"Million $ Man" to join WWE Hall of Fame

“Million $ Man” Ted DiBiase has been announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010. This year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 27, the afternoon before WrestleMania XXVI.

DiBiase is more than deserving of the honor as he has been a mainstay in WWE canon since 1987 when he became “The Million Dollar Man” and took the company by storm.

He was born into pro wrestling as his stepfather, “Iron” Mike DiBiase and his mother Helen Hild were pro wrestlers themselves. He grew up in west Texas, which is a breeding ground for professional wrestlers, and was trained into the business by Terry Funk & Dory Funk, Jr. He gained his first real experience working for Bill Watts in Mid-South Wrestling and had a brief stint in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1979 as the company’s one and only North American Champion; a precursor to today’s Intercontinental Championship.

From there DiBiase spent the first half of the 1980s traveling the territories, gaining valuable experience and having great success in places such as the NWA’s Georgia territory, All Japan Pro Wrestling and most notably Watt’s Mid-South Wrestling, which was renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation.

But it was in 1987 when “The Million $ Man” exploded onto the World Wrestling Federation that DiBiase truly became a made man. Almost overnight he became the company’s most hated villain. His plot to buy the WWF Championship was one of the greatest storylines in company history and the February 8, 1988, Main Event program that saw Andre the Giant defeat Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship, only to surrender the Title to DiBiase drew the highest rated pro wrestling broadcast in history.

Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant for the WWF Championship, February 8, 1988: (part 1)

Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant for the WWF Championship, February 8, 1988: (part 2)

From that point he was a fixture on WWF cards until 1993, having memorable rivalries with men such as Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Dusty Rhodes, The Big Boss Man and his former servant Virgil. He was also the man (in storylines) to introduce The Undertaker to the WWF when DiBiase brought Undertaker in as his mystery tag team partner at Survivor Series ’90. He also formed a successful tag team with Irwin R. Schyster (IRS) and won the three World Tag Team Championships as well. DiBiase retired from in-ring wrestling after his loss to Razor Ramon at SummerSlam ’93.

He remained with the company after his retirement, working as a color commentator and a manager. His Million $ Corporation boasted a variety of members including his own partner IRS, King Kong Bundy, Bam Bam Bigelow, Sid and the 1-2-3 Kid, among others from 1994 until its demise in 1996. His final protégé was Stone Cold Steve Austin, who debuted inauspiciously under the moniker The Ringmaster.

After he left the WWF in early ’96 he resurfaced in World Championship Wrestling that fall as one of the key members of the early new World order. He left the nWo in August ’97 and began managing Ray Traylor and The Steiner Brothers in their battles against the nWo. In 1998 he left WCW and faded into retirement.

Since then DiBiase has became active in the Christian Ministry, and combined wrestling into his religious teaching. He has made sporadic appearances for WWE since April 2005, and even was a road agent for the company for a brief time during that time period as well. His most recent on-air appearance was as one of the first guest hosts of RAW once that gimmick started this past summer.

DiBiase is long overdue to join WWE’s version of the Hall of Fame. “The Million $ Man” is one of the more notorious and famous characters in WWE history, and is widely considered one of the top wrestlers to never win a World Heavyweight Championship in his career. Now with his son Ted DiBiase, Jr. making big waves on WWE television and another son, Brett DiBiase, training in Florida Championship Wrestling it is perfect time to induct this true legend into WWE’s immortality.