and have them claim to be Fortunate and have them go after the Tag titles, but i dont think WWE goes that route.

 

[TheBottomLine]

When I first saw him as part of Legacy I thought he would be big, I guess it just goes to show that out of him and Cody Rhodes, the difference between success and failure, Cody is getting over while Ted is on a downward spiral. He's nothing special to be totally honest, and if he were gone, it would make absolute zero difference and WWE and the fans would just move on. The Indy shows would love him though.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I know it didn’t work out too well before, but I think Ted DiBiase Jr. should try to be the Million Dollar Champion one more time, at least until he can capture another Title. I know it’s been said before, but I think he should team up with one or both of the Rotunda’s and form Money Inc 2.0. From there, the Million Dollar Corporation 2.0 could be formed with his 2 brothers. The name Ted Dibiase just goes well with the rich Hell character and he should just embrace that. It’s an already made gimmick for him.

 

[fafa1021]

I've read a million times that they need to put TDJ with Henning as the Fortunate Sons but here is something everyone is forgetting. In the few times we have seen both of those guys on TV, nobody gave a crap about them. Putting two guys who can't get a reaction together and hope they get a reaction is borderline psycho. Henning is a boss in the ring but can't find a personality that works. TDJ is an average worker at best and has no charisma.

If you want to put them with somebody it needs to be with someone who has charisma. That's why TDJ got some rub from being in Legacy. He had two guys in Rhodes and Orton who could get a reaction. A team/stable might be the only hope for him but it better be good or else he's going to be fitted for a black motorcycle vest in Orlando.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Back when Dibiase had the Dibase Posse gimmick, I thought a team with Zack Ryder could've really helped him out more. The two as a team could've been really over if they had merged their (Zack) Pack and Posse to form a larger fanbase. I still wouldn't mind seeing that happen and I think that's Dibiase's only hope of finally getting over. Only problem though, is this guy keeps getting injured. He's more injury prone than Mr. Kennedy was. He's unreliable aswell as being a load of shite on his own, so frankly I would just get rid of the guy when his contract is up. He won't be missed. I'm sure if he goes to Japan though after he is released, he might finally catch a break, ex-WWE stars usually do there.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

They shouldn't release him until they go with the Fortunate Sons gimmick that was talked about for so long, they have Hennig he can team with and Steamboat and Dallas they can feud with or even include in the stable as heels - in Steamboat's case it's blatant he HAS to be heel as his dad never was.

Make it all about their father's not getting the respect/due/world title despite being the cornerstones and their mission is to right that wrong.

DiBiase can still have a future, if he wants it - last I heard he was considering leaving and I wouldn't blame him if he did - anyone who says he has had chance after chance is dead wrong, he has been pretty well "shit on" for much of his singles time in favor of other talents such as Ziggler, Ryback even Brodus Funking Clay.

What DiBiase has is pedigree and time - the thing is that people seem to miss the fact his dad was a slow starter, he wasn't "The Million Dollar Man" out of the box...just plain Ted DiBiase. He had been in the WWE getting that "blue chipper" push that his son got with Legacy nearly 10 years before the Million Dollar Man gimmick even began off the back the respect "Iron" Mike DiBiase had before his death.

Jr. is exactly where Ted Sr. was in 1980 after they decided not to go with the NA title and went with Patterson instead as the IC champ. Ted Sr's push stalled and as he was not getting over in New York he travelled the world, learning his craft and how to get over - by the time he came back in 87 he was not only a much more rounded worker but a heat magnet that could make the given gimmick work.

Ted Jr. could easily disappear for a year or two and then come back later, older, more experienced like his father did. Japan would be a great place for him right now if they do release him at the outside Ring Of Honor - then when he becomes a big starthere he returns to the WWE, be it with the DiBiase fortune or on a new gimmick.

