by Ted DiBiase
I continued to wrestle as a heel and had started a grudge with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. In early 1985 we entered into a very hot angle coined the Best Dressed Man in the South feud. We had a contest to see who the fans thought looked better in a tuxedo. I cut promo after promo where I degraded Jim by calling him, among other things, a slob. When it came to the actual showdown on TV, I lost the contest.
The fans overwhelmingly cheered for Duggan. I didn’t agree with the results. So with the cameras following me, I headed out to the parking lot to argue with the guys in the TV truck. After degrading all of them, I headed back to the arena. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jim’s car. I took the baseball bat that I had been carrying to protect myself and smashed the windshield. My intention was to smash only the windshield. But for whatever reason, it didn’t shatter the way I expected. So I began to smash the headlights and windows. The cameras were rolling the entire time and it made great TV.
JIM DUGGAN:
I probably worked with Teddy more than any other guy in the business. We wrestled in Georgia, Mid-South, and even World Wrestling Federation. In March of 1988, Teddy and I wrestled against each other at WrestleMania IV in Atlantic City. Virgil and Andre the Giant were in his corner. After Andre interfered—breaking a few of my ribs with his big hand—Teddy stole the win from me at WrestleMania.
In one of my favorite interviews that I used to give, I’d rib Teddy, saying, “DiBiase may be the greatest technical wrestler in the sport today, but he can’t fight a lick.”
In all seriousness, Teddy is a true friend and was a great wrestler. As a second-generation wrestler, he was very polished in the ring. He was a good-looking young guy and worked very hard in the ring.
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan is one of my good friends. Along with “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, he was one of the strongest men in the business. He wasn’t a great technical wrestler, but he had energy, personality, and character, which made him one of the best workers in the history of our business. Jim and I were good friends and we shared lots of good times on the road. We also had some great matches. I will never forget our angle in Tulsa.
Jim is a man’s man and strong as a bull. But I never met anyone so afraid to blade. For a period of weeks working the Best Dressed Man angle, Jim kept guzzling me. Not only would he not sell for me, but he wouldn’t draw color. Bill Watts and I finally smartened him up. In the next match, I told Jim that I was going to throw him into the ringpost and that he should blade when he hit. Jim hit the post, and there was hardly any color. I told him to do it again. That pattern repeated for what seemed like five minutes. Finally Jim asked, “Hey, what’s going on?” I just laughed.
Jim and I wrestled in what I call the mother of all gimmick matches. It was a Loser Leaves Town match, inside a ten-foot steel cage, with us dressed in tuxedos and a loaded coal miner’s glove attached to a twelve-foot pole. Back then, there was no Internet to advertise the results of a show. We ran the match throughout the entire territory, starting at the Superdome in New Orleans. About twenty thousand fans witnessed Jim Duggan beat me. After that, I wasn’t able to return to Bourbon Street for about three months.
Later, I teamed with Steve “Dr. Death” Williams. Bill Watts thought it would be good if I took Doc under my wing. We became a heck of a tag team. We worked with every tag team in the territory, including Hector and Chavo Guerrero and the Rock ’n’ Roll Express. In fact, in 1985 we were voted the Tag Team of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. We had good chemistry. He always wanted to learn in order to get better. He was probably the strongest guy I had ever been with in the wrestling ring, other than Andre the Giant. He was naturally strong and I really don’t think he knew his own strength.
Doc was an All-American in both football and wrestling at the University of Oklahoma. He went on to work in every major wrestling promotion in the United States, as well as New Japan and All-Japan. Even though he was a Sooner, and I’m a huge Cornhusker fan, we were the best of friends.
One Saturday afternoon, Doc took me to an OU game. We had a great time and I met a lot of the coaches and players. After the game, we had to leave Norman for the evening matches in Tulsa. It was about a one-hundred-twenty-five-mile drive and the traffic was at a standstill. Doc had a van and it was loaded with beer. After not moving for about ten minutes, Doc looked over at me with this childish grin. He then floored it and headed down a oneway road that had been blocked off for traffic control. A university police officer blew his whistle for us to stop. He even hit the side of the van with his hand. But what could he do? There were way too many people and there was too much going on.
About fifteen miles down the road, two guys in a sports car were preventing Doc from passing on the two-lane highway. As Doc tried to go around them, they sped up, preventing us from passing. This continued for about ten minutes, pissing both of us off. We could see the guys’ facial expressions. They thought it was funny. They weren’t about to let two guys in a van pass them. Doc finally took an opportunity and passed them on the median. With that childish grin that only Doc has, he looked over at me and said, “Put your seat belt on, I am going to teach these guys a lesson. They’ll either stop or smash the rear of my van.” Doc slammed on the brakes and the guys stopped just inches from the van. We both pulled over and they got out like they were going to kick our butts. Then Doc and I got out of the van, and the two nerds quickly ran back into their car and locked the doors. Doc began cursing them out. I just stood on the passenger’s side with my arms crossed. They sat there scared to death. Right as we were walking away, Doc slammed his arms on the roof of their car, leaving an indentation shaped like a birdbath. The guys never said a word.
