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."
Supplemental Information
Latest News
Matt Hardy to align with past rival against syX at TNA Destination X
With Jeff Hardy written out of TNA action ahead of next weekend’s Destination X in Canada, Matt Hard... Read More
- Killer Kross makes announcement following WSW tour: ‘Everything comes to an end’
- Mick Foley sends message to former WWE colleagues amid US midterm elections
- New details on Shawn Michaels and Bruce Prichard’s WWE futures
- Raquel Rodriguez says ditched on-screen pairing with former WWE star ‘would have been fun’
The Son Who Carried His Father's Mask Into The Von Erich War
A borrowed name. That's what Stephan Simpson stepped into the ring with in 1984, because his father ... Read More
AJ Styles on retirement, matches with Cena and Gunther, his son, and more
AJ Styles sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Nashville, Tennessee to discuss his retirement match w... Read More
- Ethan Page talks NXT, move to main roster, working with Chelsea Green, The Rock, and more
- WWE SmackDown Comes to OKC: Royce Keys talks Royal Rumble debut
- Jeff Jarrett talks relationship with Dixie Carter, Dark Side of the Ring, TNA, and more
- Carlito talks departing WWE, time in Judgment Day, Bron Breakker spear, and more
Spotlight in History
- 1977 Dick Murdoch def. Jerry Oates for the TSW North American Title
- 1978 Jerry Stubbs became the TSW Mississippi Champion
- 1999 Joey Casanova became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
- 2010 Jermaine Johnson def. Aaron Neil for the IZW Heavyweight Title
- 2010 Awesome X (Kevin Morgan & Xavior) def. Aerial Assault (Ky-ote Joe & Eric Rose) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 2021 Koko became the WAH Living Hope Champion
- 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Oklahoma Champion
- 2021 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Cpl. Punishment) def. Most Wanted (Dan Webber, Reese, & T-Arsenal) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
- 2021 Danni Bee became the NCWO Women's Champion
- 2021 Samedi def. Tommy Dean for the CPW Heavyweight Title
- 2021 Ky-Ote became the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
- 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Heavyweight Champion
- 2021 Akbar Farat def. Tino Valentino for the NCWO Heavyweight Title
- 2022 Jason Jones def. Dimitri Alexandrov for the WFC Prime Title
- 2022 Leo Fox became the ASP Mid-American Champion
- 2022 Olivier Vegos def. Skylar Slice for the ASP Women's Title
- 2022 High Ratings (Maui Mike & Beau Betten) def. Chosen Influence (Malik Mayfield & Luke Richmond) for the ASP Tag Team Titles
- 2022 Gatekeeper def. Mr. Nasty for the ASP 5-Star Title
- 2022 Tino Valentino became the ASP Heavyweight Champion
Week of Sun 11-01 to Sat: 11-07
- 11-01 1960 Tony Jiminez & Jesse Jiminez became the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champions
- 11-01 1981 Ted DiBiase def. Paul Orndorff for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
- 11-01 1982 Al Madril def. Frank Dusek for the WCCW Television Title
- 11-01 2008 El Hoto def. Martin Justice for the OECW Southwestern Title
- 11-01 2008 The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Matthews III) def. The New York Express (Jeff Knight & Thomas Knight) for the OECW Tag Team Titles
- 11-01 2013 Steven Sterling def. Bobby Starr for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 11-01 2014 Guy Atticus became the IZW Impact Division Champion
- 11-01 2014 Kevin James Sanchez def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
- 11-01 2019 Brock Landers def. Tego for the ASP Inter-County Title
- 11-01 2020 Double D became the EPW Heavyweight Champion
- 11-01 2020 Drake Gallows became the EPW All-American Champion
- 11-01 2020 Revan became the EPW Internet Television Champion