At the end of the day, the WWE system can produce new talents but it is utterly crap at molding talents they already have into something better/new. It's a flaw that has cost DiBiase, Hennig and others dear in terms of their careers. It's all well and good hiring new blood, but they also need to work out a way to improve what they are misusing too.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

They shouldn't release him until they go with the Fortunate Sons gimmick that was talked about for so long, they have Hennig he can team with and Steamboat and Dallas they can feud with or even include in the stable as heels - in Steamboat's case it's blatant he HAS to be heel as his dad never was.

Make it all about their father's not getting the respect/due/world title despite being the cornerstones and their mission is to right that wrong.

DiBiase can still have a future, if he wants it - last I heard he was considering leaving and I wouldn't blame him if he did - anyone who says he has had chance after chance is dead wrong, he has been pretty well "shit on" for much of his singles time in favor of other talents such as Ziggler, Ryback even Brodus Funking Clay.

What DiBiase has is pedigree and time - the thing is that people seem to miss the fact his dad was a slow starter, he wasn't "The Million Dollar Man" out of the box...just plain Ted DiBiase. He had been in the WWE getting that "blue chipper" push that his son got with Legacy nearly 10 years before the Million Dollar Man gimmick even began off the back the respect "Iron" Mike DiBiase had before his death.

Jr. is exactly where Ted Sr. was in 1980 after they decided not to go with the NA title and went with Patterson instead as the IC champ. Ted Sr's push stalled and as he was not getting over in New York he travelled the world, learning his craft and how to get over - by the time he came back in 87 he was not only a much more rounded worker but a heat magnet that could make the given gimmick work.

Ted Jr. could easily disappear for a year or two and then come back later, older, more experienced like his father did. Japan would be a great place for him right now if they do release him at the outside Ring Of Honor - then when he becomes a big starthere he returns to the WWE, be it with the DiBiase fortune or on a new gimmick.

At the end of the day, the WWE system can produce new talents but it is utterly crap at molding talents they already have into something better/new. It's a flaw that has cost DiBiase, Hennig and others dear in terms of their careers. It's all well and good hiring new blood, but they also need to work out a way to improve what they are misusing too.

I'll agree with a lot of what you wrote here. I'm a big advocate of guys like Dibiase who seem to be stuck in limbo leaving the comfort zone of the WWE and traveling the world to improve on their craft before coming back. I think this is absolutely something Ted Jr. should do too. Go to Japan. Work there for the next year. Do some tours of Europe. Do a stint in ROH. Come back when you're a more well rounded performer and the landscape is more advantageous to you.

But I'll absolutely disagree that Ted Sr. was a 'slow starter'. True his first run in the WWWF was short lived, and they went with their own Intercontinental championship over the North American title that Dibiase was holding - you also have to keep in mind that the North American title Dibiase had was one he brought to the WWWF with him from the Mid South territory. It was never a title that McMahon Sr. was going to keep long term.

Also, while he did only have a year run back in 1980, you also have to keep in mind that the NWA, and Harley Race in particular, were VERY high on Ted back then. Rumor has it that Dusty Rhodes first NWA title run was originally slated to be Ted's, and that the political influence of Rhodes and Eddie Graham in Florida is what got that changed. At one point, rumor has it that Race was advocating that Dibiase become the next long term NWA champ... OVER Ric Flair. That may have changed during the year Ted was in the WWWF (still a member of the NWA at the time, but nowhere near as influential as they preferred to do their own thing for the most part). It isn't rumor though that Harley (who was very influential in the NWA) recommended Ted every time a short term champion was called for... and if Dibiase worked for Crockett instead of Watt's, it would have happened. It's also true that Ted was the Missouri champ prior to going to the WWWF, which was always considered the stepping stone to being NWA champ.

He wasn't a slow starter by any means. He was considered to be one of the very best of his generation early on, and absolutely lived up to that billing. His son isn't the talent that he was, but then again, very few have ever been as good as Ted Dibiase.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

With So many wrestlers on the roster at the moment, I just don't see there being a place for him on either Raw or Smackdown any time soon. You might see him make the occasional appearance on Nxt or Superstar but that would be about it. The guy is 30 years old now and if he has plans on making it big in this buissness then he might want to start looking at cutting his losses and at start looking for a job with one of the other promotions.