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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 were 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 hear him at
times behind the camera as he often commentates and does 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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