Ted DiBiase Page 18

  Although 1992 and 1993 were exciting years for me in wrestling, the grind of the schedule and lifestyle affected me personally. Being a champion and at the top of my game gave me fame and fortune. But it would end up being one of the worst times in my life. At the pinnacle of my success, I was personally out of control. I let all the notoriety and money go to my head. My life was wrestling, drinking, and women. In fact, after WrestleMania VIII, I partied all night long. I didn’t even sleep. That next morning, I took a limousine to the Detroit airport to begin our European tour. I called Melanie to check in. It was then that she confronted me about my infidelity.

  I had to face up and take a long, hard look at myself. Because of my indiscretions, I put in jeopardy everything that I worked my tail off for. I disrespected myself, my wife, and my family. It was time to take responsibility and drastically change my life.

  HAL SANTOS (friend and pastor):

  I have known Teddy for some thirty years and he is one of my best friends. But in March of 1992, I had to be more than his friend. As a pastor, Teddy called me and told me that he really messed up with Melanie. After Teddy confided in me, I hung up with him, telling him to call me back in about an hour. He was in Europe at the time. I then called Melanie. I guess she thought it was Ted calling, because she hung up on me. I finally got her to listen to me and we chatted. She was very hurt. Teddy called me back and I said, “Okay, Teddy. I spoke to Melanie. She is very hurt but agreed to meet with us at my house in Fairview Heights, Illinois, tomorrow. You need to come home so we can work on getting your marriage back together.” Ted was at my house the next evening.

  As we sat in the living room of my home I said to Ted, “Whatever you do, before you say anything, the Bible states that the truth will set you free. It doesn’t say it is painless. But it does guarantee that if you speak the truth, God will help you.” They started talking it through and started working it out. Their boys came to the house a few days later and they stayed about three weeks at my place. We even took a trip to Chicago with my youth group. It was at that time that Teddy made a commitment, with his wife and family, to Jesus Christ. After lots of counseling, prayer, trust, and time, Teddy and Melanie worked out all their problems.

  About three months before WrestleMania IX, I walked into Vince McMahon’s office and gave him my notice that I had planned to leave World Wrestling Federation. I really respected Vince and he had done so much for me and my career. But my faith wasn’t strong enough to keep me from being dragged back into my old ways. My marriage was at stake. After a lengthy conversation, Vince accepted my decision to leave and wished me the best of luck.

  My last match as a wrestler for World Wrestling Federation was at

  Razor trying to break my hold.

  SummerSlam in August of 1993. Since I was leaving to get my personal life back in order, I once again helped turn another heel into a babyface. So for the next few weeks I.R.S. and I had tag-team and single matches against Razor Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid. The program and my wrestling career with World Wrestling Federation ended in front of twenty-four thousand people at the Palace in Auburn Hills. It was there that Razor Ramon pinned me around the eight-minute mark.

  MIKE ROTUNDO (I.R.S.):

  Ted and I were working a program against the Natural Disasters (Typhoon & Earthquake). For some reason, Typhoon didn’t show up for the match. So I worked a singles match against Earthquake (John Tenta). The finish was supposed to have Ted come down and throw in my metal suitcase so I could use it to knock out Earthquake. I don’t know why, but Ted ended up coming in late. While Earthquake got ready to cover me for the pin, Ted was making his way down to the ring. Since Ted wasn’t close enough to stop the count, he just slung the metal briefcase into the ring, hitting the referee, Earl Hebner, in the head. The referee wasn’t completely knocked out cold, but after he disqualified me, he left the ring slightly loopy. After the match, the doctors had to tend to Earl.

  Ted and I always had a lot of fun and laughs on the road. One time, however, our enjoyment cost Ted some of his own money. After a show in upstate New York, Ted and I missed our exit off the freeway as we headed to our hotel. It was dark and there wasn’t anybody on the road. After a few miles, we saw a sign that showed the next exit was some thirty miles away. We didn’t see anyone on the road. Ted decided to make a U-turn. About a half mile down the road, we heard and saw the blue lights. A New York state trooper pulled us over and issued Ted a ticket.

