WWE Hall of Famer ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase was the most recent guest on the ‘Ross Report’ podcast with Jim Ross, which you can listen to the entire interview at this link. Below are a few of the highlights from the podcast:
On His Life After Professional Wrestling:
It’s funny how some things happen. I remember when I was actually, about two years ago, I was in Scotland and was over there, became good friends with someone who has his own independent company, which I helped him get more talent. I went over there like 4 years in a row in August. I remember when we were in Glasgow, Scotland. We were driving on the highway and I look over to see a billboard of “Jim Ross,” and I was wondering what Jim was doing there, but remember how you would do the traveling and I also heard about Mick [Foley]. Actually, during WrestleMania week, Jake [Roberts] said, why don’t you come by and make a special appearance for me, so I got to see Jake do his standup. For me, I was wondering if I would be able to do this. Well, Jan Murphy, who is a Canadian journalist who WWE uses, last November he asked me to come up to make an appearance at an indy show for a charity. My non-profit organization, we raise money for disadvantaged kids who come from poor neighborhoods and broken families. That was around my wheelhouse and gave him a break on my price and told him to give the rest to charity, he said, you know, have you thought about doing one of those shows that Jim Duggan does and others have done and I said, well, I have thought about it. I’m not a comedian, there are some people who think I am, he said, it’s not really that. How many funny stories do you know from your career? I said, oh my gosh. Then he said, that is it, tell those stories and give fans the opportunity to ask some questions and that’s just it. Wrestling fans want to see behind the curtains which are what it is. I think the first night I did this for them was in Ottowa, which went over huge. He then asked me how I would like to do a tour? So, his buddy, his name is Ryan, who is a comic and knows everybody. They set up this tour, I did 8 days, 8 towns and almost every show we were packed out. In Toronto we did the show first and then did the meet & greet afterward. Montreal was looking great, then the Montreal Canadians were in the playoffs. Not a single Canadian team was in the playoffs, so that kind of hurt our Montreal crowd, but other than that we had a great tour, then we will do more. In early May and within the few weeks of June, and have already put me in contact with a fellow in Ireland. My gosh Jim, I haven’t been to Ireland since they I’ve put the tights on. They have another contact in Australia, it’s like a whole new gig. I’m having a blast, having fun doing it.
On Wrestlers Not Selling Like They Did When He Was Performing:
That was one of the things, like when you go to Japan, the thing that got us over, it’s just a Japanese culture thing where you don’t show weakness. You’re not tough or not masculine if you’re showing weakness. You have a guy like Terry Funk, who sells when they get to see a guy that sells it gets them over, but they just don’t get that, which I agree that they don’t sell. I know WWE is publically traded now, so I don’t know if there are restrictions, but there aren’t any real heels. When people come up to me all the time, but I have people come up to me all the time and tell me, please don’t be offended but I hated your guts. I laugh all the time and tell them— thank you, that is the greatest compliment that I can receive because that was my job, to hate my guts and want to see me get my butt kicked. There aren’t any—guess the person closest in my book, I think Bray Wyatt, Mike [Rotunda]’s kid, who comes across as genuine as we can get.
On Being Able to Have a Good Match Without All the High Spots in A Match:
I remember back right back towards the end of the Mid-South days, Bill [Watts] was noticing how the guys were doing so many more high spots, so he took me and Terry Gordy and we went around the loop. He told us that he wanted us to go 55 minutes each night and then give them a finish. He said we are going to screw all the smart marks who believe it’s going to be a draw and then give them a wow finish. He said that I want all the boys to see that it still works. In other words, you can’t do all that bouncing around in a 55-minute match and did it for that sole purpose. He wanted them to watch the matches and to show that it still works, and it does if you have the time you let it.
His Impressions on Brock Lesnar:
No, I agree with you, Jim. I thought it was done well. I don’t know Brock [Lesnar] personally that well, I don’t know that much about him, but I remember for that short time that I went back and was part of the Developmental team. I remember watching a tape of Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle doing an hour Broadway, what do they call that now? Iron-Man Match. I’m watching this match, and I know about their amateur background. I also know how little they had been in the business and I was extremely impressed with the match they had.
