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Ted DiBiase: Phoenix 2010

Posted: Apr 7th 2009 By: CMBurnham

Standing side-by-side, two legends of pro wrestling, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Sgt. Slaughter fielded questions before the THQ Superstar Video Game Challenge at Reliant Center.

The legends are appreciative and respectful.

''It's an honor to see some of your moves named after you in a video game,'' said Slaughter, referring to the new THQ offering WWE Legends of WrestleMania.

When together, the legends are also funny.

DiBiase quickly replied to Slaughter's comment: ``I hope you're not referring to the fact that the Cobra Clutch got renamed The Million Dollar Dream.''

The move is the same, but the legend is different.

Slaughter is a deserving WWE Hall of Famer, inducted in 2004 by Pat Patterson, another WWE Hall of Famer. People take for granted DiBiase already as a WWE Hall of Famer. He did induct Sensational Sherri Martel in 2006, but he has not received that honor, an honor symbolic of him.

Like he said in his autobiography The Million Dollar Man, DiBiase, 55, put the match,the fans, the business before himself. He did not politic for a world title and said in an interview that if he did politic, he probably would have been a world champ. He was that good, and everyone knew it.

Backstage politicking is part of pro wrestling/sports entertainment but not part of DiBiase. He is a proud man, one of the best workers in history.

So why not.

DiBiase for WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

WrestleMania 26 is in Phoenix.

? DiBiase's defining moments

``The defining moment for my career, I would say there were a couple. One was the first big main event in my life against Harley Race when he was NWA world champion at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, before the WWF got so big.

``If you went to St. Louis back then and you got over, then everybody in the country find out about you. That was my send-off. I went from there to New York for the first time.''

Race -- a WWE Hall of Famer, a tough combatant (one of the best ever) and a friend of DiBiase's father -- really helped Ted throughout his career.

``Another defining moment for me, I think, would be shortly after The Million Dollar Man came onto the scene, the first nationally televised network show Saturday Night Main Event, twin referees, to set-up WrestleMania IV, although I didn't wrestle that night.''

Remember: WWF champ Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant. Fans learned WWF referee Earl Hebner had a twin, Dave, who duped Hogan of the title. DiBiase paid Andre to win him the championship, and after the surprising referee twist, Andre presented the belt to DiBiase.

? More Harley Race talk

''Ted and I had the privilege and honor to wrestle a lot with Harley Race,'' Slaughter said. `To me, he was the greatest ring general of all-time. Ted and I along with Harley did a lot of hour matches. For something like that to happen today, I don't know if the talent could hold the audience that long, but there are a couple out there I would like see try.

``We were talking about that on the ride over here. One of the first tests we had doing an hour match -- outside doing it with somebody who had been around longer than us -- was when we wrestled each other in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

``Another time Paul Orndorf and I, we were good guys wrestling for Mid-South Wrestling in Jackson, Mississippi, and [Promoter] Bill Watts [a 2009 WWE Hall of Famer] said I want you guys to go an hour tonight. We looked at each other. Up and until that point, I had done hour matches, but it was with a veteran. Now it was our show and another notch in the belt.''

? DiBiase has plenty of interest in today's wrestling/sports entertainment product, especially since his son Ted Jr. is a WWE star, competing with Ace Bob Orton's son, Randy and Dusty Rhodes' son, Cody, in the Legacy, featured on Monday Night Raw (9 p.m. USA Network).

``I'm extremely proud of my son. I have a younger son, Bret, who is in the developmental program at FCW [in Tampa]. I told them both you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Because of the name I have, I'm considered a legend in the business, whether the fans realize it or not, it's going to be harder for you to make it than anybody else. The expectations go up.

``The fact WWE gave me the opportunity to introduce [Ted Jr.] was pretty cool. I don't know if you remember that. When he was in front of the camera talking, I was standing behind him beaming. I was really beaming because he nailed it. I thought he did a really good job.

``Often times a father can be biased, but I try to be as level headed as I can. From what everybody has told me, all the way to the top, he has an incredible future ahead of him.

``I'm really proud of him. Big brother has set a high mark for little brother. It will be interesting to see what happens.''

? Discussing some old school workers

``The guys who really shaped me as a performer in wrestling. Terry Funk. A lot of people see the crazy, wild Terry Funk. They don't realize Terry Funk was one of the greatest workers to ever put on a pair of tights.

``Another guy who was a tremendous wrestler was Dick Murdoch. A lot of guys said the only reason Dick Murdoch never became world champion was because he was more interested in entertaining the boys than the crowd.

``Harley Race had a tremendous impact on my career.

``Two guys, to this day, who had some of the greatest wrestling matches, classic old school wrestling matches, were Jack Brisco and Dory Funk Jr. When I was in college at West Texas State, there where many times when those guys wrestled matches. As far as a technician, that's somebody who could do just about anything, that would be Harley.''

? Working in WWE

'People ask me when you were in your prime in WWF, who did you enjoy working with, and I say, `Hulk Hogan.' They'd say, 'Why?' I'd say, 'Because that's who I made the most money with.' I am The Million Dollar Man.

``In my career in WWE, of course, I always enjoyed working with Terry [Hulk Hogan]. It was a thrill. Because he was so over, it was electric every time. It made it easier. I had tremendous matches with Jake Roberts. Despite all his problems, Jake was a tremendous wrestler.

'Another guy was Bret Hart. The first time Bret and I ever wrestled, we did a match taped in Odessa, Texas. It was for Coliseum video. We had never touched ever. When we came out of the ring after a 20-minute match, Pat Patterson said, `Man, you guys must had been working a lot together. Huh.' We looked at each other and laughed. We said, 'Pat, that's the first time we'd ever touched.' He couldn't believe it. I said, 'Second generation.' We grew up in it. We had that respect and worked the same styles.''

? Peers, fans and family respect DiBiase. He may have been overlooked when it came time to deem someone a world champion, but don't do the same when selecting WWE Hall of Famers in 2010.

Tags: Ted DiBiase, Sgt. Slaughter, WWE, NWA, WWF, Andre the Giant, Paul Orndorff, MSW, Bill Watts, Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, Jake Roberts