  13

  COMMENTATOR AND MANAGER

  Avoiding the lifestyle I had embraced by wrestling in Japan seemed like a good idea. I hadn’t counted on injuring my neck. I had to be at home for at least three months, with nothing to do. I was concerned about my future, but I was very happy to be at home with my wife and kids. I was able to enjoy the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holidays with my family.

  All of my financial obligations were being met. Due to good investments and savings, I had a steady income. But it was nominal and I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to start working again. I was having fun. I was busy spending all my time with my three boys, Michael, seventeen, Teddy, twelve, and Brett, seven. They were growing up way too fast and I had lots of lost time to make up for.

  That Thanksgiving, our family spent a wonderful week with my in-laws on their ninety-acre wooded home right outside of Crystal Springs, Mississippi. My in-laws are fantastic people and my father-in-law was like a dad to my kids when I was on the road. The boys call him Pop. That weekend Pop, the boys, and I had a great time fishing and hunting. It was quite amazing to watch them teach me how to properly bait a hook and aim a rifle.

  I was sitting in a deer stand one early morning, and I was taken aback by the quietness of the woods. As I stared into the open sky, I became overwhelmed by the moment. The tranquillity brought forth a sense of inner peace. It made me realize that I needed to relax more often and stop to smell the roses. Ever since 1975, I had been going nonstop. The moment of reflection struck a chord and I realized I had missed out on way too much with my family.

  But after the holidays, I started getting antsy. I was enjoying the time off, but I just couldn’t do nothing. Because of my neck injury, I knew that my

  My three sons (from left to right): Teddy, Michael, and Brett.

  days in the ring were over. But I figured that I could do something else. I sat down with Melanie and kicked around a variety of ideas. The one thing that we agreed on was for me to pursue a career doing voice-over work. Like my biological father, Ted, I have a very deep, bass voice. People have told me for years that I would be good at providing voice-overs in radio and TV commercials. So I decided to go to Hollywood and pursue a career.

  While making all the arrangements, I decided to call my good friend who lives in Los Angeles, Rich Minzer. He worked in the corporate offices of Gold’s Gym. If anyone wanted to open a Gold’s Gym franchise, Rich was the contact person. He had lots of friends in the wrestling business and would come to many of the matches.

  I told Rich I was going out to L.A. to try my hand at voice-over work and was going to take some lessons. I also wanted to see if he would train me and help me get back into shape. While I was relaxing over the holidays, I had put on about twenty pounds. I didn’t go to the gym or watch what I was eating.

  I also called my biological father, Ted. I told him that I was coming into town, and he insisted that I stay with him. For years, I had unsuccessfully tried to get him to move to Mississippi. He had a nice one-bedroom apartment located about six blocks from where he worked at the ABC studios. He loved living in Los Angeles and he enjoyed the Hollywood lifestyle.

  I arrived in Los Angeles in January of 1994 and enrolled in voice-over classes. Although I wanted Melanie and the boys to be with me, they couldn’t be there because of school. I was going to miss her and the kids deeply, but I had to do something to make a living and provide for them.

  I started working out with Rich. He introduced me to another trainer, Francois, who perf
ormed Shiatsu on me, a form of Japanese therapy of physical and energy rebalance. It raised my energy level and increased my flexibility. I also did extensive strength training and cardiovascular work. After one month of training and watching my caloric intake, I lost all the weight that I had gained over the holidays. In fact, I was in the best shape of my life.

  I found out that a Hollywood career would be challenging and very competitive. To get a chance in the voice-over profession, I was going to have to invest a lot of energy, resources, and time. It would be like starting an entirely new career. I was going to turn forty, and I wasn’t about to commit the next five years of my life to pursuing something that might never materialize at the expense of my family and faith. I decided voice-over work wasn’t in my future.