To this day, Doc and I speak on a regular basis. He is a born-again Christian. I hope that I had some influence on him changing his life for the better. He is also a throat cancer survivor, and he attributes his survival to the grace of God. He has a hole in his throat and relies on a stoma—a surgically created opening in his throat that allows him to speak. Doc is committed to giving his testimony to people from the wrestling ring.
“DR. DEATH” STEVE WILLIAMS:
When Ted came back into the territory, Bill told me to watch him real closely. I was to study how he conducted himself as a professional both in and outside the ring. Bill was right. Ted was not only one of the classiest guys I had ever met, but he was one of the best ring technicians. Ted taught me so much about the wrestling business and life in general.
We had many great times on the road, from the football games to racing throughout the territory in our new Nissan 300ZXs. Ted became a close friend. Even to this day, we remain the best of friends. He was a big influence on me with respect to my salvation and I deeply appreciate everything that Ted has done for me.
In late 1985, Ric Flair came to the territory to defend the NWA world heavyweight title. I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to go against Ric for the title. Prior to the start of the match, with Ric and me both in the ring, Dick Murdoch came to the ring. He was still one of the most hated wrestlers around. On TV, he got on the microphone and said, “Look, Teddy. You and I go way back. You aren’t ready for this match. Tonight is my night. So just step aside.”
“Look, Dick, nothing personal. But there is no way that I am going to pass up this opportunity.” Dick responded by hitting me square in the face and tossed me outside the ring. He threw me into the steel ringpost and busted me open.
I came into the ring with a bandaged and bloody head. I wouldn’t be
Taking on Ric Flair for the NWA title.
deterred from my title shot. The fans saw this as a heroic effort and cheered me on. Flair and I wrestled for what seemed like an hour. It was a great match, and Flair was a tremendous worker. As I set up Flair for the figure-four, he kicked me off; I took a bump over the top rope and landed on the outside concrete floor. Dick came back down to ringside to help me, but he quickly changed his mind and gave me a Brain Buster on the concrete floor. I was counted out and
Flair retained his title. The injury allowed me four weeks of work in Japan. When I returned, I fought Dick throughout the territory and I became one of the most popular wrestlers in Mid-South.
TERRY TAYLOR:
Bill Watts was not afraid to work his talent to death—sometimes three times a day. One New Year’s Eve, we worked in the afternoon and early evening, and did a late-night show that was to end right before midnight. There was also a big New Year’s Eve party scheduled afterward at the show for everybody who paid to watch the wrestling event. There was a live band, food, drinks, et cetera. The show ended about eleven-thirty.
As the clock approached midnight, the band called all the wrestlers back into the ring. We were all dancing, drinking, singing, and having a great time bringing in the New Year. After a while, Teddy said, “I’m going to the bathroom and then grab a bite to eat.”
I asked, “What room are you in?”
He said, “Twelve forty-one, why?”
“Nothing, maybe I will come up later.”
So Teddy heads to the bathroom. I am still in the ring, singing with the band. The band decided to take a ten-minute break. So I got on the microphone and said to the crowd, “Do you guys want this party to end?”
“No!”
“You want to stay up all night and party?”
“Yeah!”
“Well, in room 1241, I have two kegs of beer and everybody is invited!” About a half hour later, the party ended.
Teddy and I took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. I got out first to see if anybody went up; there was a line all the way from the elevator, down the hallway, and back over to room 1241. Teddy asked, “What are all these people doing here?”
I coyly replied, “I don’t know.” When Teddy went to get in his room, the people tried to go in with him. They thought he was kidding when he said there was no beer in the room.
During my three-year stint with Mid-South, I was making wrestling trips to and from Japan. I was probably going to Japan two or three times a year. I was making a name for myself overseas and Giant Baba really took care of me. I was also getting a major push. Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen were the hottest tag team in All-Japan. Stan was also the most popular foreign wrestler in all of Japan. Bruiser decided to work for a rival promotion, New Japan. It created an opening, so Stan asked me to be his partner. It was a privilege for Stan to ask me, and of course, I agreed to work with him.
Mid-South started to change. In an effort to compete with World Wrestling Federation, Bill Watts officially changed the name of the Mid-South promotion to the Universal Wrestling Federation. Although business was doing well, it wasn’t doing as well as World Wrestling Federation. Vince McMahon had transformed the wrestling industry. He made many changes geared to attract a family audience: making wrestling less violent, taking away the blood and gore, and introducing more cartoonlike wrestling characters. Unfortunately, Bill had started too late and didn’t have the financial support to compete with Vince. He later sold the company to Jim Crockett Promotions.
Vince had been recruiting talent from the various territories. I initially felt that Vince was destroying the sport by the way he cherry-picked talent. And Vince had the audacity to run his shows in our territory. But deep down, I knew that he was a marketing mastermind and that the wrestling landscape was changing. Vince had created WrestleMania—wrestling’s Super Bowl—and with 93,000 people in attendance for WrestleMania III, I knew it was only a matter of time before the territorial system would dissipate. Guys like Terry Funk had predicted it years ago. So when Paul Orndorff, Jim Duggan, and the Junkyard Dog left to go to New York, I sensed that maybe it was time for me to get on board.
