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Wrestling legend Terry Funk gave Ted DiBiase Sr. an important piece of advice before he agreed to work for WWE again in 1987.
DiBiase previously wrestled for WWE, then known as WWWF/WWF, in 1979. He went on to perform for several promotions in the 1980s, including All Japan Pro Wrestling and Mid-South Wrestling.
In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, DiBiase recalled how former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon expressed an interest in hiring him. Unsure what to do, he contacted Funk to hear his opinion:
“The one person that I always went to when I had a question about the business was Terry Funk,” DiBiase said. “I called Terry, I told him about my conversation with Vince, and he said, ‘Teddy if Vince McMahon has an idea and says it’s tailormade for you, pack your bag and don’t look back. Go!’ And so I called Vince and said, ‘I’m your guy.’” [4:08-4:30]
Watch the video above to find out DiBiase’s thoughts on Vince McMahon’s recent retirement.
What happened when Ted DiBiase Sr. met Vince McMahon to work for WWE?
While some on-screen personas are created by wrestlers themselves, Vince McMahon has also had a hand in coming up with ideas for wrestling gimmicks.
Ted DiBiase wanted to know more information about the direction of his character after signing for WWE. However, McMahon made him wait until they spoke in person to disclose details of his pitch:
“I said, ‘So what is it?’” DiBiase continued. “He goes, ‘No, I’m not gonna tell you on the phone. I wanna fly you and your wife both up here.’ So, he flies us both to New York, limousine to Stamford, they entertain my wife, so Vince kinda laid it out there. He said, ‘The one thing that everybody hates is someone who bullies people with their wealth. They just flaunt their wealth. Like most bullies, they talk real big but in reality, most of them are cowards.’ I said, ‘Yeah, my dad always told me that.’” [4:31-5:10]
DiBiase had no problem portraying the character, which ultimately became one of the most successful WWE gimmicks of the late 1980s:
“He [Vince McMahon] said, ‘That’s the essence of this [character], and you’re that type of heel,’” DiBiase added. “What we in the business call, excuse the expression, chickens**t heel. ‘You talk real big, you can wrestle, but you cheat all the time. This character, we haven’t named him, but you’re gonna have all this money, you’re gonna throw your money around. We’re gonna do some vignettes before people ever see you in the ring.’” [5:11-5:42]
After hearing the idea, DiBiase said it sounded like McMahon wanted him to be “a million dollar man.” The former WWE Chairman agreed and decided to use that phrase as the character’s nickname.
Did you enjoy The Million Dollar Man gimmick? Let us know in the comments section.
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