- 11-01 2020 The Sidekicks (Kevin James Sanchez & Gemini [2nd]) became the EPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-01 2020 High Times (Father Padge & Dean Lambert) def. The Sidekicks (Kevin James Sanchez & Gemini [2nd]) for the EPW Tag Team Titles
- 11-01 2025 Iron Mountain (Duke Blanchard & Jack Davenport) def. The Trendsetters (Andre West & Nelly Rivers) for the WFC Tag Team Titles
- 11-02 1978 Ray Candy def. Ernie Ladd for the TSW Arkansas Title
- 11-02 2002 Terry Montana def. Shadow of Death for the OCW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2003 Ty Magnus def. John O'Malley for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2003 John O'Malley def. Ty Magnus for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2003 X-Cal def. John O'Malley for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2003 Outcast def. X-Cal for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2013 Kevin Morgan def. Drake Gallows for the IZW Impact Division Title
- 11-02 2013 What Wrestling Should Be (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) def. Team Bull (The Bronze Bull & Bobby Starr) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 11-02 2013 Miss Diss Lexia def. Erica for the IZW Queens Title
- 11-02 2014 Les Mayne def. Rick Russo for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
- 11-02 2019 Clint Poe became the EmpCW All American Champion
- 11-02 2019 War Party (Gorgeous Garcia & Nytronis A’Teo) def. The Saints of Pro Wrestling (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) for the EmpCW Tag Team Titles
- 11-02 2019 Dexter Hardaway def. Double D for the EmpCW Heavyweight Title
- 11-02 2019 Karnage def. Naiomi Sanders for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-02 2019 Unicorn def. Karnage for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-02 2019 Karnage def. Unicorn for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-02 2019 C. M. Burnham def. Karnage for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-02 2019 Karnage def. C. M. Burnham for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-02 2019 Naomi Sanders def. Karnage for the BPW 365 Title
- 11-03 2001 The VIP Crew (Rocco Valentino & Vinnie Valentino) def. The Texas Outlaws (Beau Dalton & Butch Dalton) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
- 11-03 2001 Splash Jackson def. Big Daddy Moore for the OPW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
- 11-03 2012 The Old School Suckas (Randy Price & Bryan Cruize) def. Big Business (Damon Windsor & Kevin Morgan) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 11-03 2012 Erica def. Angel Blue for the IZW Queens Title
- 11-03 2018 Damon Windsor def. Randy Price for the WCR Revolutionary Title
- 11-04 1985 Rick Rude def. King Parsons for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
- 11-04 1988 Kerry Von Erich def. Jerry Lawler for the WCCW World Title
- 11-04 2005 Beau Dalton & Bobby Dalton became the SRPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 1979 Jim Garvin & Herb Calvert def. Oki Shikina & Sugar Bear Harris for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
- 11-05 1980 Hector Guerrero & Ron Sexton def. Ron McFarlane & Doug Somers for the TSW Tag Team Titles
- 11-05 2002 Jeffrey Parker def. Li'l Joe for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2004 Luc Lapointe def. Prophet for the SRPW Boys and Girls Club Title
- 11-05 2004 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. Beau Dalton for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2004 Beau Dalton def. Dirty Harry Sanchez for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2005 Justin Lee & Michael Faith became the TPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2011 Michael York & Ignition became the ComPro Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2011 Brandon Walker def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 11-05 2011 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & David Kyzer) became the SWCW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2016 Kareem Sadat def. Dean Lambert for the EmpCW Independent Hardcore Title