12
THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN
A few days after I started wrestling in Japan, the folks at the All-Japan office told me that Bruce Prichard had called me a few times and that I needed to contact him as soon as possible. Once I made contact, Bruce said, “Ted, whatever you do, please don’t sign a contract with Crockett until you have a chance to talk to Vince McMahon. He is more than interested in you.” I took Bruce’s advice and told him that I wouldn’t do anything until the tour was over in about three weeks.
I got home from Japan in early May of 1987. I kept waiting for the phone to ring. About four days went by and I hadn’t heard a word from anyone. I started thinking that maybe the deal with World Wrestling Federation had fallen through. I was outside on the deck, thinking, when Melanie told me that Vince McMahon was on the phone. I was excited as I got on the phone with him. After we exchanged pleasantries, he said, “Ted, I am very interested in you coming to work for World Wrestling Federation. As a matter of fact, we have an idea for a new character. You and I both know that everything has been done and redone in wrestling. But this is something that is original and has never been done before. We think you fit the bill for the job.”
“That’s great, but what is it?”
“No, no. I’m not going to tell you over the phone. I want you to fly up here and we will talk face-to-face. I’ll have a prepaid ticket waiting for you at the Jackson airport and there will be a limousine waiting for you at the airport in New York.” The next thing I knew, I was flying first-class to New York. I was then chauffeured in a stretch limousine to the World Wrestling Federation headquarters in Stamford.
The limo pulled into the headquarters’ parking lot. By the look of the building, I knew that the company was very successful. As I walked in, I noticed how perfectly decorated it was, and all the staff treated me with the utmost professionalism. I was taken to Vince’s office, where I was met by Vince and Pat Patterson. Pat was Vince’s right-hand man. He was a great wrestler and had been in the business for years. He knew what he was doing, which is why he was Vince’s top consultant. I had known Pat from my first run in World Wrestling Federation, and we got along real well.
For an hour, Vince told me about his vision for the future of professional wrestling. Then Vince said he had this idea for an unprecedented character and he wanted me to be the talent for it. He praised my wrestling skills and ability to speak on the microphone. He also believed that the manner in which I conducted myself outside the ring was an added bonus. “I am completely convinced that you would be perfect for the role.”
“Great! What is this new character?”
“I can’t tell you what it is until you say yes and sign with us,” Vince said. “Until you agree, I am not going to take the chance of giving away a great idea and have it show up somewhere else.”
I told Vince that I appreciated him flying me up there and I was about 90 percent sure that I was on board. I just needed some time to talk it over with my wife. He understood.
Vince had to leave to take an important phone call. Pat Patterson then looked at me and said, “Ted, let me tell you this. This isn’t just an idea that somebody came up with. This is Vince’s idea. If Vince was going to put the tights on and become a wrestler, this is the character that he would be. So, all I want you to know is that because it is his idea, he is going to do everything he can to make sure it gets over.” I trusted Pat, so I knew this was a great opportunity.
PAT PATTERSON:
During some downtime, I was alone with Teddy. I said, “For Christ sake, Teddy, you have to take that opportunity. I don’t know what this new character could be. But if it is Vince’s baby, then you know he is going to go all the way with it. He is going to do whatever it takes to make it work.”
When Vince came back in, he asked me how much money Crockett had offered me. I told him the truth. Vince honestly said, “Ted, I am not going to promise you a specific dollar amount. But I can promise that you will make more money than you have ever made in your life.”
When I got back home, I told Melanie about the offer. Immediately, I called my mentor, Terry Funk. Terry was not only an amazing talent but he had a clear understanding of the future of professional wrestling. I remembered him telling me back in college that there would come a time in the business when wrestle
rs would travel the world and perform in front of large crowds just like rock stars. So I told him about Vince’s offer.
TERRY FUNK:
I told Teddy, “If Vince McMahon has an idea, pack your bags, go to New York City, and don’t look back.” It was the right time for him to make the move. I knew where the business was heading (and still do), and believe me, wrestling was changing. There were approximately thirty-six to thirty-nine territorial promotions. Although Bill Watts was doing well, it was only a matter of time before World Wrestling Federation would dominate the sport. Vince had the energy and the money, and was in the right geographical location. And now with national television, it spelled the end for the regional promotions.
A couple of days later I called Vince. “Vince, I’ve had some time to think about the offer and even ran it by a couple of people whom I respect and trust. I want to let you know that I am your guy and I am coming to work for you in World Wrestling Federation!”
“That is great.”
“So now can you tell me the idea?” I asked.
Vince chuckled. “No, I don’t want to talk to you about it over the phone. I will send two first-class plane tickets in the mail for you and your wife. I want you to spend the weekend in New York.”
After I hung up with Vince, I immediately called Jim Crockett. I never really liked Jim. It goes back to when I wrestled for Sam Muchnick in St. Louis and Jim was there watching. He was arrogant and had this aura about him. It seemed that just because he was this big-time promoter, everybody had to kiss his butt. It made my call to him all the sweeter. “Jim, I have some bad news for you. I am not signing the deal. I have accepted an offer to work for Vince McMahon. He made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse and I think it is going to be the biggest break in my career. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