  I spent a lot of quality time with Ted. At the time, he had emphysema and was on oxygen twenty-four hours a day. His mobility was limited and my stay gave me an opportunity to help him out around the house, running errands and driving him around town. He took me out to celebrate my fortieth birthday. I was even there when the 1994 Northridge earthquake hit.

  On January 17, I was awakened by the shaking of the apartment building. After getting my bearings, I rolled over and grabbed both sides of the bed. While holding on, the bed’s headboard fell off. It hit me right on the head. By the time I realized what had happened, it was over. Although I had felt a couple of tremors while I was wrestling in Japan, this was my first major earthquake experience. The damage was widespread. Sections of the freeways had collapsed, as did parking structures and office buildings.

  After the earthquake, I immediately checked on Ted to make sure he was all right. We were both fine. Although the apartment building didn’t suffer any structural damage, the inside was a complete mess. Dishes and cups were broken and the contents of the refrigerator were on the floor. The TV broke, as did most of his appliances. It was a good thing that I was there, because in his condition there would have been no way he could have cleaned up that mess. It was an unforgettable experience.

  MELANIE:

  I like to tease Ted that while he was in Hollywood pursuing a voice-over career, when he turned forty the earth shook.

  One afternoon when I was spending time with Ted at the apartment, I received a call from Bruce Prichard. After we exchanged some small talk he said, “Vince wants to know if you would be interested in coming back to World Wrestling Federation to cohost the Royal Rumble.”

  “You are talking about commentating, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who would I be cohosting the Rumble with?”

  “Vince.”

  I wasn’t too sure what to think or what to do. “Vince does know that I have never commentated before, right?”

  Bruce replied, “Yes, Ted, Vince knows. Come out here and give it a try. Just be the Million Dollar Man and do your own thing. Vince will lead you through the show and help you out.”

  “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” I called Melanie and she thought it was a great opportunity and supported my decision.

  When I got back home, I called Bruce and we discussed the particulars and terms. The next day, I flew to Boston, rented a car, and drove to Providence, where the Royal Rumble was being held. Once I arrived at the Providence Civic Center, I met with Bruce and some of the boys. I had been away from the company for almost six months and there was a lot of new talent. Bruce then took me to meet with Vince and the production team. For about three hours, I was instructed about the technical aspects and I learned a lot about how to effectively commentate. I was a tad nervous, but Vince kept me relaxed.

  Vince and I worked well together. Throughout the show, Vince kept reassuring me, reminding me to just be myself. Together we called three championship matches, which included a Casket match between champion Yokozuna and Undertaker—with the help of ten guys, Yokozuna retained the title. The ending of the King of the Ring tournament was quite spectacular. They crowned two kings, Bret Hart and Lex Luger, because they both landed on the floor simultaneously.

  Afterward, Vince and I discussed the evening’s event. I asked him about my performance. “For a first time, you did okay.” I appreciated the positive support and thanked him for the opportunity. Then I added, “Vince, ever since I suffered my neck injury and can’t wrestle, I’d had no idea what I was going to do. If you really like my commentating, I would be more than happy to do more. I will also be happy to come back to the company in the role of a manager or anything else you would like for me to do.”

  Vince smiled and said, “Let me think about it and I will get back to you in a few days.”

  That night at the hotel, I pondered my future with World Wrestling Federation. I had a good feeling about Vince bringing me back on board, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure.

  A couple of days later, while Melanie and I were eating breakfast, the phone rang. It was Bruce Prichard. “Hey, Ted. Vince wants you to go to WrestleMania X and make a cameo appearance. I’m not sure about anything else, but you can visit with Vince when you get there.” I accepted the offer.

  WrestleMania X took place in New York City at Madison Square Garden. It was an awesome card and I really enjoyed the Ladder match for the Intercontinental title between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. It was the first time World Wrestling Federation had televised a Ladder match and both men did a fantastic job. Another match that stood out was between Bret and Owen Hart. They grappled for some twenty minutes, which is something that many workers can’t do today.

