Ted DiBiase
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Everybody's got a price |
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"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was one of the premier Heels in the "federation years" of the WWE. Now retired, he was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2010, and has since been keeping a watchful eye over his son Ted DiBiase Jr. in his WWE run.
As usual, That Other Wiki has a more detailed run-down of his career.
Ted DiBiase provides examples of the following tropes:
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: He once attempted to purchase the WWF Championship off of Hulk Hogan. One "Rewriting the Book" article on Wrestlecrap explores What Could Have Been if Hogan had taken the deal.
- Author Avatar: Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Man character was based on the type of wrestler WWE boss Vince McMahon wanted to be, so he arguably could be considered this. This was years before Vince himself would turn heel following the Montreal Screwjob and become the Big Bad we know today.
- Catch Phrase: "Everybody's got a price for the Million Dollar Man!"
- The Dog Bites Back: From his "servant," Virgil.
- Evil Laugh: And a damn good one, at that.
- Evilly Affable
- Finishing Move: The Million Dollar Dream submission hold.
- The Fundamentalist: Sort of. After he retired, he became a minister and frequently worked with Nikita Koloff on combined Christian/wrestling events.
- Heel: Probably one of the best-known characters of this archetype.
- It Runs in The Family: His father was also a wrestler, and his son, is also a wrestler.
- Both sons, actually.
- Kick the Dog: The Million Dollar Man would usually offer rewards to audience members by doing tasks they just couldn't do. He once offered $500 to a very small child to dribble a basketball 15 times without missing. The boy did surprisingly well... only for Ted to kick the ball out from under him at the fourteenth bounce.
- Laser-Guided Karma: He bought the #30 spot in the Royal Rumble from Akeem in order to have the best chance at winning. Along with that, he tried to buy off Big John Studd so he could win the whole thing. Studd didn't bite, making the Million Dollar Man the last man eliminated. In every subsequent Rumble match he participated in, DiBiase drew #1 in 1991, #2 in 1992, and #3 in 1993.
- Man of Wealth and Taste
- Money Song: His theme, obviously, which is also an Ear Worm.
- Power Stable: Money, Inc.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: Inverted, in that The Gimmick Writes Real Life: when Ted started working as the Million Dollar Man, the WWF needed him to play the role to the hilt to protect kayfabe, so it gave him a bankroll many guys probably would have killed to have just so he could do things like travel by private jet, ride around in limos, and stay in high-class hotels.
- Rich in Dollars, Poor In Sense: His son is turning into this.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Do we really have to explain this one?
- Averted in 1987. DiBiase paid Andre the Giant to win the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan for him, and detained referee Dave Hebner backstage while his brother Earl helped Andre win the title; Andre tried to surrender the belt to DiBiase, but the WWF refused to acknowledge Ted as the champion, and the title was declared vacant. (Andre's brief reign is still the shortest recognized WWE Championship reign in history.)
- Sharp-Dressed Man: His entrance attire was a tux, for crying out loud!
- Sobriquet: "The Million Dollar Man"!
- Start My Own: Since Ted literally couldn't buy a WWF Championship reign, he went out and had the "Million Dollar Championship" - a custom belt made of gold and diamonds - created just to prove he was the best.
- Eventually, he would bequeath the belt to Ted Jr. in 2010. The belt subsequently disappeared not long after that.
- Take That: Following victories, DiBiase would stuff $100 bills into his opponents' mouths.
- This is the kayfabe distinction between the Cobra Clutch and the Million Dollar Dream (they're the same hold, otherwise).
- Trickster Mentor: To his son,
probablymaybe. - What Could Have Been: DiBiase was actually scheduled to win the tournament and the title at Wrestlemania IV. During the buildup to the show, Randy Savage was scheduled to win the Intercontinental Title from The Honky Tonk Man, but Honky pulled a power play threatening to leave WWE as champion. WWE caved to Honky's demands and gave Savage the world title at Wrestlemania as one hell of a consolation prize. DiBiase never did become a world champion.
- Wrestling Family: Ted's mother Helen Nevins was a wrestler, as was his adoptive father "Iron" Mike [DiBiase], and his sons Mike, Ted Jr. and Brett have all become wrestlers, with Ted Jr. currently being signed to the WWE.
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Some might cost a little |
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