Ted DiBiase

Theodore Marvin Dibiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator.

He is signed to WWE as of 2023, where he works in their Legends program.

Dibiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career.

He is best recalled by mainstream audiences for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he wrestled as "the Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase.

He has been named as one of the best technical wrestlers, and greatest villains, in pro wrestling history.

He made his professional wrestling debut as a referee in June 1974 in the Amarillo territory owned by the Funks.

He then went to the Mid-South territory of Bill Watts being promoted as the son of Iron Mike in 1975 where he wrestled for four years.

His first match was a loss against Danny Hodge.

By February 1978, Dibiase would unseat Dick Slater to become Missouri State champion only to lose to Dick Murdoch after a few weeks on television.

In the beginning of 1979, Dibiase came to Vince McMahon Sr.'s World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation.

On February 13, 1979, the WWWF North American Heavyweight Championship was created, and Ted Dibiase would be awarded the WWWF North American Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first champion.

In March 1979, the WWWF was renamed as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

The newly established championship would be renamed the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship shortly after the company's name change.

On June 19, 1979, Dibiase would go onto lose the North American Championship to Pat Patterson.

He was Hulk Hogan's opponent in Hogan's first Madison Square Garden match.

Dibiase also spent time in the Georgia area where he had an early face run.

One legendary angle had Dibiase enduring four piledrivers (one on the concrete floor and three in the ring) administered in the WTBS studio arena by The Fabulous Freebirds before his tag team partner, Tommy "Wildfire" Rich, threw in the towel (the angle of Dibiase being badly injured was so real the TBS studio audience could be seen crying).

Rich and Dibiase later feuded, leading to a loser leaves town match which Dibiase won, but instead of Rich leaving the area, he donned a mask calling himself "Mister R."

The feud culminated in a match between Mister R and Dibiase, Rich appeared from backstage and distracted Dibiase.

Mister R then rolled up Dibiase to get the win and unmasked as Brad Armstrong.

Both Dibiase and Rich left the territory shortly thereafter.

In the early to mid-1980s, Dibiase participated in angles in various territories feuding with the likes of Ric Flair best known from this point in his Mid South return with the likes of Bob Roop, Paul Orndorff, Dick Murdoch, The Fabulous Freebirds and One Man Gang.

Dibiase turned heel against the Junkyard Dog and formed a group called The Rat Pack with Jim Duggan and Matt Borne, ran Mid-south for months.

Aligning with Skandor Akbar, Dibiase caused a riff with the group, namely Duggan.

The two would feud until Dibiase lost a loser leaves town match.

He also held various championships and made frequent trips to All Japan Pro Wrestling until his eventual departure from Mid-South Wrestling (which by this point was now the UWF).

Among other accolades in the WWF/E, Dibiase was the first WWF North American Heavyweight Champion, a three-time WWF Tag Team Champion (with Irwin R. Schyster), a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion, and winner of the 1988 King of the Ring tournament.

Dibiase also awarded himself the Million Dollar Championship, which was held by various associated wrestlers including Dibiase's onscreen proteges, Stone Cold Steve Austin and LA Knight.

Dibiase headlined multiple WWF cards, including WrestleMania IV and the first-ever SummerSlam in 1988.

Dibiase is a member of several professional wrestling halls of fame: he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame upon its inception in 1996, and headlined the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

Dibiase was born Theodore Marvin Willis in Omaha, Nebraska.

He is the biological son of wrestler Helen Nevins and Ted Wills, an entertainer and singer.

He is the adopted son of wrestler "Iron" Mike Dibiase, who married his mother when he was 4 years old.

His adoptive father Mike died of a heart attack in the ring when Dibiase was 15.

Seven-time NWA World champion Harley Race rushed to the ring and performed CPR, but was unable to save Iron Mike's life.

In response, his mother suffered from depression and alcoholism, so Dibiase was moved to Willcox, Arizona, to live with his grandparents.

He attended Creighton Preparatory high school in Omaha, Nebraska and attended West Texas State University on a football scholarship.

While there he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

However, due to an injury in his senior year, he later dropped out of college to begin a career in professional wrestling.

Ted Dibiase was trained by Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk.