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3. Ted Dibiase
In the late eighties, Vince McMahon had an idea for a character - one he envisioned as "The Million Dollar Man."
Not only would this character be pushed heavily in front of the camera, but he would truly live the gimmick off camera as well: limos, first class airfare, a limitless traveling budget, all the amenities one would expect from someone worthy of the Million Dollar Man moniker.
The person chosen for this once in a lifetime opportunity was Ted Dibiase. Not only did Dibiase take the proverbial ball and run with it, but you would be hard pressed to imagine anyone else performing the role so well. The character got over with fans in a big way, quickly putting Dibiase in the main event picture by the start of 1988.
However, the WWF Championship always eluded him. Andre the Giant did try to “sell” the WWF Title to Dibiase after beating Hulk Hogan on The Main Event (see earlier in the feature). Also, confirmed in recent years by Dibiase himself, there was apparently an understanding that Dibiase would win the WWF Championship at the end of WrestleMania IV. Obviously, the trigger was never pulled on a WWF Championship run for the Million Dollar Man.
In hindsight, while being the WWF Champion certainly would have fit the character, it in no way diminished it by not winning it. Dibiase was still a mainstay in the main event scene throughout 1988, and was a top heel character for the company until his in-ring retirement in 1993.
Plus, when we couldn’t get his hands on the WWF Championship, he did what any millionaire would do and made his own championship belt! Creating the Million Dollar Championship may have been an even better fit for his persona than winning the WWF Championship could have been. The Million Dollar Man’s value was certainly not minimized by not winning the company’s top prize.
There was a certain charm that Dibiase was blessed with that helped him gain a massive fanbase despite his anti-hero persona.