  As for me, the creative team decided to have me sit in the crowd. Next to me was a President Bill Clinton look-alike. Throughout the show, the

  camera would show me and “President Clinton” laughing and hamming it up. The announcers would make many references to me and the president being good friends; they wondered if I had bought him off and whether I had stayed in the White House. I had fun with the impersonator. He did a great job with the antics and mannerisms. He had the real President Clinton down to a T.

  After the show, I went to the hotel lounge and had beer with the boys. When I turned in, about two in the morning, the telephone rang. It was Bruce Prichard. “Hey, Ted. Vince wants to know if you want to permanently try television commentating.”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Great. Get some rest because tomorrow a limo is going to pick you up at seven and take you to the studio in Stamford.”

  “You mean as in five hours from now?”

  Bruce chuckled. “Yeah, so get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.” I quickly called Melanie and shared with her the great news. I was so excited that I didn’t get much sleep that night.

  The limo took me to the studio and I met with Vince. We agreed on the terms of a contract and I started my professional wrestling television commentating career. In 1994, for the first time, I had become a salaried employee. I wasn’t making as much as I had been wrestling, but it was a decent wage.

  It was also a good deal because I didn’t have to spend a lot of time on the road. I only had to be at TV tapings two days every three weeks. Every week, I would go to the studio in Stamford and work all day doing voice-overs for World Wrestling Federation television shows.

  For the next two years, I did the color commentating on a variety of shows. I did a few shows with Stan Lane but was quickly partnered with Gorilla Monsoon. Gorilla was a legend in professional wrestling as a worker, booker, and announcer. He was a standout high school and college athlete. Standing six-five and weighing close to four hundred pounds, Gorilla held a few Tag Team Championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994. Five years later he passed away at sixty-two.

  I truly admired Gorilla. He was a quality human being who had a big heart. He went out of his way to help me in the announcer’s booth. I thought we were a great team, and it was all because of Gorilla. A good color commentator is only as good as the play-by-play announcer, and Gorilla was the best.

  Color commentating gave me the opportunity to look at the wrestli
ng business from a different perspective. I had been a referee and wrestler, and because of those two positions I had a better understanding of the sport. But now I understood the entire process. Doing color really made me appreciate the hours upon hours of work that the production team put into filming, editing, and scripting the shows.

  Even though I was in the announcer’s booth, Vince also wanted me to become a manager. Vince said, “Ted, you are still quite over with the fans. They hate you and I think your role as a manager will help some of the new heels get over with the fans.” I agreed and accepted the additional responsibility. I immediately formed the Million Dollar Corporation, which lasted from April 1994 to May 1996. During that time, I managed guys like I.R.S., Nikolai Volkoff, Tatanka, King Kong Bundy, Sid Vicious, and Bam Bam Bigelow.

  Bam Bam Bigelow was a great guy. He had an intimidating look, with fire tattoos all over his head and body, but he was a gentle giant. He was one of the most agile workers that I had ever seen for a man his size. Bigelow weighed close to four hundred pounds and could do a cartwheel like a gymnast. His moonsault off the top rope was mind-boggling. Bigelow worked for every major promotion in the States and even was a Tag Team Champion in New Japan. It was unfortunate that he died from an apparent drug overdose in 2007 at forty-five.

  A huge angle was set up between Bigelow and New York Giants football player Lawrence “LT” Taylor. LT is regarded as one of the greatest line-backers in the history of the NFL. It was a huge deal with the press because of the popularity of LT, especially in the New York area. Bigelow and LT worked a short program setting up their match at WrestleMania XI. During a match at the Royal Rumble 1995 Bigelow, who lost the match, was mocked at ringside by LT. Bigelow didn’t appreciate the comments and pushed him. Prior to their match, they got together a few times to prepare and work some spots. At WrestleMania XI in Hartford, LT pinned Bigelow after a flying forearm from the second rope. The match actually turned out pretty well and the major media outlets gave World Wrestling Federation a ton of press coverage. Bigelow carried the match and since I was at ringside, I helped coach LT from the floor.