Ted DiBiase has been involved in the world of professional wrestling his entire life. His stepfather, wrestler "Iron Mike" DiBiase, began the tradition and had a strong influence on him as a child. He died in the ring when Ted was fifteen. Shortly after, his mother slipped into a depression and turned to alcohol. Ted moved into a little town in southern Arizona to live with his grandparents. After Ted's junior year in college at West Texas State University
in Canyon, Texas, he stepped into the squared circle to follow in his father's footsteps.
After wrestling in Amarillo, Texas and Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, Ted moved to Atlanta to continue his wrestling
career. While there he met his future wife Melanie and they
were married in 1981. Ted's wrestling engagements kept
him away from her, while ego, pride, and money took
center stage. After the birth of their first son Teddy, the
DiBiase's moved to Mississippi where he continued
wrestling for Mid-South Wrestling. Ted was hoping that the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF) would take notice of his
talent. The WWF did take notice. They had an idea for a
new character and developed Ted into the "Million Dollar
Man" and he was surrounded by money, limousines and
life in the fast lane. Through hard work and much
determination he quickly rose to the top of his profession
where he has remained for the past twenty years.
Ted's career as a wrestler has taken him all over the world; all over Europe, Japan, India,
Canada, and all of the fifty states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Ted has held many
wrestling titles over his expansive career not withstanding, "The World Championship
Title." He has wrestled alone, as part of a tag team, and in recent years as the role of
manager. You may also have heard him at times behind the camera as he often
Million Dollar Man - Ted DiBiase
commentated and did color commentating for World Championship Wrestling.
Due to a neck injury several years ago, Ted was forced to give up the physical side of professional wrestling. He acted as a ringside manager in both the WWF (Andre the Giant, Steve Austin) and WCW (Steiner Brothers). While with WCW, Ted appeared on Ted Turner's cable networks "Monday
Nitro" and "Thursday Thunder" TV programs, and acted as creative consultant to EA Sports for their WCW Mayhem video game designed for the Sony Saturn and N64 game systems. He also traveled the Nascar circuit
as a WCW representative. Ted's WCW contract expired in 1999, and since then, Ted has taken on new roles outside of professional wrestling. He is a spokesperson for the Sunshine Foundation, an organization
that grants wishes for critically ill children, and has founded Heart of David Ministries (for which he travels the world as an evangelist furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also through Heart of David Ministries, Ted shares his prayer of hope all over America in motivational assemblies speaking out against the results of drug and alcohol abuse - warning America's youth about the trap of being addicted to drugs and alcohol. He also encourages them to stay in school, set reachable goals and pay whatever price it takes to become the best that they can be. But, Ted's speaking ministry is not focused only on youth, but he I actually has an even stronger message for "macho men" out there, and also struggling married couples. He speaks at men's meetings, whole church congregations, and special events. Recently, Ted has been very vocal about the state of today's professional wrestling - speaking against the sex and vulgar language in the
current product. He is currently exploring the possibilities of starting his own small federation which would be run as an outreach of Heart of David Ministries
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