WWE Hall of Famer Ted Dibiase Sr. recently spoke with ESPN about his career. In the interview, Dibiase explained that in 1987, he knew that he needed to perform for the WWE (at the time WWF) and Vince McMahon.
“WrestleMania 3 takes place, and on the front page of the newspaper, it says ‘WrestleMania sets indoor world attendance record,’ and right there I said, ‘That’s it, if I am going to stay in this business and make a living, I am going to have to work for this company in the United States,'” DiBiase says.
DiBiase made it clear that he wanted to work for the WWE, so he was invited by McMahon to visit WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. In the meeting, Dibiase and McMahon discussed a potential idea for his character.
“He said ‘I got something for you,’” DiBiase said. “There have been so many things that have been done, but this has never been done, and just based on what I have seen from you, and your work, you can pull this off — you are articulate. And I go, ‘Awesome, what is it?'” DiBiase says. “And he goes, ‘Here is the deal — you have got to sign a contract with me before I tell you.’ And [McMahon] said, ‘Here is why.’ He says, ‘If I tell you, and you don’t sign, I have given away a great idea, and I can’t afford to do that.’ I’m like, ‘Wow,’ and I said ‘Okay, I got to have a little time to think about this.'”
In the spring of 1987, he and McMahon made a deal that would launch his status as a top wrestler in the country. However, McMahon called him one day and told Dibiase that he had an idea for his character but wouldn’t tell him what the character was over the phone, so Dibiase had to fly back to Stanford to find out what the character was.
“He said the one thing everybody hates is someone who by virtue of their wealth thinks they are better than everybody. You know, that cocky, arrogant, nose in the air, ‘I am better than you,’ looks down at people [kind of guy]. People like that are stuffy and think they can buy anybody and anything. I start chuckling and say, ‘I hate people like that myself,'” DiBiase says. “He said, ‘Now, we have not given this guy a name yet,’ and just off the cuff I said, ‘It sounds like a million-dollar man to me,’ and Vince goes ‘The Million Dollar Man he is.’ In an effort to market this character, we are going to try to the best of our ability to make the public believe you are this Million Dollar Man,” DiBiase says, recalling McMahon’s sentiments on building a believable back story. “‘Everywhere the public sees you they are going to see the appearance of wealth … and then the flash cash.’ “I said, ‘Flash cash?’ He said, ‘You know how annoying it is if you walk in a store, you just bought a pack of gum, you throw down a hundred-dollar bill, and they have to make change? I want you to do things like that. Go to a restaurant, have Virgil with you, and just get up and announce yourself, and say, “Folks, it is your lucky day. I am the Million Dollar Man from WWF, and I’m picking up your tab.” Have Virgil get everyone’s ticket, throw down some hundreds, have Virgil get the receipt, bring the receipt back to the office, we replenish it.’ I only did that a couple times.”
After WrestleMania 4, Dibiase spent the better part of 1988 as the tag team partner of Andre the Giant, who was a main eventer at the time. Dibiase explained that Andre was in physical pain at the time but never complained about it.
“Andre’s health was not good,” DiBiase says. “There were nights when we would go to the ring, and Andre has his hand on my shoulder, and to the public it just looks like well, ‘He is my buddy right?’ He is balancing. I am his crutch. He hated drugs, and so the way Andre sedated himself was the alcohol. Everybody says, ‘Well, he drank a lot.’ Well, he did drink a lot, but in all the years I knew him and was around him, I never saw him stagger or stutter, and I never saw him out of control. Ever. Not one time.”
Dibiase also talked about his speaking engagements and more. You can read the entire interview here.
