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Million Dollar Memories

Million Dollar Memories

Posted: Mar 27th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Professional wrestling is full of legendary characters with legendary catchphrases. Only one of those catchphrases, however, was attached to a laugh. "Everybody's got a price, hahahahahaha."

"The Million Dollar Man," Ted DiBiase, will be inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame on Saturday, the night before WrestleMania in Phoenix, Ariz. DiBiase, who played football at West Texas State, took some time away from his duties as an evangelist to talk wrestling. DiBiase resides in Clinton, Miss.

What's it like being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?

"To be inducted into the hall of fame is to be honored by your peers. I don't think that there is a greater honor you can have. This is not just a bunch of sportswriters who just talk about wrestling, these are the guys that did it with ya. These are the guys who've been down that road with you. They are saying that you are one of our best. It's a tremendous honor and it's humbling at the same time. It's one of those moments in my life where I wish my dad could be there."

What are your thoughts on TNA moving to Monday nights and going head-to-head with WWE?

"The WWE is a machine. It is a well-oiled, fine-tuned machine, and it's rolling. I have nothing against any of those guys over there (in TNA), I worked with a lot of those guys. I seriously think they don't have a chance. They do not have a chance of competing with the WWE. Their programming is not nearly as good. Nothing about the quality of that show is near the quality of the WWE. It's almost like they are trying to go back and relive the old wrestling wars. I'm 56 years old, I'm the same age as (Hulk) Hogan, and at some point you've gotta know it's over. I wish them well. Competition is always good for business, but to think you can actually compete with the WWE in the same hour, to me is just pretty naive."

Any specific Amarillo memories?

"The biggest wrestling memory that I have is not my own, it was my dad's ('Iron' Mike DiBiase). I was in the sixth grade when they had this Texas Death Match that went for three hours and fifteen minutes. I guess they would go back to the dressing room and take a break and come back out. Can you imagine two men able to hold a crowd for 3? hours. The match actually ended in a draw because the police came in and stopped the match because there was a curfew on the building."

What about one involving you?

"One of the most fun was a battle royal. In that battle royal were the Funk brothers and me, as well as others. I won the battle royal. The last three guys were me, Terry Funk and Dory Funk, Jr. They ultimately put me over. My winning that match really was kind of like them putting the stamp of approval on me. It brought me up a notch."

Any thoughts of stepping into the ring one more time, maybe with your son (Ted DiBiase, Jr.) next to you?

"Everybody's got a price, hahahaha. Never say never but my knees are shot, my shoulder is gone. I've had surgery on my neck. If it ever did happen you'd see me out there in a full body suit. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself."

Where did the idea of the Million Dollar Belt come from?

"There was some talk of me being WWE champion. What they came to me with was 'you're the Million Dollar Man.' The idea was you're so arrogant that you don't need the WWE title, you'll just create your own. The whole concept is you want the people to dislike you as much as they possibly can. The arrogance of a guy creating his own belt and wearing it to the ring every night, it worked. It was a great idea."

 

Tags: Ted DiBiase, WWE, TNA, Mike DiBiase

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  • 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
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  • 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
  • 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion

Week of Sun 04-28 to Sat: 05-04

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  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
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  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion
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  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Champion
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  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Champions
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  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1955 Ricki Starr became the TSW Oklahoma Champion
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  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Champion
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  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
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  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
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  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
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  • 05-03 1973 Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan def. The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion
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