- 11-06 1977 Dick Murdoch def. Jerry Oates for the TSW North American Title
- 11-06 1978 Jerry Stubbs became the TSW Mississippi Champion
- 11-06 1999 Joey Casanova became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
- 11-06 2010 Jermaine Johnson def. Aaron Neil for the IZW Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2010 Awesome X (Kevin Morgan & Xavior) def. Aerial Assault (Ky-ote Joe & Eric Rose) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2021 Koko became the WAH Living Hope Champion
- 11-06 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Oklahoma Champion
- 11-06 2021 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Cpl. Punishment) def. Most Wanted (Dan Webber, Reese, & T-Arsenal) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2021 Danni Bee became the NCWO Women's Champion
- 11-06 2021 Samedi def. Tommy Dean for the CPW Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2021 Ky-Ote became the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
- 11-06 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Heavyweight Champion
- 11-06 2021 Akbar Farat def. Tino Valentino for the NCWO Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2022 Jason Jones def. Dimitri Alexandrov for the WFC Prime Title
- 11-06 2022 Leo Fox became the ASP Mid-American Champion
- 11-06 2022 Olivier Vegos def. Skylar Slice for the ASP Women's Title
- 11-06 2022 High Ratings (Maui Mike & Beau Betten) def. Chosen Influence (Malik Mayfield & Luke Richmond) for the ASP Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2022 Gatekeeper def. Mr. Nasty for the ASP 5-Star Title
- 11-06 2022 Tino Valentino became the ASP Heavyweight Champion
- 11-07 1984 Bill Dundee def. Adrian Street for the MSW Television Title
- 11-07 2008 The Gentlemen Thugs (Cast-Iron Cothern & Shane Morbid) def. The Old School Express (Jason Jones & Jake Boulder) for the MStW Southern Tag Team Titles
- 11-07 2009 Dustin Heritage def. Randy Price for the IZW Impact Division Title
- 11-07 2015 The Terror Squad (D Money & Montego Seeka & Marce Lewis, Nytronis A'Teo & MVP) became the IWR Tag Team Champions
- Frank Dunbar Nov 6th Today!
- Darin Matthews Nov 6th Today!
- Brian Faith Nov 6th Today!
- Lu Kim Nov 6th Today!
- Ken Patera Nov 6th Today!
- Dominik Whiteheart Nov 7th
- King Kong Bundy Nov 7th
- Nigel Rabid Nov 7th
- Joey Ryan Nov 7th
- Faded Ghoul Nov 7th
- Keith Watkins Nov 7th
- Silverado Nov 7th
- Treach Phillips, Jr. Nov 8th
- Rika Wildlee Nov 8th
- Dizzy Davis Nov 8th
- Austin Mulitalo Nov 8th
- Joyce Grable Nov 9th
- Jean-Claude Boudreaux Nov 9th
- Lance Osburn Nov 9th
- Kolossus Nov 9th
- Nick Patrick Nov 9th
- Gil Knutson Nov 9th
- Menace 2 Society Nov 9th
- Bob Orton, Jr. Nov 10th
- Prince Tapu Nov 10th
- Kinzer Keel Nov 10th
- Danny Savich Nov 10th
- Marshall Von Erich Nov 10th
- Alex Perez Nov 11th
- Green Dragon Nov 11th
- Brandon Moxley Nov 11th
- Little Cloud Nov 11th
- Luigi Columbo Nov 11th
- Brett Taylor Nov 12th
- Thud Powell Nov 12th
- Terrale Tempo Nov 12th
- Vickie Lynn McCoy Nov 12th
- Gary Tool Nov 12th
- Varik Vayne Nov 12th
- Austin Tacious Nov 12th
- Ty Thunder Nov 12th
- Big Smooth Nov 13th
- L. J. McDaniels Nov 13th
- Tiny Bell Nov 14th
- Kyle Kelly Nov 14th
- Shane Sanders Nov 14th
- Kirk Castle Nov 14th
- Super Beast Nov 15th
- Killer Cross Nov 15th
- Armin Syzlack Nov 15th
- Killer Cross Nov 15th
- Sean Pearl Nov 15th
- Brieanna Bringle Nov 16th
- Chase Bristow Nov 17th
- Brent Wall Nov 17th
- Kikutaro Nov 17th
- Kenny K Nov 17th
- Josh Hogan Nov 17th
- Drake Gallows Nov 17th
- Johnny Weaver Nov 17th
- Johnny Graves Nov 17th
- Snowman Nov 17th
- Chris Russo Nov 18th
- Everett Kibbons Nov 18th
- Reaper Nov 18th
- Ricky Gibson Nov 19th
- Turnbuckle Tim Nov 19th
Current Champions
Unified Wrestling of Oklahoma
Heavyweight Champion
Malik Mayfield
- Women's Champion: Shylynn
- Dojo Division Champion: Cole Lung