JBL said there is roughly a 40% chance that Ted DiBiase Jr. returns to WWE following his acquittal on all 13 federal charges, calling it “slightly under a coin flip” but noting that a Legacy reunion with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton could make for compelling television, speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast with Conrad Thompson.
A Mississippi jury acquitted DiBiase Jr. on all charges related to the misappropriation of state welfare funds. His brother Brett had previously taken a plea deal for five years in prison, and a co-conspirator in the case received 32 years at the state level.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” JBL said. “I love Ted. I love Ted Jr. Those are good dudes. Those are good people.”
JBL criticized what he described as a one-sided public narrative driven by the government’s charges. “The government charged them, and then the jury said that the government had no case, that they’re not guilty,” JBL said. “But the problem is, you only have one person speaking here, so you have the government speaking, and people just take their word for it. I talked with Ted about it many times. Ted had told me his version of the story, and that version the jury believed to be true.”
When asked about the odds of a WWE return, JBL said: “I think around 40%. Slightly under a coin flip. I don’t think it probably happens, but I think there’s a chance it could. I think there’s kind of a groundswell. I think Ted would get a huge babyface reaction coming out, having been acquitted of all charges.”
Conrad Thompson pointed out that DiBiase Jr. was a member of the Legacy faction alongside Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, who are main eventing WrestleMania 42 this year. DiBiase Jr. has not competed in WWE since 2013.
JBL said the storyline potential extends beyond just DiBiase Jr. “Ted DiBiase Senior was such a big character in WWE, that laugh, the million dollar laugh,” JBL said. “There was this black cloud kind of hanging over them, and now that black cloud has been lifted. It might be a good chance to do something with him, and maybe with Junior. I think it could be a pretty good TV segment. They’ve got 10 hours a week they’ve got to fill. There’s places to do this, if they choose to.”
DiBiase Jr. released a statement on social media after the verdict: “A Mississippi jury has acquitted me on all charges. I’m forever indebted to nationally recognized trial lawyer Eric Hirschman, who guided my overall defense strategy and stepped in to masterfully cross examine the government’s star witness.”
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